The recently ended strike of the milk drivers, which secured for its workers a few dollars increase in salary per week, and which gave the milk dealers an excuse to raise the price of milk, assumed more the characteristics of a lockout than a strike.

The large daily newspapers spared no crocodile tears condemning the Milk Drivers Union, "which suddenly, without any reason or notice whatsoever, stopped work, leaving hospitals and babies without milk."

The good nature and genteel traits of the tender-hearted newspapers would be praiseworthy if only they were earnest and sincere. But the official statement of the Milk Drivers Strike Committee gave the gentle 2reader the actual answer: "The newspapers stated that our members went on strike at the United Dairy Company, and therefore the rest of the dealers declared the lockout as a measure of self-defense. The truth is that our members have nowhere gone on strike. It happened this way:

"The wage scale committee of the Milk Drivers Union came to the office of the United Dairy Company to see the manager in regard to signing the new agreement. Since the manager was not in, the committee decided to wait for him. Some of the drivers noticed the committee in the office and expressed their desire to remain to see what results would be reached. Even before the manager came or negotiations on the agreement started, the foreman approached the drivers stating that under these circumstances they may all go home.

This seemed to be a signal to the Milk Dealers Association, which 3immediately locked out all their drivers. It was no more or less than a lockout. Now that the strife is settled, it is no more than right that Chicago's population know that the union milk drivers were not the ones to blame for 'hospitals and babies being left without milk.'"