Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-08
R.R.STR|KE SPREADS;
THOUSANDS MORE
JOIN INSURGENTS
East and West Lines With Those
of North and Southwest Are
Tightly Tied UP.
FIGHT AGAINST UNION
nv Associated Press 20 Every Evening

by Associated Press 20 Every Evening
Chicago, April s.-The strike of i'm
surgent' members of railroad brother
hoods which began a week ago IN Chicago,
today had spread tn other parts Of the
United States, and there were indications
that the series of rebellions against organ
ization direction had not reached It's
crest.
East and west bound freight movement
across the continent already restricted
by the Chicago strikes, was hampcred
further bv switchnlen striking at such
s.rategie gafoways a. ,puHala and Kansas
CITY. and at such industrial centers as
Joliet and Decatur, Ills, and Gary,
Ind.
Strikes were threatened today at
Milwaukee, St. Louis and East st. Louis,
gateways 10 the northwest and the
southwest. Strikers predicted also that
25.o00 men in northern New York would
JOIN them, cutting OFF freight traffic from
Buffalo to New York and Boston.
The Yardmens Association, 'nsurgent
organization which called the strikes, was
forming branches in numerous terminal
centers reports indicated.
II. L. Reading, General Organizer Of
the Yardmen's Association, announced
that the Railway Clerks and Freight
Handlers brotherhood would take strike
votes Saturday. At Cincinnati 200
freight handlers demanded an answer
by Saturday midnight to their demands
for an increase In pay from AZ TO AZ
cents an hour.
Railroad brotherhood officers who came
TO Chicago to assist railroad managers TO
break the strike declared reports for
4 i 4f+a q uxrr,
wards to be at least 60 per cent normal.
The strikers, however, claimed that by
tonight no switch engine would be operat-
ing in the Chicago district. Officers OF
the yardmen's as soeiatIon claimed ap-
proximately I 800 new members had been
enrolled and 10 new locals formed IN the
Chicago district. They held TO their
estimate of l6,5O0 swltchmen out in the
Chicago district in addition TO engineers,
firemen and engine hostlers.
The lnsurgent enginemen's 5 association
had enrolled 10000 engineers, hremen and
hostlers at Chicago, according to ITS
officers.
Mr.. Reading. who also organized the
United Enginemen's Association denied
however, that enginemen were on strike.
"They are not working because with the
switchmen idle there is no work Tor en-
ginemen, he said. Our men refused to
Join the Switchmen. We simply joined the
organization because we were tired OF the
one dominated by its officers"
The striking switehmen claimed that
engineers and fremen had abandoned
engines on the Chicago. Burlington and
Quincy: Chicago, Mi waukee and st.
Paul, the Chicago and Northwestern, and
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa fe
Railroads at Chicago
A bulletin that the strike illegal, sent
out by W c. Lee, president of the
Brotherhood Of Railway Trainmen, was
on bulletin boards of the New York
Central Lines today.
William s. Carter, head of the iiremen,
and Warren s. Stone. grand chief of the
engineers, joined Lee in announcing that
the railroad brotherhood officers insisted
that members carry out their contracts.
Lee declared that reports OF more than
5000 sRitchmen out in the Chicago dis
frict were Incorrect lie said the district
membership did not exceed 5000. Rail
road managers repeated that they estl-
mated the strikers did not number more
than 200 in the Chicago district exclu-
sive of engineers and firemen.
Industries throughout the Chicago dis
trict had begun to feel the effects OF the
strike seriously today. Packing house
heads said that the total number of stock
yards employees idle would be between
&c, 900 and %, 900 If the strike continued
until Saturday. Only SO cars OF livestock
were received at Chicago wards yesterday