Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-20
OTHERS PUT FIGURE
AT ONE-HALF OF FORCE
Those Who Quit Will March
in Body to City Auditorium
for Mass-Meeting.
HARAHAN REPLIES TO CHAIRMAN
President OF System Takes Issue
with Head NJ Brotherhood on
Wage Statement.

Estimates Of the number OF clerks
of tn" Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
who VIII walk out this morning at 10
O'Clock as result Of the strike or
der issued last Tuesday night by
n j Osborn. general chairman OF
IN" executive board Of tho Brother
hood OF Railway Clerks. are widely
at variance
Mr.. Osborn and those close 10 him
at headquarters claim that about o5
per cent OF the clerical employees will
quit" at the time named in the-or
der. Some or the clerks who expect
10 walk out and others who intend
10 remain with the railroad compauy
set tho proportion at so per cent
Those who are modest in their claims
say they have been talking TO tho
clerks and formed their estimate
from what they heard.
II was said by one OF the clerks
who is prominently identified wi.h
the brotherhood in Richmond that tn.
strikers will not exceed more than
~ per cent OF the entire force here
In the Office OF the purchasing agent.
where there are twenty employcd
II Is said that not one Will quit. out
OF the 500 or moro in the accounting
department. IL is estimated that the
psrcentaSe VIII be about SO In thc
car service department IL is clair.,
that only % per cent will obey the
strike order. No estimate was at
tempted for the clerks in the other
departments or the line men,
May Continue at Desks.
While 1t Is claimed Mt headquarters
that the local clerks are enthusiasts
over the strike order and tina, abou,
?5 per cent have given assurance that
they will walk out At 10 O'Clock this
morning, some or the clerks claim
that there is no such feeling among
the employees themselves and. that
while many are not satisfied with the
wage reduction that was responsible
for the order, they will continue at
their desks.
As soon as the strike becomes et-
fcctive. II is said. the clerks who
Qut will leave their Offices and in
body viii march to the City Audi
torium. wheer they viii Join the
striking railroad shopmen at their
mass meeting a, 1890 O'clock
W. j. Harahan. president 81 the
pany. yesterday replied to the state
msnt OF Mr.. Osborn regarding the
average wage of the clerical empioye
of the company and also issued
formal statement setting forth the
demands made by the representa-
tives OF the clerks at the conference
held last Tuesday afternoon and the
proposals OF the company. The
statement OF MA Osborn was given
out TUESDAY night.
Osborn Is Confident.
Mr.. Osborn said last night that ne
had heard nothing from the railroad
officials. and that unless there was
some Offer Of settlement the clerks
would certainly strike at tho hour
named He said from reports re-
ceived Yesterday the walkout from
one end OF the line to the other
would lie almost 100 per cent. and
that nc was certain that any who
do not go out today will follow
later.
In his reply To Mr. Osborn'a state
ment that the average wage OF the
clerical empioyc of the Chesapeake
and Ohio IS a fraction over sllS per
month in May, 1922. This. he said
includes all positions. from chief
clerks to office boys, and that the
average wage for the same positions
Continued on Page ., Col. o.