The evening world., 1921-10-17
Big Five" Committed %
Walkout, Number Only 100
600 of 1000, 900 Workers
DIFFER OVER DURATION
Unskilled Groups Fear Broth
erhoods Will Resume Jobs,
Leaving Them Holding Bag.

CHICAGO, Oct. T.-While heads of
the Big Four Brotherhoods and OF the
sDttchmen's union prepared to meet
in Cleveland tomorrow to complete
mans for the rail strike which they
have called for Oct. 30. union chiefs
to-day said that leaders of some of
the eleven other railroad labor o.
ganizations still were opposing n
walkout and would attempt to keep
their men from Joining with the tivu
organizations which have definitely
committed themselysx tQ. a strike, The
big Five membership numbers only
4oo, 900 Of the 100000 railroad EN-
ployees
Whether the opposition OF these
leaders will result In a break between
the two groups will not be fully set
tied until the meeting of the general
chairmen Of the eleven unions here
some time this week. when issuance
Ct a strike call will be voted on for
mally. Several railroad labor chief
tains to-day said, however, that they
believed the majority would rule and
that It would be a case of majority
strike, all strike" They professed TO
see little chance OF break.
Leaders Of these eleven unions at a
meeting last week Informally pledged
themselves to support the brother
hoods In n strike, and since then have
been going ahead with their plans for
a walk out. although deferring tssu-
ance of the actual strike call.
Heads of several OF the eleven or
ganizations have announced that
they will order the walkout, while
others were more conservative in
their statements, E. j. Manion,
President of the Order of Railroad
Tclegra pliers, in st. Louis last night
denied tho assertion Of Thomas M.
Pierson, Vice President, that it had
been decided to call out the teleg-
raphers, saying that the question
would not be settled until the meet
ing here.
maintenance of way employees: TIM
othy Healy, leader of the stationary
fiji emen: L. II. Fitzgerald, President
of the Stenographers, Clerks and
Freight Handlers Union. and Others
expressed the opinion that virtually
nothing could avert the strike.
Il. NJ. Jewell, head Of the shop crafts.
numbering 476.0Oo members, has Wig
orously opposed a strike on the wage
/ question alone. but said to-day that
he feared 1t was too late to stop a
walkout, and that he doubted IL his
men could be held back. Mr.. Jewell
said he would prefer to have his men
strike on the rules and working con-
ditions question. together with the
wage matter. but refused to say det1n-
itely that he would try TO hold back
his men.
The differences over the advisable ity
OF strike have arisen primarily
through failure OF the Brotherhood
and the other eleven to reach a salts
factory agreement on the duration OF
the strike, labor leaders said. One
union President said that while he
was certain the Brotherhoods would
have the support of tho others in the
actual walkout, the heads Of the eleven
organizations were not pledged to
stay out after thelr differences were
settled and might return TO work
whenever they saw At. Another ofi
cal said that It was feared the
Brotherhoods might return to work
and leave the unskilled workers hold
! ing the bag"
The Brotherho DDS are not members
of the American, Federation OF Labor
while the shop crafts are, and II s
because OF this fact that they have
not always worked in complete har
! lnony. although not actually opposing
bach other, according to union men.