The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1920-04-16
10000 RAIL MEN
OUT ON STRIKE
BREAK IN STRIKE, OFFICIALS
SAY; STRONGER THAN EVER,
MEN ASSERT
FREiGHTEMBARGO DECLARED
Battle is Of Union Against Union
Rebels" Claim Fight Will Be Car
ried on Until New Union
Is Completed

Chicago, April 10-A break In the
Unauthorized strike Of switchmen and
enginemen at Chicago. where ii start
ed nine days ago with II subsequent
spread 10 many railroad centers. was
announced yesterday by A. +. Whit
hood Of Railway Trainmen. who CON
ferred with u committee OF strikers
from The Chicago & Northwestern rail
road.
The delegation was said to have told
| Mr.. Whitney that IL vote would be
taken 'wlthin - hours with view to
ending the strike on that railroad SAT-
urday night. brotherhood Officers
said that n number of strikers return
cd 10 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 Il mass meeting Of yard EN-
ployes."
Leaders Of the insurgents said 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 were declared in
number OF cities by railroads af-
fected by the walkout. Breaks in the
strike We're 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
nrea 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.
I'VE wish to assure the railroads
with whom we have contracts that il
Is our purpose To support the integrity
of these contracts by endeavoring to
protect them to the fullest extent. in
order that the public may not be seri-
ously inconyenieneed, the letter said.
I'VE appreciates. however. that ow-
Ing To present economic conditions
over which we have no control, and
the fnct that the situation has been
grossly misrepresented by irreSponsi-
BILE persons, we have assumed die
tatorship of an unorganized body of
men, that 1t will be difficult for us en-
tirely to relieve the situation until we
have had further opportunity to meet
aud talk with our members. We be-
lieve the railroads will cooperate
with MS To- that end"
Important developments of the day
were the ordering of an investigation
of the strike by the senate and an an
nouncement by W. G. Lee, president
of the Brotherhood of Railway Train
men, that the brotherhood would op-
pose any attempt To settle the walkout
by mediation.
The strike had become clear cut
fight between the recognized railroad
organizations and the radical element
among the railway workers, brother
hood officers said.
The brotherhoods claim that freight
traffic In Chicago was 30 per cent of
normal yesterday was conntered by
the rebel assertion that the teup
had become more clearly completes.
The question of wages and hours
had become of secondary Importance,
according 10 John Grnnau president
of the Chicago lardmen's association,
which called the original walkout.
The fight has become one of Su-
premacS between the new and the old
unions" irunau said. "We railroad
men are tired of receiving nothing hut
promises from our leaders, We de.
mand results"
An optimistic statement WAS issued
yesterday by the Western General
Managers association. composed OF
managers of all roads entering Chi
cago
The strike in Chicago showed fur.
ther Improvement today" the state
ment said. AN the railroads are
handling their passenger and Suhur-
han trains ms usual. ON several rail
roads there was further increase IN
the number ef switching crews work
ing and on none of the roads was
there II decrease"