New-York tribune., 1920-04-09
Entire Freight and Passen-
ger Service of Lacka-
wanna Tied Up When
1000 Workers Quit
Nearly All Yards
Here Are Affected
4 Roads Place Embargo
on Perishable Goods:
Chicago Plants to Close

The strike Of railroad employees,
started by "rebel" Chicago yardmen
without the authorization of their
unions, spread yesterday to all parts Of
the country.
New York was hard hit. The entire
freight and passenger service Of the
Lackawanns Railroad was tied up short
ly after midnight, when the employees
at the Hoboken terminal, numbering be-
tween 1000 and 1000 men. walked out.
The strikers included switchmen. yard
men, freight handlers, conductors and
trainmen. Desperate efforts of officials
of the road to keep the men at work
pending a conference in New York City
this morning were unavailng. The
strikers refused to handle milk from
trains which were arriving with supplies
for the city.
Eight hundred men had quit without
notice earlier in the evening in the
Pennsylvania yards on the outskirts Of
Jersey City. Smaller numbers of en-
ployees of the Erie, Lehigh Valley and
Jersey Central were going out by twos
and threes throughout the afternoon and
evening.
Four Roads Place Embargo
AS result OF the strike, four roads
the New York Central, Lehigh VAL
ley, Lackawanna and Erie-put an en-
ments for Buffalo and the West and
served notice that all other freight
was subject to delay.
1t was estimated that forty thousand
men we're idle last night, and more
strike votes were being taken in diff
fcrcnt parts of the country which we're
expected to increase the number of
strikers. The cities chiefly affected by
the strike are Chicago where 5000
men are out; Pittsburgh, where 1000
we're to strike at midnight; st. Louis,
where 5000 were to "resign' at mid
night, and Buffalo, whore 1000 are idle
Pacific, where 1900 men quit in Los
Angeles and smaller numbers in other
cities.
Causes Confusion in Tubes
The strike in New York State was
felt in Syracuse, Binghamton, Roches-
ter, Elmra and Niagara Falls.
The walk-out Of the Pennsylvania
men in the Greenville, Meadow and
Cove freight yards occurred at 9:30
o'clock last night Not a wheel had
turned again up to midnight.
The trouble at the Erie started at
O'Clock, when about scventy-tivc men
stopped work in the Croxton, Jersey
City and Wcehawken yards Of the line.
A tie-up of about twenty minutes re-
suited, causing great confusion and
trowdng into the Hudson tubes. Men,
however, were soon found to handle
10 fol
ing from the terminals about fifteen
minutes late. Normal traffic on the
Erie was restored at about 7:30.
The switchmcn say they don't know
why they struck except that they were
ordered to do so, but no one could
say who gave the order. They said
they had no grievances and made no
demands. 1t was reported that repre-
scntativcs Of the strikers visited the
yards of the D., L. & w, West Shore
and O. e. w. in an effort to induce men
there to go out Sporadic walk k-outs
were expected on these lines by this
morning. 1t was said, too, that q few
trainmen and conductors were involved.
Strike Called Illegal
]. J. Mantcll manager Of the New
York region Of the Erie Railroad, issued
the following statement in connection
with the trouble:
"Tne men gave no notice whatever,
and we don't know what they are strik-
ing about, except that they arc acting
in sympathy with the radical element
that has got hold of the men in Chi
cago, and are developing an insurgent
and unla wful strike in violation of the
rules Of their own organization as we'll
as the laws Of their country as covered
by the transportation act.
"W. G. Lee, president Of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen, characters
ICES this strike as illegal, and we will
cooperate with the operating officers
Of the railroads and government. It
is expected that many members of the
Brotherhood Of Railway Trainmen will
jump into the breach at Jersey City
(Cnnttnund on nam eiuhN