Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-12-06
A BIG Strike NEAR GOVERNMENT BONDS
BIGGEST STRIKE IN HISTORY OF
RAILROADS THREATENED.
Practically Every Railroad in United
States in imminent Danger of Be-
ing Tied Up This Month. Shippers
Are Notified TO Be Prepared for
Trouble,

CHICAGO, Dec. 4-The Tribune
this morning said:
The United States is threatened
with the greatest railroad strike IN
the history of the nation.
Practically every railroad line in
the country, East and West, is In i'm
minent danger of being com pletely
tied up by walk-out on the part of
a large number of its operating en-
pioyes this month.
Officers of the organizations of
engineers, firemen, trainmen and
switchmen have agreed upon uni
form demand of 10 per cent wage
increase without deviation or ccm-
promise
THAT the crisis is approaching rap
idly was indicated yesterday b. the
announcement at New York by Off
cars of the Brotherhood of Railroad
1rainmen that they would present
their demands on the 18th of this
month and tne wage conferences will
EeSin on the 18th. Although every
effort will be maze to avert general
s;ii''e, it is impossible to predict
what the outcome of the cCnfer-
unoes will be.
both the railroads and the .aad-
c.s of organized labor among the
railroad employees are preparing for
the struggle, which, when it once
begins. will without doubt 1evel"p
into ono of the greatest industrial
battles that las ever been fought III
this or any other land. The atti-
tude of the leaders on both sides of
the dispute which menances the in
dustrial peace of the country is at
present tine that of iron stubborn
ness
While it is known that it is nor
the plan of the leaders in the railroad
labor organization to call out the
men at one time their intention is
said to be. by those who are acquaint-
ed with their plans, to call out suffi-
cient men on each big system to make
operation practical impossibility.
This means that more than a mil
lion men will engage directly IN a
battle with the railroads, unless some
fortunate circumstance arises 10
avert the trouble. More than 1o0,-
| 600 miles of railroad track will
cease to bear their burdens of freight
and passengers, with the consequent
paralyzing effect on the commerce of
the country unless settlement IS
cached quickly.
So serious has the situation be-
come that early this week the rail-
road presidents quietly notified the
largest shippers along their lines
that they had best prepare for an
emergency, and the shippers so no.
titled, including miners of coal, man
ufacturers, jobbers and shippers of
grain and other food stuffs, have been
exerting themselves to the utmost
to lay in their stocks and distribute
their products into the consuming
centerS.
w. G.. Lee of the Brotherhood of
Railway Trainmen, who is here TO-
day conducting negotiations with
the Chicago railroad officials officials
declined to discuss in detail the pub
lished reports that the roads OF the
country are on the verge of great
labor war.
st is misleading to say that the
trainmen's organizations have made
demands for increased wages from
the roads," he said today. THE
nroposition for an increase Of wages
on the lines east of Chicago has been
referred by the officials of the organ
izations to the men themselves.
There are at least $4,000 interested,
and each man must consider the pro-
position of the demand for more
wages and vote on it before any such
demand can be made"