Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-04-11
FEDERAL ATTORNEYS ORDERED ID PROBE
 RAILWAY WhLK0UT
Palmer Moves to Learn if Joint Action is Being
 Taken
FOOD SITUATION IS
 NEARING THE CRITICAL
Reserve Stocks at Principal Distrib- uting Centers are Depleted-Sen Q ate Committee to Begin In-
 veStigatiOn on Tuesday


 Washington, April 1O.-Orders went out today to United States district attorneys to investigate the unauthor- ized railroad strikes in their district to determine whether there has been any joint action designed to in- terfere with the distri button of ne-. cessities of life or whether such in- terference was contemplated
 Attorney General Palmer who is at Savannah, Ga, in making this an- nouncement, said that such "joint action" would be unlawful He added that the federal government would take no steps until careful inquiry had been made to ascertain the exact facts. MT. Palmer will be in the south for several days and has in- structed Assistant Attorney General Ames to act on his own judgment should the situation be found to war rant it.
 MT. Ames steadfastly refused to com ment on developments in the strike situation.
 '1 am not prepared to say anything relative to reported governmental ac- 'tion in the strike" Mir. Ames said.
 Although the strike apparently was spreading rapidly, especially in the middle west, administration officials believed the authorized leaders of the railroad unions would be able to control the situation without the gov ernment's interference. Government n F, ,ty,n 1.vg "A move should this finally be decided upon. What the first step would be was not decided.
 Senate to Investigate.
 The senate interstate commerce committee completed plans today for it's investigation of the strike. Hear ings will begin Tuesday with John Grunau, president of the Chicago yardmen's association, and leader of the striking forces in Chicago, as one of the first witnesses, Chairman Cummins announced. Others to be heard will include A. Whitney. vice president of the brotherhood of rail- road trainmen and officials of tho Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul rail- road.
 Officers of the railroad shop craftSF affiliated with the American federa- tion of labor, refused to discuss the strike. Samuel Gompers, president of the federation, has gone to Cleve- land, headauarters of the trainmen'sl union, to discuss the general situar ton with brotherhood chiefs.
 Food Depleted.
 Reserve supplies of foodstuffs at principal distributing centers already have been depleted as result of the railroad strikes, the department of agriculture today announced. Large shipments of meats, live stock and produce were in transit today but "arrivals will be more or less af- fected by local strikes at junction: points," an official summary by the department said.
 "The strike situation was reported serious at New York;" the announce-s ment continued
 "Very little produce was lightered across from New Jersey Friday or Saturday.
 At Chicago the supply of various commodities was reduced aboht 5OS per cent with the possible exception of potatoes. Most roads were refus- ing shipments particularly in adja-. cent territory.
 e"In St. Louis and East St. LouiaI an embargo was placed on practically all express and freight, both inbound and outbound.
 At Kansas City 75 per cent of the railroad facilities were reported u,ss available. Car lot dealers reporteiE inability to distribute many cars ofi perishable produce in the railroad| yards. Others are being unloaded into trucks and contents placed in warer houses"
 "Plans for the senate investigation of the strike were completed today by Chairman Cummins of the inter- state commerce committee. The inc quiry will begin in Chicago Tueaday and will be conducted by the full com mittee with John Grunau, A. F. Whit ney, vice president of the brother hood of railroad trainmen, and cf1 ficers of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad on which the strike organized as the first witnesses.
 Two railroads, the New York Cent tral and Chicago, Milwaukee and St Paul entering Chicago lifted Ail freight restrictions and promised LOO per cent operation in the next 4S hours.
 Movement of perlshaDIe produek4y was started at once with the transfey of 50 carloads of meat and tracks pele cleared to make way for coal shfp- ments that have been kept out of the city by the yard tie-up, x
 The strike has increased the volt ume of the mails. according to JohM M. Hubbard, first assistant poaS master who said that 60 per cent more mail was handled than befe19 the walkout. About 1sA00 tom