Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-20
For General Political Strike
Throughout Russia.
Answer is Almost Unanimous and
Strike Begins Thursday.
Railroad Men Say Every Road Will Be Tied
Up.--Czar's Pacifying Efforts.

ST. petersburg, Dec. 20.-Zo3 -. NJ
call for Il general political strike
throughout Russia to begin Thursday
ut noon, was issued today. me caIl
is approved by the Union OF UNIONS
the Union of Peasants, the General
Railways Union and the Councils Oh
Workmen of st. Petersburg ana MOS
COW. response received from the
railroad men of Moscow is unanimous
for u strike. The leaders nave de-
clared their ability to stop every ran
road i'm Russia.
The strike order renders every mem
Der of the unions signing it liable to
arrest and punishment under the
strike order and Minister of the In
terror Durnovo attempted to telegraph
orders to Moscow to arrest members
of the railway union and of the Work
mems Council but the dispatches were
held up by the railroad telegraphers.
St. Petersburg, Dec. 19.-1.20 p. NJ
The Molva Uhe name under which
the suppress Russ is now appearing
declares that the responsibility for
general strike will rest upon the
shoulders of the government 1T
charges that it is the purpose of Count
Witte to postpone the assembling OF
the douma until next summer and III
the meantime to 'pacify" the country
in the old bureaucratic way.
A committee representing the Mos
cow Boerse arrived here today to i'm
plore Count Wittee to do something
to ward off the blow of a general
strike and also to settle the post and
telegraph strike Immediately as the
only means Of preventing financial
ruin. The committee painted the out
look in black colors 1t told the prem
Ter that already there had been thOus-
andS of small bankruptcies in the
provinces, that the paper of many
firms was going to protest and that
large concerns We're hanging by
thread. 1t said that while one week Of
| the general strike would beggar the
proletariat it would also spell the ruin
of countless industries.
A sensation has been produced by
All open letter to the MolVa written
| by Alexander Stakoyitch of Orel, 4
prominent ZemStVOist which reveals
NJ. DurnOVO in the double capacity of
acting minister of the interior and
Seller of forage to the, war department
| i'll the name of his wife. NJ. Stakovich
| bought Is, 900 pools from NJ. Durnovo's
Wife last spring at 4G, but delivery
could not be made OH account of lack
| of cars. in the meantime, owing to
| the failure of the crops, the prices had
risen and this fall NJ. Stakovich says
| NJ. DurnoVo secretly sold oats to the
war department at GA, at the same
time presenting a bill against the de-
Dartment for $3.50 for storage. 1t is
considered that the exposure will mako
| it impossible for II. Durnovo to re-
main in the cabinet.
Instead of the expected promulga-
| ton of the election laws and of a
manifesto donating the crown APP
panageS to the peasants, the Emper-
or'S name day was signaliZeu by the
declaration of martial law in the
province Of s;uaWalki on the German
frontier of Poland. and by the gaZett-
| ing of decorations and promotions
mostly i'll the army, which cover Al
columns in the Official Messenger
An order for the improvement of the
condition Of the army ana the navy
which prccede the announcement of
measures for the improvement OF the
status of the privateS. adopted AS
token Of the Emperor'S good will to-
ward his army" provides for an in
crease of the pitiful pay from $1.35 per
year to So in case of ordinary privates
and of from So to Sc in the case of
privateS Of the guard.
At the same time the pay of the
| non commissioned officers is increased
| IN proportion, in the case Of the high
est of the sergeant majors amount
ing to $36. one Of the most signif-
cant features was the refusal of l ! 900
employees of the Putiloff works to OBJ
serve the holiday Of st. Nicholas. They
insisted on working, on the under
standing that the money earned by
them would be used to swell the strike
funds. 1t is stated that The strike
fund of the railroad men now amounts
! to $4,000.