The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-04-10

New York, April 9.-The
metropolitan district came to
a realization tonight that il liz,
threatened with a transporta-
ton crisis that will cut the city
and suburbs apart from the
rest oe-the country.
1t appeared probable tha.
the morning would see all rail-
road service, both passenger
and freight, paralyzed.
The Hudson river ferries have been
giving only partial service for a week
because OF strike of harbor boat
men that is believed to have augment
ed restlessness among the tube en-
pIoyes and the railroad switchmen A
strike of longshoremen has tied up all
of the eoastwise lines for month.
STRIKE FEVER SWEETS ON.
The strike fever appears to have
taken hold Of ALI classes of transport
tatfon workers and to be sweeping
them, leaderless and in defiance or
their national officers into a general
Offensive against their employers.
The Passenger service OF all the
railroads that have their terminals
in Jersey City became demoraiized to-
night because OF the increasing con-
gestion despite the embargo on
freight.
The lines include the Central. OF
New Jersey, the Lackawanna, the
Lehigh Valley and the Erie.
/ On the New York Central, which
enters New York by land from tho
North and the, Pennsylvania which
has an underwater tube to tn ter
minal, service was maintained, but
officials were not confident for tomor~
row because the strike fever has all
ready affected the men in their yards,
CRISIS is ACUTE.
J. J. Mantell. chairman of the strike
committee of the railroads, admitted
tonight that the crisis is acute.
More and more trains are STOP
ping all the time" he said. Zone OF
the leaders Of the railroad ngemen
told me tonight that despite Desperate
efforts by the brotherhood the men
are walking out in larger and larger
numbers
A singular phase of the strike is the
difficulty found in locating leaSers Of
the men who can tell what they want
The railroad yardmen are members OF
| trainmen's brotherhood, but they MAve
struck IN defiance of the brotherhocd
| leaders.
So far as has developed. the men
are being guided by radicals who
I have suddenly seized leadership, ana
| by Tom Healey, who has been direct
/ ing the strike of the harhor boatmen
employed on railroad ferryboats and
| tugs The sweep of the yardmcn to
a suspension Of work was a much-
needed reinforcement for Healey and
! his marine strikers.
| The food situation Is serious Tho
supply of perisha BILE foods, including
! meats and poultry, will meet the de-
mands of consumers only until Tues
day or Wednesday. Wholesale prices
| scared today.
! Freight transportation on Tn
Long Island railroad was tied up to~
night when yard crews did not res
| port Ohicials had received no ds~
| mands before the strike.
BACKBONE SEEMS
t BROKEN IN CH1CAEU
| Chicago, April a.--The railroad
| hrotherhoods claimed tonight the1
had won their night against dieHeut.
! ing members and that the backbOnes
of the railroad strike had been
broken in Chicago Leaders OF the
radical groups were unwilling to Ad-
/ nit defeat They said while the
:. brotfferhootfs frsxd 'Sgrrseetie6 IN w4zS4
ming back few men in Chicago thu
strike had swept throughout the
country.
4 plea of representatives Of ~
his hEot heg h9ads to- abroad .rpAA39
for more time TO break thu atrtE
the outstanding feature - r.