The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-04-16
10000 RAIL MEN
OUT ON STRIKE
BREAK IN STRIKE, OFFICIALS
SAY; STRONGER THAN EVER,
MEN ASSERT
FREIGH T EMBARGO DECLARED
Battle Is of Union Against Union
"Rebels" Claim Fight Will Be Car
ried on Until New Union
Is Completed

1nlcdgO, April lU.-A break in tn
unauthorized strike of switchmen an,
enginemen at Chicago where it start
ed nine days ago, with a subseouen
spread 10 many railroad centers. wa.
: announced yesterday by A. T.. Whit
ney. vice president of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen. who con
ferred with Il committee of strikers
from the Chicago & Northwestern rail
road
The delegation was said TO have told
Mr. Whitney that vote would be
taken within "A hours with a view to
ending the strike on that railroad Sat
urday night brotherhood officers
said that number of strikers return
ed To work yesterday. and predicted
that the amount of freight in the Chi
cago area would be nearly normal by
next week
| Another group of strikers yesterday
! requested the mayor of Chicago "to
take steps TO settle the strike by adj
| dressing mass meeting of yard EN-
ployes."
VI liiC llSuISellS Salu the
strike was not only not broken but
would be carried on until new union
was completed.
Reports from rail centerS through
out the country Indicated that nearly
10000 railroad men were on strike.
Freight embargOes We're declared in a
number of cities by railroads af-
fected by the walkOut. Breaks in the
strike were reported in few places
Switchmen and brakemen on the Mis-
souri, Pacific railway at Sedalia. Mo,
who walked out yesterday morning. re-
turned to work in the afternoon. |
Railroad officers in the New York |
area reported that strikers were re-
turning to New Jersey yards,
Heads of the railroad brotherhOods
last night denounced the strike as
purely an attempt to disrupt the union.
More time in Which TO break the
Strike was asked in letter addressed
to the Western Association of Rail
ways by the railroad brotherhoods.
eve wish to assure the railroads
with whom we have contracts that it
IS our purpose to support the integrity
IF these contracts by endeavoring to
protect them to the fullest extent i'll
Irder that the public may not be seri-
'usly inconvenienced," the letter said
''We appreciate, however. that ow-
ng to present economic conditions
'ver which we have no control, and
fo af hat ho CT |
,rossly misrepresented by irresponsi-
lie persons. we have assumed die
of an un0rganized body of
1en. that ii will he difficult for us en-
rely to relieve the situation until we
ave had further opportunity TO meet
nd talk with our members. We be-
eve the railroads will cooperate
18th MS to that end"
Important developments of the day
ere the ordering of an investigation
the strike by the senate and an an
by w. G. Lee. president .
{ the brotherhood of Railway Train
zen. that the brotherhood would OPP
ose any attempt to settle the walkout q
Y mediation.
The strike had become clear cut ]
ght between the recognized railroad
and the radical element u
mong the railway workers, brother =
God officers said
The brotherhoods claim that freight II
affic in Chicago was 30 per cent of II
Drmal yesterday was countered by y
lie rebel assertion that the tieup !"
I'D become more clearly complete. u
The question of wages and hours s.
I'd become of secondary Importance.
to John Grunau. president y
the Chicago Yardmen's association, ~
hich called the original walkOut.
.'The fight has become one of SUI ~
.emacy between the new and the old "a
Mons Grunau said eve railroad ~
en- are tired of receiving nothing but
omises from our leaders. We de-
and results
An optimistic statement was issued en-
sterday by the Western General or
anagers' association. composed of tie
anagers of all roads entering Chi TT
60 -
THE strike in Chicago showed fur
err Improvement today" the state
ant said. ''Al the railroads are
ndling their passenger and subur-
n trains as usual. On several rail
ads there was further increase in
e number of switching crews work
: and on none of the roads was
ere a decrease"