THOUSANDS RUSH AND FIGHT FOR LAST TRAINS

Chronicle (Levin), 25 May 1946, Page 5

THOUSANDS RUSH AND FIGHT FOR LAST TRAINS

Press Assn.

New York Left With Only Three Weeks' Food

By Telegraph

-Copyright

/' Received Friday, 7.45 p.m. ' ! _ X K W YORK, May 23. Paralysis swiftlv spread throughout Ihe major sections oi' the nation 's vast railway network wlien the coiifereiice at White House hclweeii ropreseiitative.s oi' Ihe Railway Compnnies arul the Trainjiicii's iiiid Enginoers' Brotherhoods i'ailed to yield agreement in lii.ie to stave ol'f a strike. The "White liouse eoiil'ereuce ended in ,-i deadloek atter an eight hours' session. The disputants will inrot again toniorrow. President Trnnian offered lSf eents hourly as a wnge inci'ease wliieh was more tlian Ihe (iovernment's ihi c-t finding board recomnioiided lnit tlie railwaymen's leaders describcd it as less favourable hceau.se it was couditional upon a year's suspensi.011 oi' ihe hvotherhoods' elaims i'or changes in the working rules. Except To r temporary skelcton serviees whioh sonie companies ;ji*e ahle to organise with non-union labour lmt representing only a M'adion oi the normnl serviees, all railway traffic oi the major serviees eame to a standstill shortly ai'ter the strike deadline. rcws oi trains euroide at 5 p.m. abamloned their jobs at the iirst • livisioua] stop. Iiimiediately it became known the strike had begun, Clovernn.ent ageneies iin])osed 1'reight enibargoos and priority rules designod to ensure'inovenient oi iood. mail and other essential traffic. Air lines were oi'dei'ed to eaneel all passenger reservations and ru'o eontracts and, ii necessary, carry listed priority goods ineludiuu I'oodstuf'fs, chemieals and mails. Xon-prio.rity pnssengprs and cargo are pcrniitted to oeeupy any spnce lelt over. Air and water •; rriers and also any railroads still uperating, are ordered to pool (-«! ui])inent and dovetail schedules to aehieve the maximum movcini iit oi esssent ials. Xcw York and other eities are immediately faeed witli food sliui-lages wliieh will be lollowed by other "liie and death" short;ojcs oi I'uel and other essent ials. A trucking industry spokesman stated that more than 100,000 1 rocks were available in Xcw York State to nieet the erisis and cnild be used to bring into Xew York citv a sub'stantial proportion ui ihe l'ood noianally eai'ried by the railways. It is estimated XTew \ >>rk has two or three weeks' food supjily. Other eities expeet to l- 111 diifieulties within a week. Astoiiishing scenes were witnessed at Xew York terniinals as si-ni'cs oi' thousands oi workers depending 011 the metropolitan raili'"«'id network, pushed and i'ought to get the last trains honie before /.cru hour. .Many ihousands lel't their business places earlier in Jlic day hui it is estimated nearly 1,000.000 persons living out of iuwn are stranded at the eity's giant terniinals. Squads of the Spccial Foree were ealled in 1o deal with the milling throngs at ilic Orand Oentral Slation. Xobody is reported injured but v. mueii were heard sereaming as tliey I'ought to board the last irains- niany 1h rough windows. Ooniusion was heightened as btsi-iiiinute inconiing trains disgorged their heavy passenger loadiitgs. The workers turned their attention to taxieabs when ihe irains eame to a standstill paying up to ten ddllai'S a head for ji.nrueys oi 10 to 20 miles to their liomes. Chieago, whieh is the world's greatest railway eentre. reports uiiiiosl coni'usion. Sonie Chieago hotels immediately imposed siriiigent l'ood rationing. i.'cncral Spaatz has ordered the Armv Airforce to halt all but eieergeiicy operations in order to help meet the transportation erisis. All arniv transport planes and crews suitable For envrying H-ergeuey supplies liave been assigned to the Offiee of Defenee Ti-u usporl alion.