Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1920 — 50,000 WORKERS IDLE IN DETROIT [ARTICLE]

50,000 WORKERS IDLE IN DETROIT

Railway Strike Wanes in West, Grows Worse in East. MEN RETURNING AT CHICAGO 7,000 Men Jobless on Pennsylvania Lines —Detroit Goes Back to Wartime Essentials. Detroit, April 12.—Detroit went back to wartime llghtless nights tonight and industrial plants received their second blow in six months in the form of a gfeneral shutdown as a result of the rail tie-up. Approximately 50,000 factory workers went home temporarily jobless tonight when power was shut off to all but those Industries classed as "essential” by the Detroit Edison company. Philadelphia, April 12.—The Pennsylvania railroad company announced tonight that 6,906 employes of all classes are on strike on its system between New York and St. Louis. In the eastern region, (New York to Altoona, Pa.) 1,970 were out; central (Altoona to Columbus) 2,718; northwestern (Columbus to Chicago), 1,463; southwestern (Columbus to St. Louis), 755. Columbus, 0., April 12. —Officials of both the Big Four and Pennsyl. vanla railroads here announced tonight coach crews at the Union station had walked out and that main line switch tenders were leaving their posts. The officials also said passenger service through and out of Columbus would be delayed but that “somle sort of service would be maintained.”

Cincinnati, April 12.—Five yard crews employed in the Ivorydale yards of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad went out here late today, The strikers numbered 20 men, according to strike leaders. z An erpbargo has been placed upon all incoming livestock by the Cincinnati stock yards. Chicago, April 12. —While the unauthorized strike of railroad employes, which started in Chicago two weeks ago with the walkout of 700 switchmen on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad today appeared gradually to be waning in the middle west and far east, the situation in the territory east of Cleveland took on a more serious aspect The center of development In the walkout of insurgents had definitely shifted 'to the east, where additions to the ranks of the rebel railroad workers had caused a serious stoppage of freight and passenger traffic and the closing of several industries dependent on the railroads for supplies. The situation In the Chicago yards showed a marked improvement, and reports from other large railroad centers in the middle west indicated that the crisis of the strike was past and that strikers were returning to work in considerable numbers.

Officers of the railroad brotherhoods, who have been fighting the strike since its inception, were confident that the breaking of the walkout in Chicago territory would be followed by a general resumption of work in-other areas. More freight moved in the Chi cago yards today than on any day since the strike started, railroads announced. |Vt the stock yards 229 cars of livestock "fcere received and more than 9,000 employes who had been forced out of work by the strike returned to duty. About 25,, 000 stockyard workers were still idle. The" Illinois Central, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, the New York Central and other roads reported that cars again were moving in the switching yards and that embargoes had bben partly lifted. Officers of these roads said they had enough men at work in the yards to take care of all cars coming into Chicago. The General Managers’ association today denied that any negotiations were being carried on with the outlaw yardmen’s association, and stated that no parley would be entered into under any circumstances.