Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-28
CLAIM RAILWAY STRIKE
WOULD PARALY we CITY
business Men Here Consider Con-
ditions Grave in Event of
Walkout.
MIGHT STOP ALL MAIL S
Ticup Would Mean Great Financial
LoSs-Eood Supply Barely Suf-
ficirnt To Last Two Weeks, Say
Officials.

Conditions in tho event that rail
way employees MAKE Eoou thelr threat
10, tie UP all railroad traffic are con
rcsen;ative Richmond business men.
according 20 statements made last
night.
pivestiratio, into the amount Of
food supplies here. according 10 figures
made public Yesterday, show tina; ken
mond has only q sc"nt two week
Whether or not the government mails
VII be held M II the tnre iat, ,tar 20
J, sands, of the American National
sank n sta{@mSnt ye sbor,a ,S @S'i
daily loss OF trade OF S25.Qo0,9no worth
q fbusineSs would result in Richmond
alone He stated that @j per cent OF
the bank business done was transacted
Plan truck. for ,IniIs.
The probability that If the railway
not bc exempted. as before. nde ;oait
Richmond business men to a con ten
plsnon Of the p"ssioiii,ty Of DONG o"s'-
Assistant Postmaster southwark said
YESTERDAY that in case Of q cur CnTiai IL
nearby points would be taken care
OF by motor. truck. He also said that
daily mail to Washington by army
motor truck would be attempted, ana
he considered the idea very plansable.
unless conditions OF the roads makes
the passage OF heavy trucks impossl-
The feeding OF citizens at this time
OF the year is not considered serious
problem, and Mayor Ainslie said yes
terday that motor trucks could collect
food throughout the nearby country.
which would supply Richmond for
Disagree with Mayor.
Wholesale merchants VINO were con-
Suited disagreed With the Mayor gc,Ir on
small percentage OF the food. even
green vegetables consumed in Rich
inond is raised within 500 miles of
It was also pointed out that there
was maeEre supply of gasoline on
nres We're not available. In case OF IL
protractcd tieup OF the railroads auto
mobiles would be rend5req useless ~
l point tsdN out " There is very small
number OF horses and mules in Rich
lnond, this means OF locomotion nav
Director OF Public Utilities TraTord
made the statement Yesterday tina
only about seven days supply OF
fuel to run the gas plant was on hand
at any time, and that at present there
was not even that amount. He pointed
out that In case OF strike, however.
a quantity of fuel would be stranded
on its way through Richmond to the
Underwater district and could be conis-
Gated.
Gns supply short.
Gas which could be Manufactured by
water power would supply the city fol
three weeks, he said. y small suppl!
OF alum for the publication OF city
water is on hand, Director TrafforC
said, and the problem of supplying tn
city With pure drinking water would
be one OF the most puzzling in case o
a suddSn tic-up in shipments, which
are received every ten days.
y small supply OF nam and bacon
an even smaller amount OF eggs anC
Sutter ana cold storage meats are re
ported on hand.
The only thing OF which there ap
pears to be 4 surplus is cheese. o:
which there is quite a respectable
quantity, reports show.
officials point out that the supply Of
milk would be curtailed by half as fan
as tho wants OF the consumer are con-
cerned. The production of ice cream
factories would have 10 cease at once
il is said because almost all OF the
companies doing business here hav,
their supply OF cream shipped from
long distances.
Surplus Flour supply.
A Slight surplus of hour and meal Is
article except sugar is reported at the
present time.
In speaking Of the strike condition
last night, Thomas Morton. president
OF the Richmond FEDERATION OF Rail.
way Employees. said that the attitude
OF the body OF tAe- railway men is en-
co1raginS. The G.2ir!ri that il is hes
TO wall Cntil they l4.. e received order:
from Washington t. act ~ general. Mr.
Morton said
TeieEraphic dispatches were received
by the Richmond Federations yester.
washington stating that conference,
is being held today, in which state.
ments viii he drawn up OF the hap
pen!ngs there and forwarded to al
Ihe unions in the United States 10
gether with advice from the commit
tee.