The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-09
No Chance Now for Mediation.
Says Brotherhood Chief.
Threat to Evoke Lever Act
Against "Rump" Strikers.
TO HURRY WAGE CONFERENCE
Reports From Rival Leaders
Differ Widely.
Hundreds of Thousands of
Workers Thrown Out of Jobs.

Chicago, April 9.-Switchmen who
have been on strike here for nine
days, began returning to work this
morning. Brotherhood officials who
have been fighting the Illegal
walkout of their men, do not claim
that the strike is broken, but were
much encouraged by reports from
several roads that the men in small
groups, were returning for work.
The Chicago Junction railway, the
belt line connecting the stockyards
and packing plants with the trunk
lines. was one of the first to report.
Eleven engine crews were at work
this morning, the report said, as COM
pared to three yesterday. While the
switching and freight situation
showed improvement the congestion
in the yards grew so great that seven
of the eight railroads entering the
Dearborn street station were unable
to run passenger trains down town.
They were discharging passengers at
suburban stations to complete the trip
on elevated or surface cars.
Only the Santa Fe was running into
the station this morning.
Chicago, April O. Reports today
| showed railroad centers from coast
to coast either partially or completely
tied up by the strikes. Cities reported
| this morning estimated tota, of 26,-
| 497 railroad men to be idle. To this
/
| thousands of men and women forced
| out of employment indirectly by the
railroad walkout.
Factories in many cities are closing
| down because of lack of coal or raw
materials. In Chicago $4,000 packing
house workers are idle. Many rail-
road men who have no part in the
strike have likewise been locked out
because of the tieup in the freight
yards
Figures compiled this morning
show the situation to be as follows:
and Jersey City, 1000; st. Louis, s.
900; Toledo, 1000; Detroit, 1900;
Los Angeles, 400; Buffalo, 1900;
San Francisco, 440; Kansas City, L.
500; Gary. 800; Syracuse. $50; Salt
Lake, 215; Saginaw. Mich, 200; Og-
Springfield, Ill, SO; Joliet. Ill, SO;
Scranton, o., so. Total 26,
! Push Wage Hearing.
| Wage demands of 5 groups of rail-
road employees numbering 9SO.000 will
be pushed Immediately as the result
of the spread of unauthorized strikes
| of switchmen and enginemen, C. A.
Worrell, general chairman of the rail-
way clerks organization of the Chi
cago & Northwestern system said to-
day.
Railway clerks, telegraphers, signal
men, maintenance of way employees
and stationary firemen and oilers. the
groups involved, will present demands
to every railroad in the United States
within a week, Worrell said.
OUTLAW" switchmeR of the Chicago
Yardsmen's association, which orig
minated the strike now enveloping the
entire country, are on strike for in
creases which would bring their wages
up to approximately 81 an hour.
The Strika originated with the
dumping" of John Grunau. president
of the association. from his job as
service conductor with the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul railroad by a
regular conductor.
The discharge was followed by a
walkout of a handful of men in pro-
test. This was quickly followed by a
strike of switchmen demanding 81 an
hour pay.
Says Situation Improved.
redictions that the strike of "out-
law railroad dnion employees will die
out within a few days was made
here today by President Heberling OF
the Switchmens Union of North
America.
THE situation is much improved,
he said. "Altho reports seem to indi-
cate that the strikes are spreading to
many other cities, I predict that the
strike will burn itself out before
nightfall and that it will all be over
within a few days"
Heberling was TO confer here today
with railroad brotherhood officials and
later with G. w. w. Hangar, federal
labor conciliator.
He denied that government aid
would be sought to mediate the strike
The strike is Illegal" he said land
cannot be mediated."
I'VE are still at war with Germany
said Heberling. The Lever law still
exists
The strike today had spread thru
out practically the whole of the mid
die west More than a score of mid
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