Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-11-06
Enqinemen Call Strike on B.&O.
And Three Other Key Railroads;
Board Asks White House Action
WuIkout Thursday
Expected to Bring
Injunction Move
By Robert K. Welsh


A strike against the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad, two other lines
not directly serving Washington
and the st. Louis Terminal Rail-
road Association. was called today
by the Brotherhood of Railroad
Firemen and Enginemen for 3 pm.
Thursday.
A move by the National Media
ton Board, two hours after the
strike call, opened the way for
President Truman to take emer-
gency action that could delay a
strike for at least 60 days.
The board reported to the
President that an emergency ex-
lists under Section 10 of the Rail
way Labor Act. Under that section
the President now can appoint a
special emergency board to con-
slider the dispute. Such board
would have 30 days in which to-
report. After it reported, no strike
could take place for at least an
other 80 days, the board explained.
Injunction Move Probable.
With all major railroads under
Government seizure since August, /,
1850, Justice Department officials
said it was quite probable" that
they would seek a court injunction
to stop strike. But they added
that such an injunction could be
obtained. if at all, only after a
strike actually began.
Technically, the enginemen and
fremen are Government employees
and there are presidents for such
injunetionS. it was said.
The Mediation Board met in
emergency session soon after
Brotherhood President David B.
Robertson declared the strike was
1.-The only course left open to OBJ
tain long overdue increases in
wages and improved working con-
ditions."
Other Lines Affected.
Besides the B. & O. and the |
St. Louis r. R. R. A, the other
lines affected by the strike are
the Chicago g. Northwestern Rail-
way and the Louisville & Nash
vile Railroad.
Any tight or prolonged strike /
against those carriers would seri- 1
ously affect not only this city but |
a great part of the United States, +
representatives of the lines said I
here. |
A B. & o. official said the strike +
call came with such surprising
suddenness that there has been
no discussion of any plans for a
possible freight embargo or SINH
lar emergency measures. /
This is the first We have heard
of it in Washington and Balti-
more" he said. But it is evident
that any such strike would greatly
affect both cities. They both are
key points on a main route be-
tween the Atlantic and the Mis-
sissippi, and they also are impor-
tant transfer points for other rail-
roads"
st. Louis Is Key Spot.
Washington officials of the L. !
& N. and the c. & NJ, as we'll as
the B. & o. spokesman, declared
that the quickest and in some
respects the most reaching eff
fects of such a strike would result
from a tieup of the st. Louis
T. r. A. A.
No passenger or freight train
of any line can enter St. Louis I'M
less brought in by a TRRA
transfer locomotive, they ex-
planned.
Washington would suffer no
direct difficulty from a tie-up of
the L. & N. because it's northern
terminus is in Cincinnati, a COM
pany official said.
This city, however, would event.
ually feel important effects of a
strike against the c. & NJ, al
though that railroads general
territory extends from Illinois to
the Dakotas. A spokesman said
the line transfers considerable
amounts of east-bound freight to
the B. & o. at Chicago. 1t nor
mally handles large transfers of
freight to the Far West as we'll,
he added.
Tieup Called Progressive"
Government as we'll as railroad
officials also cited possible delays
and pileups of mail at centers such
as Washington. Baltimore, Chi
cago. Cincinnati and st. Louis.
Mr.. Robertson described the
strike as progressive. He indi-
Gated that it could spread to other
railroads after first affecting the
four lines and their subsidiaries.
He declared that "the effect of
Government control has been to
shelter the railroads and handi-
cap the employees"
1t was noted that the current
dispute was not the same that led
to Government seizure in 1850.
At that time the Government
took over the railroads to avert a
strike by conductors and by an
(See RAILS, Page A-3.)