Montana news., 1908-08-27
CANADIAN PACIFIC STRIKE.

The Canadian Pacific is tied up by
one of the greatest strikes in its his
tory. the third of its kind i'm eight
years. The shopmen are out. and the
men at work in the stores of the line.
objecting to feeding the strikebreak-
ers. are out also. Twenty thousand
men. all told, will cover the strikers
involved.
The victory OF the mechanics In
the previous strikes advanced the la
Dor movement in western Canada
from Winnipeg west much further
than 1t was in the United States.
These triumphs on the Canadian Pa
ciic were the incentive that built up
the unions on the transcontinental
road in the United States. The union
policy of the Canadian Pacific men
has been hampered and retarded, ow-
ing to the unorganized conditions that
existed this side of the line.
The various unions OF shopmen on
the Canadian Pacific are all ANAL
gamated and federated. until they
are almost an industrial organization.
This gives solidity to the movement
and makes il harder for corporations
to fight the united front of the work
ers. The railroad men this side of
the line are following the Canadian
| plan OF organization.
The Japs wont scab. The only
scabs available are the unskilled.
| The skilled mechanic is what the
Canadian Pacific cannot obtain. as
the Canadians are not given to scab-
bing very badly, and it is unlawful
for the railroads to ship in scabs from
the United States. The railroad is re-
lying on British machinists. black
smiths and boilermakers emigrating
from the British Isles to Canada. to
break the strike. but this is highly
improbable. While the shipping In
dustry of continental Europe got
wharf rats and slum dweIlers to go
To Hamburg. Antwerp and copen-
hagen to break the sailors and dock
workers strike, IL is not likely that
the better class of skilled British
workers will go to Canada to scab
The British machinists are all edu-
Gated and thoroughly organized; their
union levies an assessment Of "a
cents a month on the membership to
elect and maintain socialists in the
house of commons. Such class OF
workingmen will not be likely to leave
their native heath to become traitors
to their own class in Canada.
I The present strike Is the creates
and most widespread ever inaugur
ated in Canada, extending from thu
Gulf Of st. Lawrence to the Pacific
The men at the head of the striker
are brainy and levei-headed. j.. II
McVethie of Vancouver is we'll knowr
for his lass-consciousness, Bel
Hardy OF Revelstake Is another
veteran OF the class struggle, a thor
ough mechanic and master of MI
craft, somewhat of an inventor, men
tion Of his work often appearing II
the scientific magazines But abov,
all, Bell Hardy knows what his clas,
interests are, and has spent years IL
working for and developing the so.
cialist movement In Canada.
Jimmie somerville Of Moose Jaw
at the head Of the strike. is a man OF
few words. but OF great Judgment
and has the faculty OF moving large
bodies of men In the right Direction
and believes workers should not scat
at the ballot box He was Elected
second vice president OF the Interna.
tional Association of Machinists by a
recent referendum of the member
ship.
II is safe to say that the Canadian
Pacific striking machinists have
taken good counsel among them
selves before entering on the strike,
that they know their goal and will
win their point.