The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-12-11
SAYS SENIORITY
RIGHTS CAUSE
COAL SHORTAGE
ShOpmen's Strike vitality
Affects Situation
Today

shipments strike on the New Eng
land railroads:
I We are on the verge of winter
in the grip of a serious coal fam
inc.
The chief trouble is lack Of cars
and locomotives. But if there
was plenty of locomotives the diff
culties would soon be conquered
On October II there were 292,3O2
loaded but unmoved cars on 50
principal railroads. So reported
the association of railway execut-
ives then, and it has kept discreetly
silent since.
Clearly the fundamental diff
Guilty is dearth of engines, and on
that hangs the coal famine. What
is more, when cold and snow ac-
.tually arrive, which may be any
day, numerous engines now in use
will have to be pulled off They
will be unable to "stand the gafi'. -
Moreover, engineers and firemen
will not risk their lives running
them.
Il The cause behind all the rest is
the "late" railway shopmen's
strike, which some optimists say
is over and dead. Since it is the
chief cause of the. terrific fuel CON
/ ditions impending, and of theH
/ fearful effects on the peoples
health, economic welfare, and hap
! piness, it is ore of the livest
corpses to be seen anywhere at
this time. Before final burial il
had better be examined carefully
again. Its coast will walk on the
winter storms, and who knows
what may happen if the people
have to freeze?
The following facts are convin-
, cling proof that the railroads can
not rebuild their service without
first settling the shopmen's strike
The average number of cars daily
moved through the Hoosac tunnel
before the strike was from roc
to 800: now it is about 500. The
numbers of engines repaired pei
| month at Billerica before the strike
was from 40 to 80: now it is close
To Is. The normal number OF
Boston and Maine engines await
ing treatment in the repair shoI
is less than so: since the strike il
has risen to between 300 and 400
The Boston and Maine road was
always able to do its work in It's
own shops prior to the strike, but
now with a pay roll as large as
ever before that cannot be done
r. An average of 80 trains a day arc
Cancelled from lack of motive pow
er. An average of 200 engine fail
ures per month before the strike
7 has increased to over 1900 a month
now. All this results from the dis
use Of engines that might be had.
Bearing on the shortage of coal
+ a few days ago (and probably still)
one Sdetrack u miles long, anc
another / p miles long at Gler
Summit on the Lehigh Valley
railroad, were full of loaded coal
cars. There were no engines tol
them. Between Hudson and
Yatesville on the Delaware and
Hudson, distance of 80 miles,
there were a few days since land
probably still are) 2817 loaded coal
cars, including 1142 in the Carbon
4 dale yard.
While these filled cars are idle
for want of engines, mines served
by the latter railroad are working
only three days a week. Mines de-
pending on the Pennsylvania rail
road shut down eight days and
are now working six hours day
| and only four days a week. At
Mayfeld, Pa, the Delaware and
| Hudson road is unloading and stor-
ing coal in order to get cars 20
keep the mines running.
The Boston and Maine road has
nut out 100 or more of its engines
to contract shops. 1t has also Dor
rowed 20 engines of the Canadian
.lPacific to keep its freight moving
j between Newport, Nta and White
/ River junction, and even then had
| to place an embargo in that sec
/ ton. | have obtained these facts
from the shopmen's officials, who
/ vouch for them.
The shopmen have repeatedly
4 asked for a conference with the
iroad heads and been refused. The
/ men do not ask for the discharge
Of those who took their places IN
the shops. They say there is
enough work now piled up to keep
both sets busy a long time. They
are not making point OF the
closed shop.
But they are not going back one
by one, and they will all go back
when the chief issue-that Of SEN
iority rights-is properly settled.
These rights were not gifts from
! the roads as many people think;
they were earned. They are there
they were earned. They are
therefore the property of the men
if they resume work. They were
wages for excellence and length Of
service, promised to be paid. Not
in the form of money, but in the
form of deserved privilege. There
was no stipulation tacit or overt
that if the men struck later they