The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-05
Northwest Railroads Say the
Strike Is Broken and the
SWitchmen StrenuousIy En-
ter OeniaiS.
HINT is GIVEN OUT
STRIKE WILL SPREAD
Well Organized Freight Hand
Iers' Union May Refuse to
Move Any Freight, and Much
Alarm Is Felt.
(American News Service)


Minneapolis, Mimi, Dec. 4.-Anoth-
er crisis is approaching rapidly in the
strike of the switchmen of the north
west The events of Sunday, when
leaders of both sides will have more
time to deliberate the issues probably
will lead to action which will deter
mine the future of the Industrial
strike by Monday.
AS the fourth day Of the battle
nears its close and the dawn of the
second week of the struggle ap-
proaches, the railroads are claiming
victory. They say that they have at
their command sufficient men to re-
place the strikers and that they have
the resources to make able switchmen
of these.
Remain Confident.
The switchmen remain confident.
They hint at a spread of the strike ii
they find that their present forces
are not equal to resist the roads.
They rely upon the aid promised them
by the American Federation of Labor
President Hawley announced the sup
port Of the big parent organization of
labor in his messages today to the
switchmen in other cities.
The railroads are announcing that
the strike is broken. Shippers whose
goods have been expected today by
the roads after three days of embar-
go seem to lean to the belief that the
switchmen will loses um3sss they
spread the strike to other cities and
ftc rvryi$ $rhv ID
and say peace must be made to re-
store normal conditions.
Running for Effect.
The strikers are-saying that the
running of a number of locomotives
''for effect" as they put it. is bring.
ing no real benefit to the companies
or to the public. and that such a con.
dition did not spell improvement OF
conditions, for running engines did
not mean the throwing OF switches or
the handling of freight.
The greatest concern felt by rail
road managers and the public alike
arose over the report that the army Of
freight handlers OF the Twin Cities
might refuse to move any freight
which~was to be placed in cars handl
ed by non-union switchmen.
Such an attitude by the freight
handlers. who are strongly organized
and recently won a set-to with the
railroads, would have an effect on the
freight congestion beyond anything
that can be figured.
From Cleveland this afternoon
came more news of the danger of 6
general strike crippling railroad ser
vice all over the country. The loco
motive engineers and firemen and the
Brotherhood Of Railway Trainmen are
seeking increases in wages and unless
their demands are granted 1t Is sale
to be probable that general walkou
will result.
Statement by Stone.
Warren s. Stone. grand chief of tn,
Locomotive Engineers, is quoted from
Cleveland as saying:
There is a spirit OF unrest anon;
railway employees throughout th'
United States. The time is ripe TO
another movement similar to that o
1902. A general strike is not improh
able"
That representatives of the Switch
mems union are hiring out as strike
breakers with the avowed intention
of still further crippling railroads i,
their yards is the statement of
union sympathizer closely in toucl
with the situation at St, Paul.