Evening star., 1948-04-01
wall Street Strikers
Invite Il Prominent
Citizens 10 Judge Case
BY tie Assoeioted Press


NEW YORK, April 1.-The United
Financial Employees tAFLl today
invited 81 prominent citizens to
investigate it's dispute with the New
York Stock and Curb Exchanges
and submit a report for public
judgment"
The invitations were sent to such
figures as RCA President David
Sarnoff and Bernard M. Baruch on
the fourth day of the financial
workers strike against the New
York exchanges.
1--WE are perfectly willing to sub
ject our case to impartial scrutiny"
said the letter, signed by M. David
Keefe. union president.
At the same time, the union an
nounced in circulars distributed by
rain n-drenched pickets that it was
setting up plans to broaden the
strike.
"The strike is to be general and
we intend to ask nonunion employees
to participate" the handbills said.
employers SHd1itHScu-
The union said in its invitations
to the group of private citizens that
it took the strike step with great
est reluctance" and it challenged
the employers to be equally ready
to submit their case"
The union said others, besides Mr.
Sarnof and Mr.. Baruch, invited tx
serve on the survey committee were
Beardsley Ruml. Robert Searle, DR.
Harry Carman, DR.. A. A. Berle, DR.
Frederick Baerwald, Thomas Fin
letter, Herbert Bayard Swope, Nor,
man Cousens, Leo Cherne, Msgr
Edward Robert Moore, the Rev. Viii
Ham r. Kelley; the Rev. Marshal
Scott, Rabbi William F. Rosenblum
George Shuster, Harry Gideonse
DR.. David De Sola Pool, Anna M
Rosenberg. the Rev.. Leland Henr,
and Elinore Herrick.
e Schram Silent on Plan.
The union also announced tina
Alfred Baker Lewis. who it identi'
fed as "a prominent business execu.
tive" had undertaken to form Q
citizens committee supporting the
strike. ~
The only comment from Emil
Schram, president of the Stock Ex-
change, was: Il have no interest
whatsoever in any proposal made
by one Mr.. Alfred Baker Lewis"
He said he had no comment on
the Union invitation.
The Stock Exchange was active at
the opening at the customary hour
Of 10 am.
Exchange officials said inside quo
tation service which has not been
operating since the walkout began,
now is reporting on $50 of the most
active of the 1900 issues listed.
Rain Reduces Picket Lines.
A driving rain reduced the
strength of picket lines and police
details.
We'll be here after the rain is
gone," chanted strikers and AFL
ScdIIieIl SyHupdtlllIeTS.
Picket and police details were
as heavy as usual at the main
entrance to the Stock Exchange but
there were no strikers in front OF
the Pine and Broadway buildings
where union workers late yesterday
threatened "a general strike in
Wall Street"
The seamen paraded in slickers,
sou'westers and sea boots. Umbrel-
las were passed out to members
OF the Financial Workers Union.
New Issue Threatened.
The threat of general strike Of
financial workers brought a new
issue in the walkout of 1,l00 stock
and curb exchange employees.
First hint of this development
came late yesterday when AFL Sea-
mems Unions threw picket lines
around two financial district office
buildings.
In unison, they shouted: Gen
eral strike in Wall Street" Leaf
lets we're distributed saying: 'Brok-
erage employees in this building be
ready for a general strike of all
Wall Street and the entire finan-
cial district"
Business on the stock exchange
was nampered only slightly by the
strike, exchange officials said. They
reported that a number of workers
had returned after being absent
Monday and Tuesday.