The Cairo bulletin., 1909-12-03
Strikebreakers Put to Work by
Railroads Who Claim End is
in Sight
Railroad Managers Committee Still Maintains
Union Officials Made Breach Of Faith in
Striking--Uaion's Counsel Gives Reas-
on For Not Arbitrating Under
Erdman Law

st, Paul. Dec. 2.-4Chief of Police
OConner today ordered all of the day
force to remain at the central station
until 10:30 in the evening. This will
continue until all danger of a CLASH
between the striking switchmen and
strike breakers is ended. All police
men absent on leave have been re-
called
According to the railroad officials
the beginning OF the end of the strike
is insight. One Official said the rail
roads were handling thirty per cent
of the business offered and added:
I'VE are employing new men as
fast as they come, moving a large
amount of package freight. In a
week the public will not know that
there is a strike of the switchmen."
Two hundred to three hundred men
arrived today from Chicago and were
distributed in st. Paul. Minneapolis
and Duluth. The managers claim
they can get plenty of men, some of
them experienced switchmen.
Five switch engines were working
in the Union Depot yards today. The
Northern Pacific reported that 1t was
moving some coal, grain and miscel
laneous freight Coal dealers and
produce men, however, said condi-
tions are unchanged.
The strike leaders say they are
ctronsar today thar since the strike
started. They refer to the fact that
the Brotherhood of Railway Train
men and Conductors, in joint session,
resolved to stand neutral and only
doing such switching work as they
had always done.
Factory forces are being reduced
owing to the shortage of supplies
Two big shops of the Great North
ern at st. Paul employing a thousand
men, closed today. All but one OF
the % fluor mills of Minneapolis are
idle.
Strike breakers wearing special po
lice badges were reported to be on
duty at the Union station yards today
by the pickets. When Hawley learned
that they were imported he called
the attention of State Labor Commits
sioner McEwen to the fact. McEwen
said that if the men are wearing po-
lice badges and are not residents Of
Minnesota. they and those responsible
for their presence are violating the
law McEwen is investigating, If such
men are sworn as special officers,
they incur liability of Imprisonment
for one year.
Mayor Lawler who is attorney for
the switchmen, addressing mass
meeting of the switchmen, said:
The railroad managers claim that
they were not notified until too late
of the contemplated action of the
switchmesr; but they knew to man
that the strike order was issued and
made no offer of settlement to avert
trouble.
'The general managers, who are
supposedly the brainiest of railroad
men, have the affrontry to claim that
lHC cti Nt& O. SoiipiSsS SUI piAoC w
them despite the fact that it had been
declared a week. | cannot believe
that they told the dear public the
truth. | believe you switchmen have
as good manners and morals as any
class of men have met. But remem-
ber, you are engaged in life and
death struggle, with victory but a few
days away"
Gov. Eberhart will be in st. Paul
tomorrow. One of the questions he
will consider with Commissioner Nc
Even will be the complication caused
by the importation of police from
Chicago.
At a meeting of the switchmen to-
hood of Railway Trainmen and the
Order of Railway Conductors, pre-
scented a resolution adopted at
joint meeting at Melrose yesterday,
declaring that they will "stand neu-
trail and refuse to do other than Gus
tomary work as done prior to the
pending trouble"
This means that the trainmen and
conductors will refuse to do switch
ing except at small stations where
this has been customary.
The Great Northern and Northern
Pacific officials stated tonight that
the men imported from Chicago and
elsewhere wearing badges of special
police officers. are guarding the com.
pany's property only. They are not