Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-12
LOCAL RAILROAD MEN
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&C. T.. Musser, General Chairman
| TRANSPORT FOOD by AUTO TRUCK.
Thousands of tons Of food and gem
cral merchandise will be carried from
Wilmington and Baltimore to Philadel-
phia by motor-tnicks beginning today.
These trucks will run on regularly hxeo
schedules. Some will stop in this city and
Chester enroute 10 Philadelphia and Others
will 60 directly to Philadelphia without Q
stop The truck line, il is believed, vii
greatly reduce the troubles and in
convenience caused by the strike OF the
railroad men.
Several thousand trucks have been
mobilized in Baltimore alone for this
work and each vehicle will carry a load
to Baltimore and intermediate points on
the return trip.
Precautions have been taken, il is
said to protect the trucks from attack
by strikers or sympathizers over the
entire route.
Passengers train service on tine three
railroads operating through and out of this
city had suffered very little embarrass-
ment up TO noon today, according 20 in
formation given the press by the super
intendents OF the various roads. From
Philadelphia southwark trains are running
practically on time, but trains for New
York are uncertain Even freight trains
are being moved close 10 normal, al
though the management OF the roads
have informed shippers that II Is Impossible
to forsec what may happen
II was announced at the Pennsylvania
railroad station this morning that the
representatives of the "Big Four" brother
hoods on this city were Loyalty standing
BY the railroads 1T seems 10 be n fight
10y the swtehmcn against the Big Four.
said an official today. Since Saturday
The Big -Four representatives have been
doing everything in their power TO keep
the switchmen az work and also hold their
own men loyalty in line and by the con-
tract they have signed with the corpora
tions.
Speaking as n whole, the Southern
Grand division. which embraces, tho
Pennsy lines south from Philadelphia
to Baltimore and Washington and Nor
folk, Va. and as far west as with a few
miles OF Harrisburg, about so per cent of
the passenger trains are running. The
situation however. in Philadelphia. is
said to be quite serious.
The strike of the switchmcn had spread
as far south as Chester this morning.
On all of the railroads clerks have been
mobilized TO act rs brakcmen. The
PENNSYLVANIA has $50 clerks modified.
it was announced. this morning for such
work if needed. While there have been
some conductors running out of this city
who have broken their signed word by
refusing TO take out trains. some of these
ii is said have realized their unfathiuness
and have agreed to return 60 work
As a rule the enginemen and tirenen
II ron Il IN nf "a nd
pledge TO the railroads. But they are OF
no use without conductor and brakeman.
1t is admitted that about score of
brakemen and conductors from here have
failed to report for duty. and it was an
nounced that when train comes into tho
station here, IT iS not known whether the
crew will quit or continue on their run,
because such assertions have taken place
on the New York division.
r.s r. AND b. = o. MEN LOYAL.
The Philadelphia q Reading and the
Baltimore K Ohio Offices and manage
mcnt here announced today that their
men arc loyal and remaining on the job.
How long such a condition will continue
the management is unable to announce.
On the Pennsylvania lines some crews
took trains to Philadelphia on Saturday
and yesterday and refused To bring their
trains back TO this city
The trainmen have admitted that they
have received word from the heads Of their
organizations urging them 10 remain loyal
10 the signed pledge of their leaders with
the railroads, and to do everything in their
power TO get the swItchmen 10 remain at
their posts
While things along the Delaware and
Maryland divisions are not so bad as at
Philadelphia and New York. the situation
at the Washington terminal rs serious.
Six through express trains between New
York and Washington were annullcd to-
day But local trains between this city
and Philadelphia are running practically
on time
The railroads are proceeding to operate
trains along the following schedule: Pas
senger trains, first: then milk and perish
able goods. then other freight.
On Saturday 1900 carloads of freight
were moved over the southern division
and yesterday more than 1000 carloads
\ peculiar fact is that the shipments on
Saturday we're the heaviest of any single
dav this year.
Carloads of perishable freight from the
south that had gotten as far as Whining
ton, and which were consigned TO Phil
adelphia and New York City were held
up at Edge Moor and disposed of to
commission houses here and in Coates
vile. Chester and Philadelphia.
In this city, c. W Diggan and George
W. Booker, commission merchants are
disposing of several carloads OF perishable
goods. Diggans has a carload of fish
CLANS and crabs from Motor Run, Vir-
ginia, and Booker had carloads of kale.
spinach, oranges and grape fruit and
cabbage from Florida and eggs from Nor
folk.
HOLD" ORDERS FOR FREIGHT.
Hold" orders have been pla ced on
freight at all terminal sections on all roads
but this does not mean that freight is not
being received and forwarded as speedily
as conditions viii permit The Pennsvl-
vania is receiving and forwarding freight
of all character on it's own lines, but on
freight for connecting points there is no
assurance that it will be moved ex-
pedltiously.
II was announced at the Office Of the
division freight agent of the Pennsylvania
road at noon. that practically all persha-
BILE stuff had been arranged for. There are
some cars from the south still running,
but these can be accommodated safely.
The perishable goods and produce un-
loaded here were being disposed of to
hucksters today at very cheap prices.
So far as train service between this
city and Philadelphia there was practical
ly no embarrassment.
So far there has been no indi cation that
the Freight Handlers Union proposed
to take any part in the switchmens strike.
la Ias, Ie hna nd l., II