New-York tribune., 1922-08-03
Eastern Roads Report
Rash for Strikers Jobs

ne nret reported effect OF the de-
sision Of the railway executives to re-
lect the Presidents proposal that they
restore full seniority to their striking
shopmen was great increase in the
number of applicants for the positions
vacated in the walk-out. John G. Wal
ber, spokesman for the Eastern roads
declared last week that many work
men were waiting only for definite as
surance that the carriers would stand
by their promise of permanent employ
ment before applying for jobs, and the
statements of the Lackawanna, New
York Central, Erie, Lehigh Valley and
the Jersey Central yesterday bore wit
ness TO the correctness of his iudg-
nent. Some of the lines asserted that
there had been more applications for
employment than on any other day
since the strike began.
The roads won't get much of days
work out OF these safety first fellows,
was the only comment the strike lead
ers made on the reported rush of Job
hunters. "They didn't have nerve
enough to be strike breakers at the
beginning, but waited until they
thought somebody else had taken all
the bumps
Outbreak of Violence Forecast
One Of the forecasts as to the next
probable development in the strike,
however, was that the bumps are only
just about TO begin. 1t was pointed out
that heretofore the hope of an early
peace by negotiation helped the union
heads in keeping down violence, and
that now that finish fight has been
declared matters are likely to be rough
and tumble for while.
The other forecast was that the next
move from the roads probably will be
an attempt by those least likely to
win in struggle to the exhaustion
point to get out of the fight by separate
settlements as soon as they can, leav-
ing the stronger roads clear field of
battle. In general, however, the feel
ing was that it was still too early
TO form any estimate of the change in
the situation likely to result from the
action Of the executives And atten-
tion turned to the renewed prospect of
an extension Of the strike to other
classes of railway labor.
The first Of these indications was the
statement of William Parker, head of
the maintenance of way unions in
the East that the New York Central
trackmen around Syracuse are going
out because their wage adjustment
plea was rejected by the company. Mr..
Waiber's reply was that the case is on
its way to the Railroad Labor Board
and that there will be no trouble
The second was the report that the
strike vote among the New Haven's
clerks and freight handlers is going
Overwhelmingly in favor of walk out
The road commented briefly by an
nouncing that it has opened four
schools to train men to take the places
Of those who may go out, that only
half of its employees in these classih-
cations are organized, and that there is
great difference between getting q
strike vote and calling a strike
The priority question also injected
itself into the strike again when the
petroleum industry, through the Amer
lean Petroleum Institute, requested that
the priority order be amended to give
petroleum and all it's products the same
stan6ing as coal and fuel oil. In ask
ing the change, the oil men declared
that so per cent of the gasoline needed
for motor vehicles is consumed in use
tul transportation, that crude oil is
the raw material for all petroleum
products, and that the economic manu-
facture of oil products requires that
every derivative of this raw material
be used.
One instance of violence was re-
ported. This was an unsuccessful at
tempt by Il crowd Of about / 1000 to take
three supposed strikers away from
New Haven policemen who had ar
rested the men after an assault on a
strike breaker Thursday night