The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-04-19

Great Northern strike.
The first time In its history the Great
Northern road j. struggling with strike
so extensive and tar reaching that its
business from st. Paul to the Pa
citic coast is ut b stand stlll. The causes
which have led up to it are very easily
explained. Last August the wages of
the employees were all cut. from ten to
twenty-five per cent, and the force very
materially reduced to conform to the ex-
listing unusual business depression. A
second cut was made later which only
affected men not included in the labor
organizations, and ever since that time
there has been an undercurrent OF ill
feeling aud discontend running through
every department. affected. Very recently
all this unorgauized labor has been con-
solidated into a broad organization
known as the A merican Railway Union.
embracing men in all branches Of the
service. The center of this movement
was in Montana, aud having gained
sufficient numerical strength. a strike
was ordered. commencing at Butte, and
it has rapidly spread until it embraces
the entire system Of the Great Northern.
The demand made by the strikers is a
restoration of Rates TO those which OBJ
tanned prior to the firss cut, last August.
The weak point in the strike seems to be
that no, effort was made to have an adj
justment prior to the strike, The de-
mand and the strike were simultaneous,
or practically so. The engineers, con-
doctors and trainmen are not ordered
out by their respective unions, but with
the great mass of other employees refus-
ing to work it is impossible to operate
trains. The strikers at division points
have taken the passenger trains from
service by cutting out the coaches and
express cars, leaving only the mail car to
be run, and the COMPANY refuses to run
them without the balance of the train
Thelast division affected was the Fergus
Fall, and ON Tuesday business was sus-
on this lnie. The only train over the
road since Tuesday evening was special
from the west which left GAINESVILLE at
9P. NJ. on Tuesday, before the strike took
effect. and pulled into. Fergus Falls,
where it laid until FIVE o'clock Wednes
day morning, arriving here at eight
o'clock where it was side tracked await
ing orders. 1t h I'D a mail and baggage
car and two coaches, but no passenger S
to speak of. The train which left here
going east at I. 40 P. NJ. on Tuesday got
no farther than st. Cloud, when it was
taken to pieces by the strikers, and all
the cars side traf ked excepting the mail
car. and the train from the east lett St.
Paul on time on Tuesday evening and
met the same fate. at st. Cloud.
The existing condictions are these,
locally: Sank Centre is cut OF from all
communication with points on the Great
Northern, so fan as freight. mail or ex-
press matter is concerned. The North
ern Pacific is unning its trains as usual
| aud all traffic is by this line, so that so
far as terminals are considered the city
is not really suffering, although some
what inconveniehced.
The HERALDis not sufficiently informed
as to the merits of the case, but as in all
serious differences Of this character it is
best to use the utmost charity in con-
STRUNG motives. Neither sideis without
blame and responsibility for the condi-
ton of affairs. The company cut deeper
than the situation justified, and the men
are now making a demand which bust
ness will not iustify-full restoration OF
rates as they existed before the general
shrinkagein VALUE rs and wages. Between
them lies-a golden mean which will APP
peal to the sense OF justice of the fair
minded men of both parties to the con-
troversy, and, as is usually the case, it is
probable a settlement will be made upon
that basis sooner or later. Meantime
both will suffer. The least said calculat-
ed to infame passion and prejudice on
either side by those WHO have no direct
interest in the conflict the easier and
specdier will be the adjustments and the
more satisfactory the subsequent rela-
lions.