New-York tribune., 1922-07-16
Maintenance Men
i'm N. Y. District Eager
to Override National
Union and March Out
Army of Deputies
On Duty in Yards
Strikers Insist Trains Are
Badly Delayed; Sabotage
Charged by Executives

Prospect Of an Immediate walk-out
Of the $4,000 maintenance Of way work
ers employed on railroads in this Sec
tion became imminent yesterday when
William Parker, leader Of the trackmen
in the East, announced that his men
are up in arms over the action Of the
national heads Of the organization in
postponing the strike in the face Of an
overwhelming general vote. Strike au-
thorization is now expected hourly
here, he declared, and if it is not
Forthcoming the men are likely to 60
out on their own account at any mo-
ment.
Mr.. Parker was positive this situa-
tion was not limited to the East, but
existed all over the country. Chair
men of the unions on almost every line
are bringing pressure to bear on ma
tional headquarters to hasten the walk
out, he said, and the breaking point Is
in sight. If this is reached the car
riers will find themselves fighting a
labor force which on paper numbers
about $4,000 men-400,0o0 shopmen,
$4,000 stationary firemen, 10000 other
railway workers and $4,000 trackmen.
Men Refuse to Pay Union Dues
Speaking of conditions on the New
York Central, the line with which he
is connected, Parker declared that he
could see no way Of averting a main
tenance of wavmen's strike unless the
roads stop the new wage cut and
allow time and ~ hal1 for over
time. He added that roa "'roa1v
are refusing to pay their dues to
the locals, asserting that the or
ganization is not carrying out their
wishes as it should, and that they are
being fooled.
apparently they feel that they
would rather go out and lose" Mr.
Parker concluded, "than vote every
year for strike, only to sit back and
have their pay cut" He seemed to re-
gret that his union did not go out with
the shopmen July /, for he declared
that, had this been done the strike
vor of the employees.
Meanwhile Parker is proceeding with
the peace program agreed upon with
the Labor Board. lie asked yesterday
for conference with New York Cen
trail executives, and expects to meet
with them the middle of next week. AT
that time, he said, he would be the
sole representative of his organization
as the others who ordinarily attend
the conferences fear that their men
might go out of hand if they left their
districts.
While the threat from the trackmen
appeared to be the most serious prob
lem confronting the carriers here yes
terday,. there was little doubt ex-
pressed as to the seriousness of the
situation caused by the shopmen's s
Walk-out on some lines and the difficult
ties which the roads are experiencing
in getting the best of this situation.
Union watchers at the bulletin boards
in Grand Central Terminal reported
heavier delays on incoming New York
Central and New Haven trains than
on any previous day this month, and
conditions on the Erie were portrayed
by strike report as fast deterio-
ting"
Strikers Call Cars Unclean
Passenger equipment" according to
the report, "looks as though it we're
operating in Russia. Cars are in a
filthy condition through lack Of clean
ing on suburban trains. No windows
have been washed since the beginning
of the strike. Passenger trains aver
age from fifteen minutes to an hour
late in leaving the terminal, because
Of difficulty in obtaining engines on
time from the roundhouses. Locomo-
tive engineers report injectors failing
to work, rods and wedges pounding,
faulty cleaning of boilers, and bad in
spection of staybolts. In many in
stances engineers are refusing to run
the engines until necessary repairs are
made. The motive power is in a much
worse condition than two weeks ago,
and cannot hold out much longer with
out serious breakdowns."
On the New York Central, the strikers
asserted, the second section of the
Montreal Express was delayed fifty
minutes, the Beaver an hour and ten
minutes, the New York Limited three
hours, the Detroiter two hours, the
Wolverine two hours, the Fifth Ave
nue. Special ffty-three minutes, the first
section of the Twentieth Century fifty
five minutes, the second section an
hour and the Chicago Express fifty
minutes. On the New Haven, they de-
CONTINUED on next papo)