Evening star., 1951-02-05
Congress Chiefs
Hit Rail Strike
AS Talks Resume
Royburn, Mcfarland
Denounce WuIkout;
Speaker Sees Truman

mere TO enQ Cne railroad SCflke
today amid reports the walkout
was still growing and condemna-
ton of the economy -strangling
walkout by House Speaker Ray
burn.
After a conference with Presi-
dent Truman, Mr.. Rayburn told
reporters he saw no indication
Congress would enact new legisla-
ton to cope with the six-day-old
deadlock.
He said "the only thing you
might do is to increase the penal
ties" He recalled that during the
railroad strike of 1946 the House
passed bill to enable the Govern
ment to draft railroad workers in
such an emergency. The strike
ended and the bill did not get
through the Senate.
Mr.. Rayburn said he had told
the President the walkout was
"one of the worst things that
could happen to this country in
time like this" and that it is mot
only Gripping the war effort here,
but abroad"
Running Public Relations"
Senate Majority Leader McFar-
land commented that the rail-
road unions were running their
public relations not only with
Congress but with the people"
Meanwhile. about 300 Railway
Express Agency workers were laid
off here because of the embargo on
express imposed last week. OFF,
cials said 200 more will be made
idle tomorrow, leaving only Is or
80 supervisors to handle emer-
gency operations.
Chief hope for settlement
rested in slow-moving meetings of
railroad and union negotiators
here. At recess this afternoon
a National Mediation Board men,
ber said a total deadlock existed.
j. P. Shields. head of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neerS, said he understood the
walkout of trainmen over the
country had become worse.
"A few are drifting back but
more are going out" he said.
Chairman John Thad Scott Of
the Mediation oBard. in an un-
usual move, yesterday urged rail-
road yardmen to return to work,
calling the strike a Gripping
blow to our national defense
effort" and roadblock to settle
ment of the dispute.
Seek Rock Bottom Demands.
In a 4-hour session yesterday,
the board requested union nego-
tlators to put their rock-bottom
demands on paper. Most of the
strikers belong to the Brotherhood
OF Railroad Trainmen, but the
engineers. flremen and conductors
also are involved in the 2-year-old
dispute over wages and hours.
The conductors. headed by r. o.
Hughes. said they would write
specific demands. but some Of the
others were non-commital. Most
OF the negotiators believed that, at
best, it would take days to grind
out an agreement.
The pinch frightened on indus
try and threatened food shortages
in some areas.
Washington was virtually cut
OF from freight shipments nor
mally flowing through Chicago
and st. Louis, but still was being
supplied over southern lines where
no embargoes exist.
New walkouts at Cincinnati and
Toledo caused the Baltimore g.
Ohio Railroad to clamp freight
embargoes on those cities and cut
off traffic south to Louisville.
Receipts 300 of Normal.
The Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad
reported car receipts were only 20
per cent of normal yesterday and
virtually at standstill today
from the Chicago and st. Louis
gateways.
OF an average of 80 cars of meat
usually arriving on Monday morn
ing, only two reached Washington
on the B. & o. today. Instead of
Is cars of fruits and vegetables,
two came in.
Flour receipts were reduced
from 10 to two cars and other food
supplies from 40 to 20. Building
materials dropped from an aver
age of 80 to five cars, and less
than-carload deliveries of all
merchandise fell off from so to 25
cars.
On the Pennsylvania Railroad
only three carloads of meat were
received instead of a normal SO,
and the % carloads of perishables
received was just half of normal.
A spokesman for the wholesale
meat dealers here estimated To-
(See STRIKE, Page A-4.)
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