Republican farmer., 1920-04-16

Chicago, April 19-Fresh difficulties were encountered by the railroads at the Pacific northwest, although re- ports from various other sections of the West indicated gradual improve, ment. Great Northern and Northern Pacific switchmen at Everett. Wash, walked out at midnight last night and Northern Pacific yardmen at Spokane arranged a meeting today to decide on future action. Yard em- ployes of the Oregon, Washington Railroad and Navigation Company, and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St | Paul in that district awaited action by the Northern Pacific men.
 In Chicago where the strike started i two weeks ago with a walkout oI
 switchmen on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad, conditions were sufficiently improved today to permit lifting by several railroads of the embargoes placed a week ago. Railroad officials estimated 25 ger cent more freight was moved at Chi cago yesterday than on any other day since the strike started.
 At the Chicago stock yards 246 1 cars of livestock were received yester-
 day, the largest volume in more than
 a week and 10000 employees return
 ed to work. Approximately 35,000
 workers still were 1dIe, however. Only about 25 per cent of Chicag go's
 normal coal supply is being received
 but railroads announced that if the
 situation became serious coal ship
 ments would be given pre- ference. At Gary, Ind, thousands of steel
 workers were idle and last night
 street lighting was cut off.
 ] Railroad managers reiterated today
 their discrimination not to treat with
 the strikers who planned yesterday
 to present demands to the company representatives. Another order was
 issued by officers of the Switchmen's $
 Union of North America commanding
 striking members to return to work Immediately.
 John Gruneau, head of the strikers
 new union. maintained ais claims that the 'tinsurgent'' forces remained in- , tact and would not yield.
 A break came in the strike at St. , Louis when 324 Missouri Pacific . switchmen voted to return to work f today. Strikers at Pueblo, CoIoz
 Muskogee, Okla, Saginaw, Mich,
 Battle Creek, Mich, Dayton, Ohio, 3 and several other points also decided
 to end the walkout
 Freight traffic continued badly i'm paired at Kansas City and railroad S officials reported little improvement. a In Detroit the effect of the strike . became more serious and approxi- ! mately 50,00O factory workers were s idle with estimates that 1S,GOO work Q CTS in other Michigan cities were I thrown out of work. Detroit was = ightless last night
 S Camden, N- J., April 13.---The strike e spread to this section this morning 0 when a number of men failed to re- V port for duty. At the Reading rail- = road terminals some of the yardmen
 struck, but the switchmen came to Fl work at the usual hour. The passen- e ger and freight brakemen voted last f right to join the strike, 39 to 6, but or they nave not quit yet.
 On the Pennsylvania lines a portion S of the switchmen and yazdmen went
 out. The trainmen have not yet e joined the strike but they threaten to l. do so.
 l. Forty fremen at the westvi1le '- power house are expected to quit to. e day. If they do, the Penna's electric d system in SouHh Jersey will be tied
 iup.