The New York herald., 1922-07-17
STRIKE OF WAY MEN
IS IMMINENT TO-DAY
Rail Workers Sanguine as
More Oilers Join Their
Ranks.
SEE NO SETTLEMENT
Leader Says 20 Per Cent.
of Maintenance Members
Already Have Quit.
ROADS MAINTAIN STAND
Insist Walkout Is Directed
Against Recommendations
Trains Reported Late.

With the remainder Of the 1000 sta
tionary firemen and oilers of the New
York district going out to-day in
obedience to CALI from Timothy
Healy CORNER New York city Coro-
nero. who is international president,
and with what they regarded as an
increasing possibility of a general
strike by the maintenance of way men,
leaders in the railroad shopmen's
strike yesterday were highly satisfied
with the progress of their fight against
the wage awards of the United States
Railroad Labor Board. While some
regarded early settlement as likely,
there was no positive indication Of de-
velopments in that direction.
The local leaders in the shopmen's
strike for the most part absented
themselves from headquarters at the
Continental Hotel, but they issued a
statement predicting continued disor-
ders and delays in freight and pas
senger service so long as the strike
lasted. Some roads. they explained,
were better equipped to meet strike
demands on their rolling stock than
others. The Erie was in the worst
position, according to the strikers. and
the Pennsylvania in the best.
William Parker. head of the main
tenance Of way mems organization on
the New York Central lines said at his
home, 101 East 1921 street. that it was
increasingly difficult to hold the way
men on their jobs. Twenty per cent. Of
the way men all over the country al
ready were out or would not report for
work to-day, he said. Mr.. Parker said
the following telegram received from
Frank Bailey, chairman of Buffalo
Lodge, No, S66, Brotherhood of Main
tenarce of way Men. was typical of a
dozen:
Send some one to Buffalo at once to
handle the situation. The mea are un-
easy. The company is asking them to
work a fifty-four instead OF a forty
eight hour week. Trouble close at hand.
Meeting Tuesday"
Roads Maintain Position.
Railway executives so far have ig-
nored the possibility of a way mems
STRIFE They have similarly declined to
alter their position with regard to ne
gotiating with the strikers, insisting the
strike was not against the roads. but
against the Government.
John Bergin. head OF the shopmen's
organization in the New York Central
shops at Kingston. told Mr.. Parker half
of the 500 shopmen there we're out, and
half of The men at Ravena roundhouse
as well.
The first clash between strikers and
strike breakers reported in Manhattan
came yesterday and brought workhouse
sentences of Ave days each to three men
said to be strikers. They were Owen
McQuade 80, and Michael Sheehad, As,
both of 201 West Sixty-sixth street. and
Thomas Smith, 81, of 243 West Sixty
sixth street Patrolman John N. Nc
Laughlin of the West Sixty-sixth street
station told Magistrate Charles A. Ober-
wager in the West Side court they threw
milk bottles through windows of the
New York. Central barge Buffalo at
West Seventieth street, in which strike
breakers were quartered.
Calls Government Poweriess.
David Williams, secretary Of the
strikers committee. asked regarding the
Governments plans to settle the strike.
said last night:
THE Government cannot settle the
railroad strike either by draft or by a
call for volunteers Both methods are
fatal and will stir up more trouble than
there is already. No one, not even the
President, can force the railroad repair
men TO work against their will For
tunately the Constitution is still in force.
Involuntary servitude cannot be imposed
even on the railroad workers.
There is enough class feeling in this
country already without stirring 1t
deeper by mobilization of college grad
yates and wealthy idlers to take the
jobs of union men on strike"
A formal statement on the progress of
the strike issued by the central COM
mittee said:
"rhe effects Of the shopcraft strike
have so far been somewhat uneven.
Some roads have been harder hit than
others. The Pennsylvania. for instance.
is not as demoralized as the Erie or
West Shore. AS the Erie is this week
the Pennsylvania will be two weeks
from now If the strike continues.
This inequality has not been due 10
any difference in the strength or unity
of the strikers, but TO the state of each
roads equipment when the strike was
called.
''The New York roads in the order OF
the present state OF their collapse are
as follows
Erie, Baltimore and Ohio. West
Shore. Jersey Central, Lehigh Valley.
New York. New Haven and Hartford.
New York Central. Lackawanna, Penn
sylvania."
The strikers committee reported trains
arriving thirty minutes to three hours
late.
CLEVELAND TO SAVE WATER.