The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-10-19
LEADERS
ORDER
STRIKE
Brotherhoods
Have All Plans
Made to Tie Up
Transportation On
October Both

Chicago, Oct. 16.-An alteration
today in details Of the plan an
nounced for a progressive national
strike Of railroad employees, order
ed to begin on October 80, today
gave the Eastern States at least
two days Of grace before the pro-
posed walkout would become effee-
tive in that region. The Pennsyl-
vania and the Erie roads, included
originally in the first group on
which the strike was ordered, were
removed from that list, thus ex-
cepting at the start all states east
OF Chicago and north OF the Ohio
river.
The San Diego and Arizona Rail-
road was added to the first Of the
four groups into which the unions
have divided the roads for strike
purposes and it was decided to or
der the three succeeding groups
out at forty-eight hour intervals
instead of twenty-four hours apart.
Under this plan, with the men on
the roads in group No. /. walking
out October 80, the strike would
be in full effect November 5.
The Louisville and Nashville
Railroad also was dropped from
the first group according to the
list given out by union leaders.
These changes were said by
union leaders to complete assign
ment Of roads to the first group on
which walkouts would take place
and the following was made known
as the official list Of carriers In that
group:
L Kansas City Southern, Missouri
Pacific, St. Louis Southwestern
lCotton Belt), International and
Great Northern, Texas and Pacific,
Southern Pacific (Atlantic System
$sncluding Houston, East and West,
Texas and Houston, Texas cen
#raD, Southern Pacific (Pacific
System), San Diego and Arizona,
Ehieago and Northwestern, Chi
Rago, Milwaukee and st. Paul (Ex-
sept Chicago, Terre Haute and
S. ssltheasternl- Northaza Pacific,
Southern Railway (lines East and
West) Seaboard Air Line. Virginia
Railroad, Chicago Great Western,
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific.
While no official information was
forthcoming as to what group the
Pennsylvania lines would be placed
In it was understood they would
be assigned to group No. 3 on
which the walkouts are scheduled
to start November 8. All walkouts
are scheduled to begin at s a. m.
Standard time.
The transfer Of the Pennsylvania
lines from group l, was unexplain-
ed by union leaders, but caused
considerable surprise as the road
has been considered by the unions
as the most antagonistic of any to
them and it was believed that the
first strike would be ordered on it.
BY midnight tonight Chicago
had been deserted by virtually all
Of the leaders of the Big Four
brotherhoods and the Switchmen's
Union Of North America, the Or
ganization in which an official
strike call actually had been issued,
and the hub Of the situation was
being transferred to Cleveland.
where the presidents Of these five
unions will meet Tuesday to COM
plete the grouping of the railroads
and settle the final details of the
proposed walk-out.
The union forces gained strength
today when Thomas NJ. Pierson,
vice president of the Order of Rail-
way Telegraphers, announced that
the $1,000 members of his organ
ization positively we-e pledged to
strike, and that they would make
every effort to completely tie up
the country's transportation sys-
tenn.
''It is our aim to tie up transpor.
tation so completely that it will be
impossible for a train to move,"
said Mr.. Pierson. IF every tele-
grapher quits work that will mean
that no train orders can be sent,
and train service necessarily will
be at a standstill. There is no
question but what we will order
our membership out on October
80. but the final instructions prob
ably will not be issued until Octob-
er 21."
Differences between officials Of
the railroad telegraphers. however,
regarding the orders status in
connection with the strike were
disclosed in statement made by
E. ]. Manion, president of the or
der. who, on being advised Of Mr.
Persons announcement, declared
the vice president had not been
authorized to give any statement
whatsoever. THE policy Of the Or
der Of Railroad Telegraphers has
not been formulated and will not
be known until October FL Mr..
Manion declared.
The shops crafts unions, COM
prising about 476,000 employees, to-
day deferred the formal issuance
Of a strike call pending q meeting
to be held here Wednesday, but
their leaders have officially an
nounced their organizations will be
called out, and that the delay in
sending out the call has been caus-
ed purely by the time needed to
draft the final plans and orders.
AT the same time, however. the
shop crafts leaders have made it
known that, while they Will go out