Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-08-09
VALLEY JUNCTION Is TO Lose
ROCK ISLAND SHOPS AND
,EMPLoyEs.
CEDAR RAPIDS AFFECTED
Old 3. c. r. 8 NJ. Shops at tho Latter
Place viii Be Done Away With and
the Work for the Iowa Division VIII
Be Done at Moline.

| DSS N1OlllSb, Aug. o. WlCull Iu6
next six months the Rock Island will
complete the removal of the shops of
the Iowa division from Valley Junction
to East Moline, Ill. This report was
given out on good authority yesterday
In Des Moines but officials of the road
refused to confirm 1t beyond the state
ment that the policy Of the road was
to make the Moline shops. on which
they have spent about $1.000,000 dur
ing the last two years, the principal
shops of the eastern part of the sys-
TEN.
This will mean the removal to Val
ley Junction of about 400 or 500 men
from the town and will also be Sc
we're blow to Des Moines, as the retail
merchants here have secured the bulk
of the trade Of this class. 1t will re-
move the biggest factor in Valley
Junction and will be severe blow to
not kill 1t completely.
It Is not known yet whether the re-.
moval Of the shops will mean any
change in the divisions. If it does, it
will take about 200 more employees
from there, men employed in the oper-
ating department.
Cedar Rapids Shops Doomed.
Valley junction will not be the only
point affected by the change. the old
B.. q. R. & N. shops at Cedar Rapids
suffering like fate.
Action Not Anticipated.
The prospect of removal of the
| shops from Valley Junction comes as
1 fhnrdnrhN1t fN he ix,fo
town. "A few. Des Moines parties have
I known 1t for a few months, receiving
an inside tip from an intimate friend
of the powers that be" In Rock Is.
land management in order that they
might dispose Of property which they
owned there. The removal OF the
shops will mean great depreciation
in the property Of Valley Junction.
All Deepnds on Road.
The very life of Valley junction de.
pends on the Rock Island railway. The
monthly payroll of the shops there has
totalled something like $4,000.
This taken from the revenue of the
town, will mean something to the mer-
chants and business interests.
Valley Junction was practically
founded by the Rock Island determin-
ing to make it's principal shops there.
Seven or eight years ago, the shops
were moved from Stuart to Valley
Junction and other minor shops in
Iowa were abolished and the work all
done in Valley Junction. This was
prior to the system being extended un-
TIL 1t has become the largest system in
| the world
Recently the road has built a new
line in Missouri, and in all, Moline is
the junction point of the western lines.
1t is better located to handle the gen
eral work than are the other points.
The plan is said to be to maintain
small repair shops at Valley Junction,
Cedar Rapids and other points where
shops are located at present to make
light running repairs, but the rebuild
ing Of cars and engines will be done at
/, Moline.
Fear Other Losses.
1 A large number of trainmen at Val.
ley Junction are also on the anxious
seat. They declare that If the Rocl,
Island fails to secure an agreement
with the Minneapolis & st. Louis, the
force on the Des Moines valley division
will be reduced fifty per cent.
Business Men to demonstrate.
| Des Moines and Valley Junction
| business men will undoubtedly remon
strate against the proposed action, but
the officials Of the road have anticipat
ed this and kept the plan secret. They
saw a chance at present Of reducing
the forces in the shops in this section
without exciting comment, leastwise
not more than could be satisfactorily
answered by the plea Of hard times
They have simply taken advantage Of
1t. Ls is shown by a reduction Of about
| so per cent in the Valley Junction
shops during the past week and the
complete closing Of the Cedar Rapids
shops.
1t is said that the protests will avail
the business men naught. the officials
of the road setting aside the remon
STRANGE with the statement that 1t is
simply business move and that they
are operating the system for the mon