Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-07-17

u DIEQlCklOI LildA lllO le'4AA N''N'
strike will be adjusted within the next
ten days was made by p. j. Conlon,
international representative of the
machimsts at a public mass meeting
of the railroad strikers held yester-
day afternoon at the armory which
was attended by a large gathering
of strikers, women and others. Mr..
Conlon told his hearers that the men
would remember their friends in this
crisis.
In part Mr.. Conlon said: "The
shopmen's strike is not a spectacular
affair. 1t is slow going, but ultima
tely its effect will be felt 1t IS now
sixteen days since the men went on
strike. and if we have sixteen more
days ! would say it is time 20 lay
i'm some foodstuffs and prepare for an
embargo which predict.
we abided by all decisions Of the
L. s. Labor Board except one and
that was on July /. 1922. whe1 the
board ordered cut of eight cents
an hour in our wages. The whole cut
since the first of July l, 1921 amount
ed TO fifteen cents. Some Of the men
are today working for twenty-three
cents an hour.
Sixty per cent of the machinists
have been walking the streets and
out of employment as result of lay
offs by the railroads prior to the
strike. If they had worked a straight
thirty days a month it would look all
right when they received seventy
cents an hour for their work. How
oyer. ninety per cent Of the roads
have been furloughmg its employees W
Continuing Mr.. Conlon said The
only people who are interfering with
the mails Just now are the railroad
executives who are sending out bad
cGuipment." He expressed hope that
Uncle Sam would get out trucks for
he transportation of the mails and
he added the railroad men would help
keep them moving. The railroads he
asserted want to stage spectacular
affair. In Roanoke he said some
colored strikebreakers had been hail
cd into the police court and fined
for carrying concealed weapons, but
were he said told by the court that
they could carry them openly. This
resulted in all such strikebgakers
7rming themselves and this he said IS
lust the thing that causes race riots
in the South.
Mr.. Conlin then referred to the is
srcd involved in the strike, among
the important ones being that Of
farming out contracts to certain COM
panies. The Labor Board he declared
thought the men were bluffing when
they said they would walk out ON July
I. The speaker told of GraybilTs Of
fort to get President Harding help
settle the issues involved. This he
declared should be a lesson to the
L. S. Board not to wait too long
i'm the future
The speaker said the men have
borne with patience a long list OF
tribulations, and he added that when
chc American public realizes what
they have suffered the men will get
Justice. The railroad men he said
have the support and cooperation of
the citizens here.
Rev. Robert Browne, pastor Of the
Methodist Protestant Church, EXPIRES
sed hope that the strike would be
brought to a hasty and successful
conclusion. The speaker praised the
conduct Of the railroad men. He said
1--WE need a stalwart principal for
Justice and right" There are he de-
cared no red blooded men in the or
ranization who would sell them out.
The speaker praised the merchants
of the city who had offered co-opera-