Crossville Chronicle

Nothing Said About Seniority in Settlement With Twenty Roads; Reduction Accepted.

The shopmens' strike on the railroads of the country was largely brought to an end in Chicago last week when an agreement was signed by sixteen roads to take the striking shopmen back as they were before the strike. Nothing was said about discharging the men who had taken the places of the strikers, but the roads agreed to either provide places for the men or put them on the pay roll within thirty days from the date of the settlement. After the signing by the sixteen roads some other roads signed up on the same terms.

A few of the big eastern roads refused to sign but did affect settlements with their men along lines agreed upon. In the case of the L. & N. road no agreement was arranged and the road stated that strikers would be taken back as needed, but that they would come back as new men, which means that they lose their seniority. The road was firm in its statement that it would protect to the last the more than 10,000 employees now working for the road. Several other roads have declined to accept the Chicago settlement and have or are likely to make separate agreements, with the strikers.

Briefly stated the striking shopmen lost pay for around 75 days and in the final settlement accepted the cut authorized by the railway labor board.

There is very strong feeling generally in all business circles that a great business boom is coming as the result of the strike settlement. This fall is expected to see very great improvement over the present business conditions followed by a still greater increase the coming year. The general tendency is to an upward movement of prices on most things, labor included.