New-York tribune., 1922-04-01
Strike to Make
Thousands Idle
On Railroads
Pennsylvania Go. Alone Must
Drop 1900 Men To-
day Because No Hard
Coal Will Be Shipped
Blow at Lake Business
Rail Employees Feel That
They Have New Grievance
in the Present Situation

lNmcnlate serious eHcctS OF the cOal
strike will be felt in other industries
especially in the matter Of unemploy
ment, it was declared last night by
Philip Murray. vice president of the
United Mine Workers.
One industry which will be hit hard
est and quickest, according to Mr.. Muir
ray, will be the railroads. He said
that $4,000 railroad workers in Penn
sylvania will be thrown out of work
to-day as the direct result of the strike
in the anthracite fields, and this was
rartly corroborated by officials of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, one Of the larg
est hard coal carriers. who declared
that a number of freight trains will be
suspended from service to-day, with
more to follow.
This" said Mr.. Murray, "will be but
prelude to a farreaching suspension
of industry which is certain to follow
idleness at the mines
Railroad Men Disgruntled
The making idle of so great number
Of railroad workers is considered espe-
cially important in view of the fact
that officials of the railroad brother
hoods are parties to the triple alliance
agreement with the miners and the
longShoremen. 1t was believed that it
may aggravate widespread discomfort
existing among the rank and file of
many of the brotherhoOds because of
wage cuts they have incurred at the
hands Of the United States Railroad
Labor Board.
Among the other railroads which
will be hit Immediately by the strike
will be the New York Central, Balti-
more g. Ohio, Chesapeake L. Ohio, Della
ware, Lackawanna e. Western, and Le-
high Valley, Mr.. Murray said. 1t was
said by officials Of these roads, in re-
sponse to questions, that they would
not be able for several days to esti-
mate the number Of their employees
who will be affected by the strike.
In addition to the railroad workers,
Mr.. Murray asserted, the manufacture
ing ccnters and transportation termi-
nails of the Great Lakes region will be
among the first industries hit He said
that the lake carriers will be unable to
get their usual bituminous cargoes
when the navigation season opens on
April 10, with consequent industria ia |
effects in Chicago. Duluth, Detroit,
Cleveland Buffalo and the other lake
ports.
In a talk with newspaper men at the
Hotel Pennsylvania Mr.. Murray advo-
Gated legislative restrictions on the
further development of bituminous coal
lands as the most practicable remedy
for "that great disease of the coal in
dustry. intermittent emplo oyment." Such
restrictions, he said, would stabilize
the industry in about ten years.
Would Limit Development
"Thcre are at least 5000 of the 10,-
900 bituminous mines which should not
be replaced by the opening up Of new
fields once they are worked out" said
Mr.. Murray. Leg gislative limitation of
the sort, with the government saying
at the end of the ten-ycar period what
new fields might be opened up, and to
what extent, would be sure to bring
stabiization to the industry and
greatly reduce the ent.
which is responsible for the irregular
employment forming the greatest basis
OF the differences between the miners
end the operators.
ANY industry which employs and
pays its workers only for 200 days in
the year has to feed them for 3s5
days a year nevertheless. The fact
that there have been 10000 soft coal
mines in operation, whereas 1000 are
sufficient for producing all the coal
needed is responsible for such condi-
tions of employment.
"As The New York Tribune has
pointed out editorally, the bituminous
coal mines are overdeveloped ovcrex-
panded and overmanned. While | an,
not in favor Of shutting down the sur
plus mines, inasmuch as this would de
prive 10000 miners of their livelihood
iii a time of unemployment. believe
that the abandonment Of these mines
as worked out, without requirements
and with the surplus labor gradually
assimilated in other industries. would
be just the remedy needed for the stu
ation.'
Mr.. Murray also proposed that the
exemption Of undcveloped coal lands
from taxation should be a part Of the
necessary legislation.