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SWITCHMEN ANSWER CHARGES
OF RAILWAY TRAINMEN
Jas. B. Connors, vice president of
the Switchmen's Union of N. Amer
ica, read the statement of H. P. Gal
lagher of the Brotherhood of Ry.
Trainmen in The Day" Book last
night, then he issued a statement
flatly denying nearly everything Gal
lagher said.
In brief, Connors called the B. of
R. T. a scab body, accused it of play
ing in with the railroads and of dou
ble dealing.
"The contract which the road man
agement and the B. R. T. put over on
us on the Wabash railroad says that
not more than 25 per cent of the
switchmen employed on the Wabash
can be long to our union. Now, not
withstanding Mr. Gallagher's asser
tion that less than 9 per cent of the
Wabash switchmen belong to our
union, I right here say that 90 per
cent of the Wabash switchmen are in
our union right now.
"The B. R. T. got the agreement
with the Wabash through trickery,
promising the railroad officials that
its members would scab the jobs of
the switchmen.
"I do not claim that the '75 per
cent' agreement is a boycott I claim
it is a lockout.
"The Switchmen's Union of N. A. is
the only legitimate union for switch
men to affiliate with. It is declared
so by the A. P. of L., with which it is
affiliated.
"When the B. R. T. switchmen
struck on the Belt Line last Decem
ber I pulled every one of our switch
men off the job on the Belt Line,
though I knew nothing of the B. R
T.'s proposed strike until 8 hours be
fore it was to take place. That was
not our strike, but we pulled out 200
men to help 100 of the B. R. T.'s
switchmen who went out. If our
men had continued to work as the
B. R. T. men are doing now while
we are on strike the trainmen would
never have had a chance to have won
that strike. 1
"Right now the trainmen are fill
ing our jobs in the Wabash yards
right here in Chicago, under police
protection."
ZEPPELIN BOMBS SINK THREE
BRITISH WARSHIPS
Berlin. British cruiser Caroline
and destroyers Eden and Rice sunk
by bombs hurled from Zeppelins in
last raid on England.
London. German losses in fierce
fighting going on for nearly 10 days
for Vimy Heights and along Somme,
south of Arras, have totaled 60,000,
more than British suffered in Sep
tember offensive at Loos.
Fighting is proceeding with great
fury in heavy snowstown. French are
counter-attacking near Neuville-La
Folie road, where Germans claimed
capture of half mile of French
trenches in Tuesday night's fighting.
Athens. Greece's decision to re
main neutral was reaffirmed by Pre
mier Skouloudls in addressing par
liament. Referring to reports that
severe pressure might be brought to
bear upon Greek government, prime
minister declared that no moves of
coercion, however painful, could
equal disasters that would follow
should Greece enter war.
Vienna. Disarming of Montene
grin troops by their Austrian con
querors completed.
Paris. Less than 30,000 Serbian
troops now remain in Albania and
these are being transferred as rapid
ly as possible to Island of Corfu and
made ready for service in Balkans.
London. All Roumanian reserv
ists at Salonika ordered home imme
diately. Dispatch from Switzerland
reported Roumanian government ap
pealed to people to board gold and
deposit in national bank.
Geneva. Turks have resumed the
massacre of Armenians who escaped
previous outrages.
o o
100 narrowly escaped when fire
partly destroyed apartment building,
2156 W. 22L