The Mankato free press., 1922-07-07
RAIL SHOP CRAFTS
PLAYS LONE HAND
OTHER UNIONS DELAYING
STRIKE ACTION
SITUATION TO-DAY
Maintenance of Way Men De.
eide Not To Join In the
Walkout

ASSOCIATED Pres DispaIch.J
Slater, Mo-, July 5.-Strikins
shopmen here have seized the
Chicago & Alton railroad shops,
driven out non-union, men
brought In to work in the shops,
and are holding the shops this
afternoon.
Eighteen men were driven
from the shops today. Yester-
| day twenty fIve were driven
non -union men were placed on
! trains and sent from the town.
Other reports declared that the
\non union men were merely
| taken from the shops and that
| they left town voluntarily. Al
ton officials said that three
guards employed by the rail-
road at the shops had been ar
rested by local authorities and
placed in jail and that their
property was without protee-
ton of any sort
Chicago, July 5.-Ths mainten-
ance of way union, whose officers
yesterday decided to delay their
threatened strike were given the
sympathy and congratulations ol
the striking railroad shop men by
B. M. Jewell, the shipments head
today. He declared that the maln-
tenance of way unions decision was
not a surprise and added that III
they can find a way out of their
; difficulties they are to be congrat
ulated."
The decision of the track labor
does not weaken the position of the
shop strikers. in the least. Mr.. Jew
ell said. Each organization OF the
American Federation of Labors rail
way department was an automious
body and we don't want to drag
anybody into a fight unless he wants
to co."
The program outlined under the
delayed strike action contains moth
ing that the shopmen have not pre-
viously considered and rejected Mr..
Jewell said. 49,. .4
Shopmen Playing Lone Hand
Railway shopmen who walked
off their jobs last Saturday, played
lone hand in the rail strike today.
Fears that other unions would join
the striking shopmen were virtually
dispelled. The first wide rift in
IdliIOdu otIlhO ClOuOo ouO"Cu YES
terday when maintenance of way
workers and other common laborers,
definitely abandoned the idea of a
walkout at this time. They will
stay on the job. under protest"
against the s60, 100000 cut in their
wages pending negotiations for a
readjustment OF wages scales upon
an appeal by the employees.
Railroad officials throughout the
country were waiting for the first
definite disclosal of the effect
of the shopmen's strike. When the
whistles blew this morning the rail-
roads began an inventory of their
shops.
In many rail centers strikers were
notified they would forfeit all rights
and consideration ; for future en-
ployment if they failed to return to
their jobs Immediately. Many
roads were accepting new men for
work in the shops.
Make Separate Agreement >
Union officials predicted that
other classes of railway labor
would become innoculated by the
shopmen's strike and that the EFF
feet of the walkout would begin to
show on transportation soon.
Railway clerks and station en-
Fployes, some of whom polled a
strike vote recently. have in many
instances made separate agree
ments with their roads and any
strikes by these classes would 1t is
believed be called only on indiv-
idual roads. ..
The railroads also waited today
for the effect of the message Of Tim
othy Healy, presidents of the sta
tionary firemen and oilers, who told
the 5000 members of his organiza-
ton that they had a perfect right"
to strike if they wished, in view of
the railroad situation.
Signalmen were still ION the
fence" but their president D. w.
Helt, has usually followed the lead
of the maintenance unions, whose
withdrawal from the strike was be-
ieved in railroad circles to indicate
that the signalmen would remain at
work. -
Reports Of violence or disorders
in connection with the strike were
few and scattered. J. L. McCollin,
roadmaster of the Kansas City
Southern at Dequincy, La. reported
that he had been attacked and beat
en- by number of men Sunday.
Authorities expressed the belief Nc
Collins assailants were strike sym
pathizers and not strikers.
Three men, believed by police to
be striking shopmen, were arrested
after they are said to have forced a
guard to leave moving Texas &
Pacific passenger train near New
orleans, watchman for the Louis
vile and Nashville at New Orleans
was beaten by three men when he
refused to leave his post. .s
Strikers Drifting Back To Work.
Striking railway shopmen, who
walked out in answer to the ma
tionwide call from the headquarters
of the six shop crafts unions here
last Saturday. were reported by the
railroads as drifting back to work
today In groups of uncertain size,
Today was considered the turn
to- 100000 workers. Although re-
Saturday, railroad officials insisted
that many of the defections were
due to the desire of the men to
take holiday over the Fourth of
July.
Freight handlers, clerks and sta
tionary firemen and oilers Joined
the deserting ranks of shopmen at
various points, although fully as
many shops reported that men were
returning to work today The rail-
roads generally were advertising for
rev men to take the strikers places
and several roads were completing 2
arrangements to handle their re-
pairs at outside shops.
n, Final Dates For Men To Return