The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-08

Kansas City. April S.-The railroad
strike spread this afternoon when
firemen and hostlers OF the Termi-
nal company walked out. Officials
of the company said all firemen at
work at the time walked out. number
ing six or seven crews. No reason
was given for cessation of work, Off
cials of the road said.
Chicago. April S.-Strike of railroad
yardmen in defiance OF organized
railroad labor continued here today.
and is spreading to other cities. Sym
pathetic strikes have already broken
out in several places and there is a
strong possibility OF extensive strikes
being called shortly in several lead
ing cities.
East and westbound freight move
ment across the continent, already re-
stricted by the Chicago strike, was
hampered further by switchmen strix-
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 ard East ST.
Louis. gateways to the northwest the
southwest. Strikers predicted also that
| 25,500 men in northern New York
would join them. cutting Off freight
traffic from Buffalo to New York and
Boston.
The yardmen's association. insur-
gent organization which called the
strikes. was forming branches in nu-
merous terminal centers, reports in
dicated.
Clerks to Vote Saturday.
H. E. Reading. general organizer OF
the yardmen's association, announced
that the clerks and the freight han
dlers' brotherhood would take strike
votes Saturday. At Cincinnatih 1900
freight handlers served notice that
they demanded an answer by Satur-
day night on their demands for an in
crease in pay from AZ to Al cents an
hour.
Railroad brotherhood officers who
came to Chicago to assist railroad
managers in an endeavor to break the
strike. declared that reports for today
would reveal traffic in Chicago yards
to be at least 60 per cent normal.
The strikers. however. claimed that
by tonight no switch engines would be
operating in the Chicago district. Of
ficers of the Yardmen's association
claimed that approximately 1900 new
members had been enrolled and 10
new locals formed in the Chicago dis
trict. They held to their estimate OF
16,500 switchmen out in the Chicago
district in addition to engineers fire.
men and engine hostlers.
Rebels In Control.
The insurgent enginemen's associa-
ton had enrolled 10000 engineers
| firemen and hostlers at Chicago, ac-
cording to its officers. A. G. Reading.
/ organizer of the. enginemen's associa-
tion denied. however, that enginemen
were on strike. They are not work.
/ ing because, with the switchmen idle
! there is no work for enginemen,"
Reading said. Our men refused to
. join the switchmen- We simply Joined
hi fsraf fr.ra
/ tired of the old one dominated by its
officers"
/ The striking switchmen claimed that
engineers and firemen had abandoned
engines on the Chicago, Burlington q
/ Quincy; Chicago, Milwaukee e. St.
the Atchison. Topeka &c Santa Fe rail-
| roads al Chicago.
w. G. Lee, president or the Brother
| hood of Railway Trainmen: William s.
| Carter, head of the firemen, and War;
! ren S. Stone, grand chief of the engi-
neers Joined in denouncing the strik-
ers and demanded that brotherhood
members carry out their contracts.
Arrangements were made for confer
ence today at Cleveland OF the chief of
the Brotherhood of Railroad Train
men, Locomotive Engineers and Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen.
Minimise Union Claims.
Lee declared that reports of more
than 5000 switchmen out in the Chi
/ cago district were incorrect. He said
the district membership did not ex-
ceed 5000. Railroad managers re-
peated that they estimated the strikers
did not number more than 2.700 In the
Chicago district exclusive of engineers
and firemen. Officers of the Brother
hood Of Railway Trainmen continued
! their plan Of bringing loyal members
to Chicago to take the places of strik-
In ~ 49, aTre h. n fr-<arr rrf.
district had begun to feel the effects
of the strike seriously today. Pack
ing house heads said that the total
number of stockyards employees idle
would be between $4,000 and 5000
IL the strike continued until Satur-