The Washington times., 1922-08-01
STR|KEBREAKER
WELL TREATED,
. SP|VAK LEARNS
Men Taken to Escanaba, Mich.
+. Shops Get Good Meals and
-.,,. Clean Rooms.

Ing JOuOUUg u u SecOnu uTttCte
by John SpiVak, telling Of con-
ditions in the railroad shops Where
he obtained employment in an eff
fort TO learn at first hand con-
ditions resulting from their strike.
BY JOHN l.. SPIyAK,
Copyright. 1879, by International News
Service.D
ESCANABA. Mich, Aug. 1.-On
West Madison and Canal streets in
Chicago are the great centers where
strikebreakers are recruited for rail.
roads of the Middle West. Labor
agencies line the streets and the
floaters and transients clutter around
the enticing signs advertising din
bed" and lifetime job II you want
it,"
There is no difficulty is becoming
a strikebreaker. The writer, in less
than half an hour. signed up on three
railroads. The Baltimore and Ohio.
the Big Four. and the Chicago and
Northwestern.
Upon leaving the Baltimore and
Ohio office, q man for a labor agency
literally pounced upon me.
Method Of Employing.
The writer signed. was given a
card, and was sent TO the North.
western station. where on the ground
floor, high officials of the road were
engaged In hiring strikebreakers. One
is asked a few perfunctory qu estions.
name. address, age. trade One signs
for almost anything. No proof as to
capabiiity is asked. and the physical
examination every railroad demands
Is waived for thirty days. Upon be-
ing hired, the strikebreaker Is gen
tally told to sit down and take 1t
easy. Pay starts right now. II
you're hungry, go in and eat,
Strikebreakers are grouped In mum
bers ranging from half dozen to a
hundred, but II Is rare that ship
ments Of more than thirty are made.
II a strikebreaker has a preference
as to some particular place, his pref
erence is generally granted. When a
large group-thirty Is considered
large-is shipped. they are placed In
special car attached to the train,
with guards. .,'
AS the train on which the writer
was shipped neared Escanaba, the
guard asked him to move away
from tne WiHuO" ds petriuuoh'
airy measure.
Pickets Near Yards.
Pickets were visible. But no
move was made, by them. The
train was switched right into the
yards. The superintendent of the
large Escanaba yards. met the
strikebreakers. Assurances that
everything would be done for the
n~rafnrt xiuox,
IF there Is, anything you don't
fix it." he said. But. don't Ec
outside the yards. Everything u
peaceful here, hut the pfcksts afs
but there, Is no need even bf Agfv
ing them a chance" ..--H , -
Clean linen. bed sheets. blankets
and overalls to those who needed
them were given by the road. The
hunks and living rooms are large
clean and airy. -. !.-. .,
Good Meals Served.
Over the whole yards hung an
ominous silence. Few men were
seen. Occasionally a freight train
wheezed past. A small group oi
maintenance Of way men, whose
strike order is pending. looked the
strikebreakers over carefully frnn1
distance. Freight cars filled with
choice foods stand in the yards near
the newly built dining camp and
really appetizing meals are SET
out: roast chicken, fruits. vege
ia ables. ice cream, anything. in fact
that the jaded pslates of the strike
breakers might wish for. After
work. there is a strained mir. they
talk little, the strike Is seldom men
toned. and when It is, only with
strained jocularity.
They do not appear to be very
happy.
Special guards patrol in and
around the yards. but no one Is
molested. It's a waiting fight, ard
though in large centers, like Chi
cago and st. Louis, trouble orca
sionally breaks out. the peace OF
Escanaba is typical Of most road
shops throughout the country.
A desolate. deserted air haHgs
over the yards. Scarcely anything
moves. A hot sun blazes upon the
whitewashed walls OF the machine
shops, but the wheels are. still
dust clings to the oily Oeits-sr
unea rthly silence broken mainly by
the buzzling flies.
Engines Rusting In Yard.
In the roundhouse huge tower
ing engines. the driving power o.
| the nations arteries, stand line or
line, rusting. What life. there ii
moves in the roundhouse. ArounS
the engines are virtually, the ~eH
tire dependable strikebreakint
force: high road officials wholly un
| accustomed to the work, wht
make strenuous efforts to keep tn,
essential engines from falling int,
irreparable disuse. #
with them is an old man, clos,
to so, a pensioner who had beer
called in for the emergency. II,
seems to be the only one outsid,
! OF the foreman who knows what I,
| do. The hired strikebreakers d.
not overwork themselves. TIL,
hard workers are the officials VIII,
have donned overalls. Black of fac,
I and hand, they manicure engines
as they ruefully call 1t. They slav,
and toll but accomplish little.
| Pickets whistle to the strike