The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-04-08
STRIKES May
STOP FREIGHT
IN MIDWEST
Alleged Illegal" Movement
May Paralyze Traffic as Re-
suit of Disorder at Many
Centers.
MEN ARE DENOUNCED
(By Associated Press)


"insurgent" members Of railroad bro
therhoods which began a week ago in
Chicago, today had spread to other
parts of the United States and there
were indications that the series of re-
belliOns against organization direction
had not reached it's crest.
East and west bound freight move.
ment across the continent, already re.
stricted by the Chicago strikes, was
hampered further by sWitchmen strik,
ing at such strategic gateways as Buff
falo and Kansas City, and at such in
dustrial centers as Joliet and Decatur,
ILL.,, and Gary, Ind.
Strikes were threatened today at
Milwaukee, st. Louis and East st.
Louis, gateways to the northwest and
the southwest. Strikers predicted also
that 25,000 men in northern New York
would join them, cutting off freight
traffic from Buffalo to New York and
Boston.
Yardmen Also Organized.
The yardmen's association, insurg-
ent organization, which called the
strikes, was forming branches in num-
erous terminal centers, reports Judi
Gated
II. f. Reading, general organizer of
the yardmen's association, announced
that the railway clerks and freight
handlers brotherhood would take
strike votes Saturday. At Cincinnati,
1900 freight handlers demanded an
answer by Saturday midnight to their
demands for an increase in pay from
40 to Al cents an hour.
Railroad brotherhood officers who
came to Chicago to assist railroad
managers to break the strike, declared
reports for today would reveal traffic
in Chicago yards to be at least 60 per-
cent normal
Strikers Make Big Claim.
The strikers, however, claimed that
by tonight no switch engine would be
operating in the Chicago district. Of
ficers of the Yardmen's association
claimed approximately 1900 new mem
bers had been enrolled and 10 new To-
Gals formed in the Chicago district
They held to their estimate Of 16,50O
switchmen out in the Chicago district,
in addition to engineers, firemen and
engine hostlers.
The insurgent enginemen's associa-
ton had enrolled 10000 engineers,
firemen and hostlers at Chicago ac-
cording to its officers.
Mr.. Reading who also organized the
United Enginemen's association, de-
MED, however, that enginemen were
on strike.
''They are not working because with
the switchmen idle there is no work
for enginemen," he said. "Our men
refused to join the switchmen. We
simply joined this organization be-
cause we were tired of the old one
dominated by it's officers"
"IIIegal" Strike Called
A bulletin that the strike was H.
legal, sent out by w. G. Lee, presi-
dent of the brotherhood of railway
trainmen, was on bulletin boards of
the New York Central lines today.
William S. Carter, head of the fire
men, and Warren S. Stone, grand
chief of the engineers, joined Lee in
that the railroad brother
lood officers demanded that brother
hood members carry out their con-
.racts.
Arrangements were made for a
conference today at Cleveland of the
chiefs of the brotherhood of railway
locomotive engineers and
locomotive firemen and enginemen.
BUFFALO, y. Y, April S.-An en-
oargo on all freight movement in and
out of Buffalo yards went into eff
;ect today and the position of the
striking insurgent switchmen was
strengthened by refusal of the fire
men and enginemen to work with
switch tenders and yardmen outside
he ranks of the strikers, who have
under the name of the yard
mems association.
A practical suspension of business
n livestock at East Buffalo and prepa-
'atiOns to suspend operations in the
,last furnaces at steel and iron plants
because of the embargo on the move
nent of coke were among the first
serious effects of the tieup.
WASHINGTON, April SIN view
# the railroad strike at Chicago, /
President Wilson's advisors urged
lpon him today to send to the senate |
he nominations of the nine members !
If the railroad labor board.
The president has been having diff /
ulty finding three men to give up
heir business and represent the pub |
ic on the board.