Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1905-11-03

and st. Petersburg
Moscow and other large cities are al.
most as closely ~belcagured as If they
were invested by besicging armies
Ever the Car in his palace at Peter.
hof is cut off from train service and
the commerce of the empire is par
alyzed.
At the same time the industrial
strike has assumed large dimensions
and the turbulent elements in several
localities are Offering open resistance
to the troops.
An encounter took place "Wednesday
evening betWeen strikers and engine
drivers who were preparing to take out
trains. Revolver shots were eXchanG
ed, and a number OF persons We're
killed or wounded. The striking rail
road men are being enforced by the
workers in other branches.
Hold Authorities Helpless.
With the railroads at a standstil
and the wires inactive, the social dem
orrats believe they have the govern
ment at their mercy, since the authori-
les are unable to move troops to quel,
nprisings in the various cities and
provinces, and, in fact, with the mails
n the telegraph useless, no informal
tion Of even the most serious disorders
'>ould get out. This situation is rem
hered all the more serious by reports
Of bloody collisions already reported
from Ekaterinoslav and other places.
while a dangerous asrarian movement
has broken out in the government Of
Samara, cross the Nolga. The
strength displayed by the social demo
Gratis has amazed the authorities. who
were taken quite as much by surprise
ut the evidence of their power as they
were at the time Of the Gopon re-
bellion.
Famine already has reared a threat
aning hand, as the relief work III the
unfortunate districts has been stopped
through the railroad strike. h price
of food is increasing rapidly eve in
st. Petersburg, where meat was one
third higher Wednesday, and the peo-
ole are alarmed.
That the officials have become
aroused to the seriousness Of the situa-
tiOn was shown when the special meet
ing Of the committee of ministers WAS
called late in the afternoon under the
presidency Of Count Witte to consider
the situation. The meeting was the
result Of Il request by Prince IIilkoff
that the council of the empire assem-
Bile under the presidency Of the Gar
himself to take action. The Emperor
approved the request, hut announced
thai he had chosen Count Witte TO
preside. The ministers continued their
deliberations until long after midnight.
Prince Hilkoff believes that the
strike cannot De prolonged, as h men
are without funds. Besides this, he
declares tina it is impossible for the
men to realize their dream Of tying up
all the railroads simultaneously. With
the assistance Of the railroad battal-
lons some trains will be run, he says.
Nevertheless the leaders of the 4OO.-
900 railway employees IN the empire
are planning further trouble. They
have arranged a big meeting, when
the grievances of the men, who get an
average wage Of $40 a year, will be
thoroughly gone over.
ummar of Situation.
Reports received in st. Petersburg
summed up the results Of the strike In
several localities as follows:
st. Petersburg is practically cut off
from the world, except through Fin
land and Sweden.
Trains In the Baltic provinces are
not running INC the situation is report
ed to be very bad at Riga and Libau.
All the lines in Poland are tied up
and a strike has been begun on the
Great Southwestern system, covering
the territory southwark from Kieff to-
ward Odessa.
The workmen Of the Obukhof, Putil-
off, Nevski, Alexandrovski and Kol-
pino works are out, as are the am
ployes Of the factories on the Schlus-
.selburg Chaussee and the cotton mills
and other factories on the banks Of The
Neva.