New-York tribune., 1921-03-07
Rail Men Vote
On Strike i'm
ALI Southeast
Walk-Out Possible in Sym
pathy With A., b. K A.
Workers, 500 of Whom
Quit Over Wage Cut
SpecinL Dianntch d, The T rthl,,,

MACON, Ga. March 6.-With the TAX
ing of strike vote on all railroads in
the Southeast, beginning to-day, it is
apparent that labor leaders are en-
deavoring to tie up all railroads in this
territory IN the event that there is any
effort TO resume operation of the At
+ The United States Board Of Medi-
alton at Washington to-day telegraphed
the union leaders and Receiver Bugg
Offering It's services to bring about an
agreement which would end the strike
commissioner Chambers, of the board.
Is on his way to Atlanta to begin ne
gotiations.
ianta, Birmingham & Atlantic Rail
ROAD, whose employees have struck be-
cause of reduction in wages.
railroad union men suspect that Re
celver B. L. Bugg, of the A, B. 6, A..
Is playing "freeze-out" game with
them and that they actually have been
frozen out already.
;, The stopping of all trains on the A..
. u A. at noon Yesterday was con
s'dered by the labor leaders a bluff to
gam a point. But that Colonel Bugg is
as good at the game as his opponents
IS shown by the nonchalanee Of the re
here tonight says that while no trains
nave as yet been started out Of their
terminals since the strike order took
effect on Saturday, arrangements are
being made in an orderly manner to
resume service" More than 800 men
are out on the road.
Rombshell to Strikers
Colonel Bugg's announcement that
service IS to be resumed was Ike 3
hombsheil in the camp Of the A., 3. &
:. employees, according to reports to-
night from Fitzgerald, where the com
pany's shops are.
here being 10 train service, W "
Martin, chairman Of the joint fedora
ation committee representing the
brotherhoods affected by The wage re-
duction, and Charles /. Fox. secre-
tnry Of th+' joirt federation committee,
lett here in automobiles, the former
gong TO Americus for a conference
with Seaboard Air Line employees.
and the latter going 10 WascroSs Tor q
conference with Atlantic Coast Line en-
ployees. There also were conferences in
TINS city, Columbus. Montgomery. Bir-
minghsm and Atlanta ~ which the Sc
Cret strike ballot on all lines in the
SoUtneast was put cut. It VIII take
probably week to determine the result
Of this ballot.
Because Of the business depression
IN the Southeast caused bv the Iong-
continued slump in the cotton market
which abs cut deeply into railroad
business, it is doubtful if the strike
proposal Will receive as hearty support
as 1t would have received few weeks
ago. Conservative leaders are saiJ
to fear they are killing their onyr
cause by q too aggressive policy. but
whether there are enough of the con
servatives to control the radicals re-
mains to be seen
In his statement tonight Colonel
bugg says that he has endeavored to
conform in every way to lawful and
orderly procedure. He refers to SIX
conferences in which he has met the
representatives of the labor unions, in
cluding the employees Of the road and
their national officers
Blames Labor's Avarice
THE labor unions are demanding an
lmposslbillty,' he Declares "A strike
has been called TO compel the road 10
pay more than 1t can by any nossI~
billty pay. The labor unions have ad-
mitted the inability OF the road 10 earn
operating expenses b. $i,000.OoO a
He asserts that the receiversbin os
the road was forced by the unions. and
mat the success OF. the strike can onlv
mean the scrapping Of the railroad
and that already ~ distressed section
OF Georgia and Alabama is pavino. tha
price OF the labor unions's avarice'
BUSINESS organizations at snva~al
/ points along the A. B. & A. have adonf-