Evening star., 1949-07-16
Whitney
Continued From First Page.

May, 1916. was IN full swing. All
but 100 Of 1880 of the Nations
scheduled passenger trains and
240 of $4,000 freight trains were
out of operation for a 4S-hour
period.
President Truman called Mr.,
Whitney, and Alvanley Johnston,
grand chief of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, to the
White House for closed con-
ference.
The labor chiefs called their
men back to work. but soon after
Mr.. Whitney shouted double
cross"
He said they were induced by
the President to postpone the
strike for five days on the promise
that an agreement would be forth
coming from railroad manage
ment.
Charged Run Around.
Instead, he said, the brotherhood
officials were given the run-around.
President Truman asked Con-
gress for an automatic draft for
striking railroaders.
Mr.. Whitney soon after an
nounced plans to use the $47.000.-
900 brotherhood treasury to defeat
President Truman in the election
Of 194s.
A reconciliation between the
labor leader and the President
followed, however.
The men shook hands. agreed
they were both hotheaded. and
went to work together. In 1913
Mr.. Whitney was labor's outstand-
ing supporter Of the President in
his campaign for reelection
against Gov. Dewey Of New York
Son Of Minister.
Acutely intelligent and vel
read, Mr.. Whitney was the sor
of a Methodist minister. the Rev
Joseph Leonard Whitney. He wa!
reared in Cedar Falls. Iowa. ant
went to work as a candy butcher
on the Illinois Central Railroad
there in the late 80s.
| Peppery of temper and acid o1
tongue in lashing opponents. Mr.
Whitney was a political liberia
who jumped from party to part.
to side with men with his ideals
From 1908 to 1892. he sided will
Theodore Roosevelt. Republican
with Mr.. Roosevelt as "Bul
Moose" Woodrow Wilson. Demo
crat; Robert M. La Toilette, Pro
gressive; Herbert Hoover. Repub'
lican, and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democrat.
| At the time of his death Mr.
Whitney was planning to visit
| Washington in connection with
legislative matters.
A few hours before his death he
had authorized a strike Of broth
erhood workers on the Southern
Pacific Railroad. The strike was
scheduled for s pm. next Friday.
A week ago 8 strike was author
lied by Mr.. Whitney on the Mis-
souri, Pacific Railroad. The latter
strike threat was placed In the
hands of a Presidential fact-find-
ing board.
Besides his widow, Mr.. Whit
ney is survived by two sons and a
daughter.
The brotherhood's president
since 1928, Mr.. Whitney was last
elected to a four-year term in
October, 1916.
Board to Name Successor.
Secretary y-Treasurer w. p. Ken
nedy said the brotherhood's con-
stitution specifies that the Board
of Directors shall name q sue
cessor to Mr.. Whitney within 80
days.
/ In the interim. Assistant Pres
ident D. A. Mackenzie OF Cleve-
land will be in charge OF the
unions affairs. Mr.. Mackenzie
was in Salt Lake City yesterday
but was expected to return to
Cleveland Immediately.
There were nine members OF
the board. including Mr.. Whitney
The eight are expected to attend
the funeral services. Mr.. Kennedy
said the board probably would
meet within q few days after the
funeral.
The man named by the board
will serve as president until the
September, 1850, convention OF
the brotherhood.
Kansas produces almost twice
as much wheat as any other
1