New Britain herald., 1920-01-29
FOOD SHORTAGE MAY
 RESULT FROM STRIKE
Embargo and Tie-Up Threatens
 New England Supply
CARLOAD LOTS UNAFFECTED
But Smaller Shipments On Boston x Main Held UT-NeW Haven Road Spread.

Boston, Jan. 29--It was impossible to ship freight in lots of less than a carload through terminals of the Bos- ton X Albany and the Boston & Maine railroads in this city today be- cause of the strike of 1,50O freight handlers begun yesterday. Carload shipments were not affected being loaded or unloaded by the shippers or the consignees. but the emDargoes de- clared by the railroads caused deten- ton on SidingS of many cars of Der ishable and other goods for local merchants, and prevented mixed shlp- ments to other parts of New England.
 The possibility of food stringency as a result of the strike has been con- sidared by Chairman Sherburne Of the state commission on necesSaries of life, and he said today that he had taken the matter uE with the railroad adlnlStraUoT The commission will intervene if necessary to insure an adequate supply of necessaries. Gen eral Sherburne said he was watching the situation closely TO determine whether It would be necessary Ito step in" Food stores now in hand are adequate for several weeks and with carload lots moving there is thought to be no cause for alarm at the present time.
 Both the rail terminals and piers of the Boston & Albany and Boston x Maine railroads were affected today by the strike. The terminals of the New Haven road were operated as usual, the freight handlers union of that read having refused to follow the 1TnrIyfrS, nf ft roads Ibpjp effort to enforce decision by the rail- road administration on demands for increased wages which are pending. - The tieup on the docks has interfer- ed with the work of unloading several steamers Steamship agents s;tid con tinuanCe of the strike would mako 1t nereSSarc to diVc-t from this port to New York and elsewhere vessels un- able to land the cargoes. Union lead CTS announced that any attempt to haHe union men unload these cargoes at other ports would cause extension of the strike to these places.
 No Applicants.
 The Boston X Maine railroad an- nouncing that it would endeavor to fill the places of the men who walked out, advertised today for freight handlers Up to this afternoon no applicants for any of the 500 jobs available had ap- pearcd. The general strike commit tee, however. prepared to place pick cts at company offices and such re- cruiting stations as might be opened to obtain workers.
 The failure of the New Haven freight handlers to strike with those of the other roads on an issue which all have in common was explained lr a statement by Edmond McNamara, first vice president of the brotherhood of railroad station employees. The New Haven men, he said are affiliated With the brotherhood, while the men on the other roads are members of the international longshoremen's associa- tion. The brotherhood did not vote to strike. and it's members cannot par tic;pate legally in strike until the question has been submitted to ref erendum vote. "Sanct1on Tor a Str1ke has not been requested or given,' he said
 Mir McNamara made public tele- gram from P. J. Coyle, grand presi- dent of the brotherhood, who is in Washington, in which he said that settlement of the questions involved would have to be made by the direc- tor general of the railroads. Presi- dent Coyle said he was expecting an award about February 1.