The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-04-08
Chicagoans Spurn
Wilson'S Proposal
Railroad Workers Declare They Will Hold Out
for Their Demands Regardless of Conse-
quences to Industry and General
Public Memphis Votes Strike.
Eight Thousand in Sympathetic Walkouts in Other
Toy Chicago Police Powerless in Event of Con-
= ed Violence Prices Already Are Soaring

~ ~ AS@SAASS A"S
Me ;. !, April S.--Switchmen en-
ploy s. the Memphis yards of all
eXq S> wo of The railroads entering
thy N s, meeting as individuals to-
q s oted to go on strike at 4
Il K tomorrow afternoon if de-
~ As for increased wages are not
N piled with.
,trike leaders declare about 720
en- will be affected. Employees OF
=, ne Rock Island and Nashville, Chat
tanooga e. st. Louis railroads were
not represented at today's meeting.
Another meeting will be held to-
morrow, when, II was stated. an ef-
fort will be made to have the shop
crafts, clerks and yard engineers and
firemen join in the strike.
Menace Growing:
Chicago. April S.-The menace of
d national railroad strike grew more
threatening than ever today.
Defying President Wilson. by de-
claring that they woulds,. spurn his
proposal for the appointment of a
wage board to settle their differences
with their employers, Chicago's strik-
ing railroad workers announced that
they would not return to- work until
their demands have been, complied
with, regardless of the consequences
to industry and the general public.
In the meantime, the strike CON
tinued to spread to other cities. More
than 5000 men walked out at Kan
sas City, Los Angeles, Toledo and
Fort Wayne. In st. Louis 5000. of
the railroad workers have joined the
strike, and at Milwaukee agitators
continued to urge the men to go out.
One thousand men are out at De-
troit. At Buffalo and Champaign.
Ill, strikes virtually tying up all
freight movement in those citiesro-
mained in effect
Hourly More Serious. H.
Hour by hour the situation, grew
more serious in Chicago. Not only
did the strikers declare their inten-
tion of making finish, fight of 1t
in defiance of the government, and
their own brotherhood chiefs, but
$500 of them-switehmen. engineers
and firemen--seceded from the broth
orhoods to which they belonged and
Joined the new OUTLAW union re-
sponsible for the strike, the Yard
mems Association of America.
The chief of polcc already. has
stated that the Chicago force would
be powerless in the event that con-a
ccrted violence begins, and has made
preparations to ask that the state
militia be called out II necessary
At least 10000 men in Chicago ana
nearby cities have been thrown out
of employment because of the clos
ing down of industries as the result
of the strike, and their number will
be augmented by thousands on each
day that the strike continues.
Gary Mills Shut Down.
At the stockyards-one Of the
industries hardest hit-all plants re-
ported a gradual stoppage of opera
tions. officials of Armour e. Co.
stated that they are prepared to
cease ali activities there by tonight.
At Gary, Ind, many of the furnaces
at the steel mills were shut down,
and the American Sheet and Tin
Plate company closed Its plant alto
gether, throwing 5000 men out of
work.
The public felt the effects OF the
strike in soaring prices of food and
other necessities. Potatoes set the
dizzy price of $7.65 a hundredweight
and the prices on nearly all meats
went up. The first real hardship,
kowever. will be felt when the city's
fuel supply Is exhausted which will
be certain to occur IL the strike lasts
u week, according to estimates.
That q federal injunction be OBJ
tained Immediately against the strik-
ers, similar to the indianapolis. in
jrnction issued against the coal min
ers, was suggested by j. c. McFar-
land. an official of the Brotherhood
Of Railroad Trainmen.
1900 Out at Buffalo
Buffalo N Y ADril 8-ACcording
to figures OF the division superin-
tendents of the various railroads OPP
Grating In Buffalo. more than l,S00
switchmen are out on strike today.
Union officials claim more men are
out and that In. a short time oil
others will join the strike.
Taking Strike Vote,
Pittsburgh, April S.--Two thousand
switchmen, brakemen and other en-
ployes of the Conway. yard OF the
Pennsylvania railroad at Conway,
Pa, were taking strike vote to-
day, and 1t was said by their leaders
that unless their demands were
granted by midnight. they would
strike. The men said they wanted n
minimum of 81 an hour for switch
men and increases for other work
ingmen which In some instances
would bring their pay: to sL25 an
hour.
Embargo Placed on Freight
New Orleans. Aprit S.-An en-
largo on all freight for lines connect
ing with Chicago WAS placed In ef-
feet here today by tire Illinois Cen
trail and other lines, as result of
strikes in the east and west.
Protest Against Strike.
Cleveland. o., April S.-Goneral
chairmen of the Brotherhood OF Rail-
way Trainmen in al important ter
minals throughout the country today
were telegr1phed as follows by Pres
ident Lee:
"Vice- President whitney and gen
eral chairmen OF lines entering Chi
m n MI IN .