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Show Locomotive Firemen . I mi Efifpefgiei Join I Mlaw Organization I CHICAGO, April 7. Representatives of S500 members of the 'H Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engincmcn employed in the Chicago switching district today had defied their union officials ' and voted to join the unauthorized switchmen's strike called nearly ' a "veelc ago. Freight traffic through the expansive Chicago district already was restricted seriously and both sides agreed thai, if the force of strikers was augmented such traffic w.oulcl be brought virtually to a standstill. 11 The vote of the entrinemen and firemen came in the face of nre- 11 . dictions of grand officers of the Brotherhood Broth-erhood of Railway Trainmen and the (Switchmen's Union of North America, that by Saturday the strike would be broken by loyal union men rushed here from other citi.es. "Scabs" Are Condemned. The enginemen and firemen declared de-clared they would not, work with "scabs" as they termed the loyal tin ' ion men, and also demanded an in-; in-; creased wage. Engineers are paid ?S.76 a day and they demanded $1.50 j an hour; the firemen, paid from $4.16 ) to $-l.2S a day, demanded $1 an hour. I Passenger trains would not be inter j fered with, the strikers said. Meanwhile Mean-while supplies of certain food and fuel were beginning-to run lpw jn Chicago. ' -aTurnrTrlwW thrown out of work at the stock yards ', by tho stoppage of receipts of cattle. It was stated that unless receipts of livestock was resumed shortly approx-j approx-j imately 50,000 men would be mnde , idle. May Forfeit Cards. The switchmen continue their strike under an ullim-.'tum from the Brother-j Brother-j hood of Railway Trainmen that they will forfeit their union memberships unless t hey return io work by tonior-1 tonior-1 row night. They also would lose their seniority standings with the railroads. The strikers claimed early today 'that 1G.000 men wore already out in ! ih.i district and by night 25,000 would be on strike. Railroad officials said about 2500 switchmen and yardmen were out. Office clerks and superin-'londents superin-'londents joined the union strikebreak- crs in the yards yesterday. William L. Dond, treasurer of the I switchmen's union, said 19 trunk lines land five belt lines "were paralyzed" Ly the strike. Eighteen railroads were I affected to some extent, officials ad-j ad-j mitted. I Switchmen's strike leaders early to-; to-; day said delegations had been sent to J Milwaukee, Kansas City and other cit-, cit-, ies to call strikes. j STRIKE IN BUFFALO. BUFFALO, N V., April 7 Five hun-'drod hun-'drod switchmen on the nights hift of Jail railroads entering Buffalo with the ' exception or the Erie and Pennsylvania Pennsylva-nia lines went on a strike last night jand this morning, virtually tying up all freight in and out or the city. Up to 10:30 o'clock this morning the day shifts had not reported and it is be-; be-; licved the strike will be general. F. J. Sheehan. president of the switchmen's union, said tho strike was 1 unauthorized OFFICERS TAKE ACTION CHICAGO, April 7. Grand lodge officers of tho Brotherhood of Itail-I Itail-I way Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Firemen and Enginemen called I their divisional chairmen on the twenty roads affected by tho strike ' to Chicago today to plan the cam-! cam-! pnign ngainst tho strikers, j More than 3 000 union switchmen are at work today as strikebreakers, Vice President Whitney announced, and similar action is expected to be taken by tho firemen and engine-men. engine-men. B. Corrlgan and M W. Cable, as-i as-i sitant grand chlof engineers, were in conference with the firemen and on- ginomcn chairmen this morning aftor a vain effort last night to prevent the unauthorized strike of their men. There is a great deal of sympathy In tho brotherhood ranks for the j switchmen, Corrlgan said. I Situation Desperate "The situation has become desperate desper-ate because of tho wages paid these men In the Chicago terminals were absolutely not enough to live on," Corrlgan said. "The strikers," he added, "receive a schedule ranging from $4 to $5.7G a day." Continuing, ho added: "Our men could loolc out the windows win-dows of their cabs and seo common laborers receiving moro than engineers engi-neers who had devoted years to their apprenticeship." Railroad offices announced this morning that passenger trains were moving practically on schodulo time, and that considerable quantities of freight were being moved. Tho Chicago Chi-cago switching district embraces all .Uio territory within the outer bait railroad which draws a thirty-milo clrclo around the city, tapping every railroad in this territory. There are about 18,500 members of the two .jH brotherhoods in the district. fl |