Evening star., 1921-10-18
CAP|TALPREPARED
TO COMBAT STRIKE
Travel Can Be Maintained, Is
BeIief-Emergency
Steps Taken.

railway lines serving W dSniHS Ton
expressed confidence today of their
ability to maintain passenger and
freight service in the event of a
strike of their employees.
Terminal station. where $500 men
are employed, announced it is pre-
pared to meet any emergency that
might come through a strike.
These were the principal develop
ments in a situation which also was
noteworthy for the optimism that de-
veloped as the day progressed that a
walkout may be averted.
Little Danger Seen.
Representatives of the railways and
local business interests, which have
surveyed the situation carefully,
agreed this morning that Washing
ton is in little danger of suffering
from a strike. In the first place, the
city is said to be more than ordinarily
eral merchandise. Railway officials
maintain there are many loyal per-
sons employed by the companies who
will not go out on strike and that
it will be possible to run both pas
senger and freight trains. business
men declare that any reduction
in railway transportation service
offset largely by the installa ton of
emergency motor truck lines.
Supt. J: II. Tonge of Terminal sta
ton said he had already received
numerous offers of voluntary service
in the event the prospective walkout
there would be no trouble in keeping
the terminal work going
VIII Move Trains.
I'VE will get the trains in and out
and we will get the mails out, too,"
said Mr.. Tonge.
The Terminal station force COM
prises the workers in the shops and
roundhouses yard and switch engine
crews and other employees.
Officials Of the Pennsylvania, Balti-
more and Ohio and Southern systems.
an optimistic view of the situation
Many of them were inclined to believe
that means will be found for averting
the threatened trouble. All of them
were confident that enough labor is
available. even though the present en-
ployes should strike to a man. to in
sure the operation of a limited spassen-
ger and freight service.
1t was disclosed that from 400 to
500 freight cars daily unload freight
in Washington. about one-third of
the total shipment consisting of coal.
The official who gave out this infor-
nation said that Washington, in his
opinion. is we'll stocked in all lines
that bear upon the health. comfort
and general welfare of the people.
He said there is no danger of a COM
plete interruption of the freight serv-
ice. and he believed it would be pos
sible to maintain satisfactory
service, even through prolonged
strike.
Merchants Prepared.
Secretary Columbus of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
ton gave out a statement which
agreed with the views of the railway
tie to fear from n strike of railway
employees. 1.-The merchants have laid
in their winter supplies of general
merchandise, and a strike would have
little effect on the clothing supply"
said Mr.. Columbus. I'VE have fair
reserve of food and at least a three
weeks reserve Of coal. If there is
danger of these reserves being de-
pleted by a strike. we can quickly
muster a motor truck service Suffici-
ent to meet the city's needs. There
is nothing in the situation to cause
any alarm whatever"
Neither the Board of Trade nor Cham
ber of Commerce regarded the situa-
tion today as sufficiently serious to
warrant the calling together of any
committees to give it consideration.
1t was said, however, the matter would
be canvassed at a meeting of the ex-
ecutive committee of the Board of
Trade to be held Monday.
Information before the trade and COM
mercial bodies is to the effect that
Washington is well provided with motor
trucks and that, in the event of a
serious breakdown in railroad trans
portation service, it would be COM
paratively simple problem to organize
a fleet Of trucks for bringing in sup
plies actually required by the people