Evening journal., 1922-08-18
BY HARRY HUNT.


from the strike OF the railway shor
crafts spreading TO the operating
brotherhoads and maintenance Of
way unions develops. II promises tC
be the climax OF nearly 40 years Of
Intermittent strife between railway
workers and operators.
In that time there have beer
approximately 1000 strikes affecting
the transportation end OF railroading
The larger part OF these have beer
local. affecting only one road. OF
perhaps only one division or yard OF
one road. But approximately a
score have been sufficiently wide
spread seriously to affect the public
welfare.
The workers have lost the ma
pority OF these strikes. A study OF
railroad strikes made by the United
States commissioner OF labor. Gov
ering the period from 1881 TO 1905
shows the following:
Number OF strikes. sos. Per-
centage OF successful strikes.
1858. Partially successful. 1856
per cent. Failed. 1913 per cent.
Probably the most successful
strike ever called by the workers
was that ordered in the summer OF
1916 by the railroad brotherhoods
but which never went into effect.
Rush Law Through.
To meet the demands Of the work.
ers at that time and fOrestall what
was feared would be a nationwide
tieup OF transportation, President
Wilson addressed a special message
to Congress and the Adamson law
was rushed through House and SEN
ate. and signed by the President on
the day preceding the date the strike
was 10 become effective.
\ record OF the more important
transportation strikes. running
back 10 the historic general strike
on the Pennsylvania railroad in
1877. which was one OF the most vio-
lent labor struggles in American
history. follows:
192O.-On April 20. a strike OF
switchmen and yardmen in Chicago
and other principal railroad cen
ters was called by local leaders. This
strike was repudiated by the ma
tional officials OF the switchmen and
yardmen. and branded as "outlaw."
Action OF union leaders in denounc-
ing the strike as outlaw quickly
broke It. About $4,000 men were
out.
1e1e.-A strike OF shop workers.
in which between 10000 and $4,000
men walked out. was called because
OF dissatisfaction based on claims
that wages had not advanced pro-
portionately to the cost Of living.
The strike was called of by union
leaders on the promise OF the ma
tional government to attempt 10
bring down the cost OF living.
19O9.-Switchmen and yardmen
on 13 roads west and north of St.
Paul and Duluth struck November
80, for double pay for Sundays. holi-
DAYS and overtime. elimination Of
age limit and physical examinations.
Men refused arbitration. Strike was
broken.
i9O2.-Freight handlers on Chica-
20 roads struck July 10. for in
creased wages and recognition OF
union. Increases in pay granted,
but recognition Of union refused.
1900. Car repairers and freight
handlers on all roads out Of Chicago
struck for higher wages. May l. Re-
fused. Men were replaced and strike
broken.
1894. The great Pullman strike
In the Pullman shops at Chicago,
May II. This developed into a gem
eral strike and boycott OF pullman
cars. in which a total of 100000 men
were involved. II was the result Of
the panic of 1898, following which
the Pullman company cut wages 25
per cent, but declined to cut rents
on the company houses in which a
large part Of its workers lived. The
strike was called by the American
Railway Union. President Cleveland
sent federal troops to Chicago to
prevent rioting. on July ? a federal
court enjoined workers from IN
auencing men at work to give up
Jobs. Eugene V. Debs and other
strike leaders were arrested for vio-
ation OF injunction and sentenced
10 the penitentiary. Strike was
broken.
1893 The first use OF the in
junction in labor disputes came in
1898 in the strike Of workers on the
Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern
Michigan Railway. This strike was
allied March s. the men demanding
increased wages, reduction Of the
overtime limit and recognition of the
inion. Striking engineers were ar
-ested. cited for contempt in dis
,beying the injunction orders and
ined $50.
Ask Raise
1892. Yard brakemen and switch
nen on the Lehigh Valley, Erie &
Buffalo Greek Railways struck Au-
yust 12. for wage increases. The
nen offered to arbitrate. The rail-
Ways refused BY August 26 men on |
he Lackawanna. Nickel Plate, New |
York Central. West Shore and Lake /
shore & Michigan Southern had |
,een drawn in. The strike was 10 |
aise the level OF pay of men east .
Il Buffalo TO thas paid men working I
vest of Buffalo. State militia was /