The Washington herald., 1921-10-17
Trucks Will Bring Food
To Capital If Strike
Stops Railroads.
OFFICIALS PLAN
TO MEET CRISIS
Labor Leaders Prepared
To Fight Threat of
Wages Cut.

With local labor leaders declaring
that q nationwide railroad strike
cannot be averted unless the rail-
road executives Immediately with
draw their petition for a reduction
in wages, washington. through the
District government and trade
bodies, last night began to formu-
late plans by which they hope to
save the citizenry from an acute
food shortage.
The strike cannot be ayerted.'
said W. H. Johnston, international
president of the machinists union.
with which organization the rail-
road shop crafts are affiliated, 'un-
less the railroad executives immedi-
ately withdraw their wage reduc-
tion threat.
Prepared for strike.
THE men Of the mechanic crafts
connected with the railroads have
been prepared for this strike for
more than six weeks, at which time
notice was sent to every union
man. urging him to stock his larder
and to save as much of his income
as possible to enable him to weather
through the strike.
"All Of this has been done and
the men are ready to quit on a mo-
ment's notice. for they feel that
wage matters have reached q crisis
and that the time to act has arrived
The men of the shop crafts have
greater grievance than any of the
other railroad employees, because
they have already suffered a cut in
wages, have lost the time and halt
time pro ision for Sunday and holi-
day work. and are now threatened
with an additional reduction.
BIames Rail Executives.
These men wilk not stand for
this, and 1t seems 70 me that the
railroad sxecutivss are merely try
Ing TO asgravate-z the matter by
refusing :. meet with the bona fide
REPRESENTATIVES, o. these workers
and by spending millions for propa-
gandar-that reduced rates can only
be secured by reduced wages.
/ Our men have been ready to
strike for some time. and We have
had considerable difaculty in ap-
peasing them. We are pledged TO
cooperate with the other unions,
and 1t was this pledge which caused
US to withhold our action. What
has been done by our union has
been done by practically all Of the
others;' and. with everything in
readiness, the strike is a certainty
unless the railroad executives back
down"
Johnston. who attended the de-
liberations in Chicago, returned to
this city Saturday morning, and
last night stated that he expected
to receive today complete details
rgarding the local phase of the
strike as decided upon by the
leaders
VIII Use Trucks and Boats.
In view of the fact that Wash
ington depends almost entirely upon
railroads for its food supply-the
nearby farming sections producing
insufficient vegetables and other
foodstuffs to meet an emergency
the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association, through its secretary,
Charles ]. Columbus. last night
pledged enough trucks and steam
boats to bring to this city an
adequate food supply.
The discussion of ways and
means for the bridging over of any
shortages which might result from
a strike probably will be held by
the District Commissioners tomor-
row at the regular board meeting
according to Cuno H. Rudolph
president of the board.
Preparing for Emergency.
I'VE viii Immediately take steps
to provide for the people of WASH
ingtoa should the need arise" said
Commissioner Rudolph. However
we are hoping that the differences
between the railroad employees and
railroad executives will be satisfac-
torily arranged so as to make
these precautions unnecessary"
Enough milk for the city's needs
can be brought here by motor
trucks from Virginia and Mary,
land. .ccording to DR.. Reid Ash
worth, chief food inspector, last
night.
All of tho District officials and
officers of local trade bodies ex.
press the belief that owing tC
Washington's position along tht
seaboard and to the great number
| of motor trucks in the city, there