The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-05
SHOP STRIKERS
GOING ALONE IN
RAIL WALKOUT
Jewell Sends Message of Sym
pathy and Congratulation to
Maintenance of Way Work
ers-Today Turning Point.
men ARE DRIFTING BACK
fBy Associated Press)

fBy Associated Press)
CHICAGO, July Striking railroad
shop men who walked out in answer
to the nation wide call from head
quarters of the six shop craft unions
Saturday, were reported drifting back
to work today In uncertain numbers.
Today is considered the turning
point in the strike of from $4,000 to
1000 workers, who responded gen.
orally to the call last Saturday.
Railroad officials insisted that many
of the workers quit from a desire TO
have a holiday over the Fourth of July.
Local union reports to the office of
b. NJ. Jewell, head of the shopmen,
reiterated the assertion that the strike
was 100 per cent effective at all
points. Reports that members of the
Maintenance OF Way men, respite the
action of the union heads to post
pone the strike for the present, are
Joining the walkout. Such reports
reaching here were confirmed
Freight handlers, stationery firemen
and engineers, and oilers were joining
the ranks of the shopmen at many
points, although fully as many were
reported to be returning to work at
other points.
Advertise for Men.
The railroads generally are adver-
tising for more men to fill the places
left vacant by the strikers. and sew
eral roads were making arrangements
to put repair work into outside shops.
Small disorders at several points.
mostly in the south where railroads
had put guards at bridges and other
vulnerable places, were reported.
The maintenance of way union.
whose officers yesterday decided TO
delay their threatened strike. received
the sympathy and congratulations OF
the striking men from B. NJ. Jewell to-
day. Mr.. Jewell declared that the
maintenance of way unions action
was not a surprise, and added that "if
they can find way out of their diff
, culties the position of the laborers
does not change the position of the
strikers in the least
| Each organization of the American
/ Federation of Labor is an autonomous
! body, and we don't want to drag anv.
one into the strike if they don't want
to CO.
+ Reports from various local unions
received at union headquarters today
affirmed the statement that the walk
out was 100 per cent.
1 Railway shopmen played lone
hand today Fears that other unions
would join the striking shopmen were
virtually dispelled
First Wide Rift
The first wide rift in railroad strike
clouds showed yesterday when main
tenance of way employees. who include
track workers and other common Ia
Dor, definitely abandoned the idea Of
a walkout at this time.
Credit for averting a rail strike
which threatened to become general
among all classes of railroad labor ex-
cept the Big Four" brotherhoods and
telegraphers was generally conceded
70 Ben W. Hooper, chairman of the
United States Labor board w L. Nc
Menimen, labor member of the board,
and E. F. Cradle, president of the
maintenance of way men, 'the big
three in yesterdays conference.
AS a result of the holiday confer
ence. nearly 100000 maintenance of
way men who for a week hovered on
the verge of a strike after voting over
whelming in favor of a walkout, will
remain at work
Maintenance men will stay on the
, job under protest against the $50, ,000,-
900 cut in their wages pending nego-
tiations for a readjustment of wage
scales upon an appeal by the en-
) ployes.
| BEGIN Inventory
With their common labor problem
out of the way. railroad officials
throughout the country were waiting
: today for the first definite disclosure
] of the effect of the shopmen's strike
; Over Sunday and yesterdays holiday
: rail officials said it was impossible to
} determine Saturdays strike order
4 When the whistles blew this morning
: the railroads began an inventory of
D their shop workers.
: In many rail centers strikers were
t notified that they would forfeit ali
| rights and consideration for future EN-.
: ployment if they failed to return to
2 their jobs at. once. Many roads were
' accepting new men for work in the
e shops
Officials of the shop crafts said their
t strike was virtually 100 per cent effec
e tive and encouraging from their view
points. B. NJ. Jewell, head of the rail
way employees department of the
. American Federation of Labor and
nominal head of the shop crafts. who
d yesterday retaliated to the statement
of Chairman Hooper branding shop
men as outlaws by "outlawing" tht
t labor court, intimated that he woulr
9 have something more to say on the
= situation following meeting OF hi:
J. executive council today.
Predict Effect Soon
, Union officials predicted that othei
o classes Of railroad labor would becom.
inoculated by the shopmens strike
o and that the effect of the walkou
g. would begin to show on transportation
soon.
Railway clerks and station en-
e ployes. some of whom polled strik'
It vote recently, have in many instances
made separate agreements with thei
n roads and any strikes by these classe
would it is believed be called only Of
individual roads.
The railroads also waited today 70