The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-08-07
From Coast to Coast Men on
Canadian Pacific Road Lay
Down Their Tools.
WILL FIGHT TO A FINISH
Movement of Crops Will Be Seriously
Affected-S,OO0 Men Are Re.
ported On Strike.

Montreal, Aug. Z. - The Canadian
Pacific railway has on it's hands the
biggest strike in the history Of Can
ada. A general strike order was is
sued yesterday by Bell Hardy, presi
dent of the associated mechanics OF
the Canadian road, and from the At
lantic to the Pacific some 5000 men
laid down their tools. The strike has
been brought on because the decision
of the cancellation board which was
appointed under the Lemieux act OF
the Canadian parliament was not
what the men wanted.
Points in Dispute.
Among the chief points in dispute
was that of overlapping of hours
The men wanted 10 work in three
e'ght.hour shifts; the company wished
to overlap an hour at each end in or
der to avoid paying overtime.
AS to the ratio of apprentices, the
company hard a ratio of l to 3, the
Cancellation put it / TO I, and the men
wanted it l to 4.
To operate a drill press the com,
pany wished to employ either machin.
lists or m%achinsts' helpers.
In classification of boilermakers as
to ability the Canadian Pacific rail.
road said the change reduced the
wages of only 5 per cent of the boiler,
makers and tie men said 7 per cent.
The men objected to the practice
<hof r,,1ir~c r,o1a in Vripninno with
out evidence from the employees in
Montreal are held to be binding in the
East.
E~danger Crop Movement.
How ~far-reachin,y thu strike will be
it is impossible to say. If the strike
is prolonged the movement of the
crops will be affected.
While not saying this in SO many
words, an attitude of fighting the ques-
ton out to : finish was apparent with
every head of a department in the
general Offices of the company.
Out of a total of II $50 mechanics
employed. a total of 5000 were report
ed On strike.
To Use Japs as Strikebreakers.
Winnipeg, Aug. S.-The Canadian
Pacif~ railway and the striking me-
chanics are preparing for a long strug-
gle, and it is now .salized that 10th
sides to the cont oversy are fully
equipped to make a fight to the bitter
end.
The company wired to San Francis
co for strikebreakers, and already 800
Japanese mechanics. trained in the
railway shops and technical schools
of the West. are arriving. The com
pany will put the Orientals to work
under a heavy guard.
Won't Work With Japs.
The company's troubles have been
further complicated by fifteen gang
bosses walking out and declining to
work with the japanese.
The union men continue to hold
mass meetings and conduct them
selves in a most orderly manner. The
pickets keep q close watch over the
shops and report the arrival of all non-
union labor.
Thousands of unskilled laborers
have applied for work, bW the men
are useless to the COMPANY. Many
Poles and Russians are among those
who have offered their services.
Telegraphers May Go Out.
1t developed Yesterday that the te-
legraphers employed by the Canadian
Pacific railroad are on the point of
leaving their work, being in sympathy
with the striking mechanics. If the
telegraphers walk out a further handi-
cal will be placed on the company in
the operation Of it's lines.
The railway officials said that the
strike would not interfere with the
handling Of the Western crops.
The striking mechanics seem to
have the situation we'll in hand, but
refuse to comment on the statement
of the officials regarding their ability
to handle the Western crops.
May Tie Up Whole System.
The was current yesterday
that the engineers, tiremen, conduct
ors end brakemen are likely to coop
Gratis with the striking mechanics. II
this De true, it is said by those in au-
thoyity in the mechanics unions, q
complete tie-up of the Canadian Pa
cific system will occur
All the superanuated Canadian Pa
cific railway employees at West Toron-
to are being notified to begin work i'm
mediately, taking the places OF the
strikers. They have agreed to obey
the order rather than risk the loss of
their pensions.