Evening star., 1946-05-25
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conductors and firemen to complete
crews to move some trains If We
have the engineers"
Three engineers and four train
men have returned to work in the
Waycross district of the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad. officials said
today in Jacksonville.
1T appears that a number of
other striking employees will come
back to work before 4 pm. today
a railroad spokesman said After
that time, We will begin filling our
vacancies with nonstriking per-
sonnel.">
The Pennsylvania, largest rail-
road in the Nation. reported only
one trainman had returned to work
up to 1890 am. An engineer, he
was at controls of New York
bound train leaving Washington at
am.
Earlier reports from this area and
several points throughout the Ma
ton gave little promise of concerted
acquiescence by strikers to the
Presidents back-to-Work plea.
Two Engineers Ready to Return.
Shortly after the President con-
cluded his radio address last night
however. B. E. Partlow and H. c.
Coons, engineers living in Alex
andria, telephoned the Southern
Railway they were ready to resume
work.
Half hundred trainmen listen
ing to the speech in the Railroad
YMCA at Union Station were al
most unanimous in disapproval of
Mr.. Truman's suggestion AS did
many other union men, some
thought the Presidents talk was
one sided"
Trainmen Appear Glum.
Trainmen who were obviously
glum and much less boisterous than
on Thursday afternoon, when they
walked off. congregated in small
groups today in front of 525 New
Jersey avenue NV, where their
union was in session. and expressed
deep resentment at President Tru-
mans speech.
A brakeman said he was complete
ly baffed. Look. I've got a wife
and baby. I'm trying to figure
things out. There's a whole lot to
figure out But the only trouble is
that I don't know where to start"
A brakeman termed President
Truman Public Enemy No. l.
A companion joined in: you
know what I'm thinking of doing?
I'm thinking of tearing up my
license and union card and quitting
and going into construction work
That's what I'll do. I saw them un-
loading little while ago in Potomac
Yards"
The meeting got under way about
9 o'clock and was running session
with men coming and going all the
time. Like previous meetings of the
brotherhoods here, it was closed to
the press.
Officials of the Alexandria local
those who man the huge Potomac
Yards-took a broader view of the
Chief Executives Intervention. They
called meeting in Gadsby's Tavern,
Alexandria, this morning of the 400
union members on strike to learn if
they wished to work.
Called Men on Phone
J. K. Dyer, chairman of the Rich
mond and Alexandria locals, said he
had talked to the men all night by
telephone and doubted whether they
would work. J. N. Burling, chairman
of the Strike Committee, had the
same opinion.
Sidney Kerl. superintendent of the
Washington Terminal Co.. said
telephone canvass of all strikers en-
ployed in the Union Station proved
negative. None wanted to work.
Martin Miller. legislative repre-
sentative for the trainmen, who also
speaks for the engineers, said the
President had negotiated only with
the carriers and had made no at
tempt to negotiate with the union,
even though 'he alleges the WORKERS
now are employed by the Govern
ment."
In the case of the coal strike,
however the President is dealing
with the union. Mr. Miller said.
After his speech last night 1
talked with a lot of our men. The
reaction, which was definitely in
railroad language, cannot be
printed" Mr.. Miller added.
The Southern Railway reported
only the two engineers reporting
ready for work. The Baltimore &
Ohio. Chesapeake & Ohio and Rich
mond, Fredericksburg & Potomac
could not report that many.
After listening to the President,
300 engineers and trainmen at Kan
sas City voted to continue the
strike. The group insisted it was
striking against management, not
the Government as Mr. Truman
said. THE Government has struck
against u.s. a spokesman added.
Declaring Mr.. Truman showed
lack of knowledge of the facts, B.
F. Davidson, leader of $500 Balti-
more & Ohio engineers. said in
Grafton, w. Va. that "as far as
am concerned the strike still is in
effect"
A joint committee of the striking
brotherhoods at Buffalo wired union
chiefs that 1900 trainmen there
were still 100 per cent behind you"
L. A. Weiss, general chairman for
the trainmen for the Southern Pa
cific Railroad in Texas and Louisi-
ana, said the men will never 90
back to work on this (the Presi-
dent's) appeal. They'll never go
back unless Johnston and Whitney
tnational brotherhood heads say
to do so."