Montreal Quebec - The tentacles of a crippling railway strike stretched deeper into the nation's economy today while hope continued dim for an early settlement of a dispute between the CPR and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (CLC).
 
In addition to 67,000 CPR employees laid off because of the strike, 4,900 workers in industries dependent upon CPR facilities have been made idle and the jobs of thousands more are in peril unless the strike is settled this weekend.
 
There was little prospect of weekend agreement, however.
 
N.R. Crump, president of the railway, made his strongest statement of the dispute Friday, charging the union placed "its own selfish motives above the interests of Canada".
 
Firemen Main Issue
 
He disagreed with the union argument that firemen are necessary on diesels in yard and freight service before a federal conciliation board.
 
The board's majority report agreed with the company plan.
 
"this strike is over a single issue, whether the railway must hire new men as firemen when there is no work for them to do," Mr. Crump said during a CBC broadcast.
 
"The strike is not about safety."
 
The statement brought ad immediate reply from W.E. Gamble, Canadian head of the union, and union spokesman Edward Gloss of Cleveland.
 
Mr. Gloss, who said he was speaking for Mr. Gamble, said safety is "a vital issue" in the strike.
 
This was shown by the fact that the CNR and 140 railways in the United States retained firemen-helpers on diesels.
 
Mr. Gamble said his union will co-operate in running relief trains to any isolated communities in need of supplies.
 
Pickets to Remain
 
But, he added, "the brotherhood will not withdraw picket lines for trains which are not manned by a fireman-helper selected from the seniority ranks of the firemen on the district or districts where the relief trains would be operated."
 
"This stipulation is further required because we cannot consent to the work of firemen, which is a key issue of this strike, being performed by others."
 
Both sides expressed willingness, with reservations, to consider any proposal aimed at ending the strike.
 
Mr. Gloss said the union will consider any suggestion, provided there is no sacrifice of "the union's basic principles".
 
A CPR spokesman said the company is ready to consider "all constructive suggestions".
 
But there was no communication between the company and union Friday.
 
Unofficial sources forecast no break in the dispute until at least next Tuesday, when Parliament meets in regular session.
 
The cabinet is due to meet Monday.
 
Government Undecided
 
The federal government apparently is still trying to decide what, if anything, it should do about the strike.
 
Federal officials were reported to be considering legislation to deal with it, but high informants said Friday neither the type of possible legislation, nor whether it would be presented to the new session of Parliament, had been decided.
 
A decision might come Monday.
 
One authority speculated, however, that views of the government's Commons supporters from across the country might first be considered, providing cabinet with a sampling of public opinion on the situation.
 
There was some speculation doubted by a well-posted source, that Mr. St. Laurent might personally intervene with the CPR and brotherhood.
 
No Incidents
 
There were no reports of incidents on the union picket lines set up by the 3,000 union members along the 17,000 mile CPR line, and three of its subsidiaries from Halifax to Victoria, union leader Gamble said, however, that his wife received two telephone calls Thursday, from a man and women threatening to blow up his home in suburban Dorval and to "get" both him and his wife.
 
Mrs. Gamble said she received several calls Friday, but the callers refused to say anything when she answered.
 
Police were keeping watch on the home.
 
Author unknown.