Cleveland, Oct. 28.
'The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea ICo. to-day closed 428 local chain groceries, throwing 2,200 men out of Jwork, when the clerks attempted Jorganize a union and the Teamsters' Union sympathetically refused to transport supplies.
Both sides refuse to mediate and [tre company has already commenced shipping Cleveland stocks to other cities.
Milwaukee, the Butchers' Union to-day announced that all of the Jcompany's stores will be picketed, Jcommencing tomorrow, the workers Jelaiming that the Atlantic and Pacific Jdischarged every butcher in their Jemploy in the city and closed the meat departments in all stores when the union asked for wage increases.
Officials "in Washington, it was reported were unconcealedly anxious lover the situations here and in Milwaukee, due to the wide ramifications of the great chain store Jorganization, which covers every city of any size from coast to coast.
Washington fears that disorders may develop from picketing.
The chain store owners are apprehensive lest the unionization Jworkers should set a precedent for Jother cities, and consequently are [determined upon no surrender.
Food processors also are alarmed lover the sudden developments, fear~ Ing that unionized grocery clerks [will refuse to. handle non-union foodstuffs.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.