Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1909-12-07
CONSPIRACY IN RESTRAINT OF TRADE,
Il, 900 Men Idle as the Result of Strike of
Railroad SWitchmen,

all cl1les oI Jne Northwest depen
dent on the movement of supplies
are seriously affected by the strike
of the railroad switchmen which
began at 6 O'Clock last evening.
It is estimated that upwards O.
twelve thousand men are idle TO-
night on account of the strike
order, thousands of freight hand
lers and teamsters are losing time
by reason of the freight blockade
in the terminal towns, while 8
continuance of the strike for sew.
eral days will throw additional
thousands out of work.
The railroads are filled with
stalled freight trains and an at
tempt to move a few by the aid
of the Office men, drafted as
switchmen, is making no impress
sion.
The railroad managers committee
announced today that they we're
bringing to st. Paul new switch
men to take the place of the
strikers.
To this President Hawley Of the
Switchman's Union of North
America, said:
'All right, let them come, we
will not object"
Business men generally are be-
ginning to feel the result of the
strike. The first to be affected
were the wholesale grocers ar j
commission houses. Wholesale
grocers report that nothing is
moving. Commission houses are
doing nothing. Some of the lar
ger commission houses today re-
duced their working forces.
In Minneapolis the flour mills
closed tonight and it is estimated
that $500 men employed in them
are idle.
In south St. Paul, where are
iscated the stock yards, only 300
head of cattle were received today,
Iwhsre usually 1900 is the daily
avelag;;.
IN the iron range country the
small towns will soon be facing
a famine unless trains of food
stuff can be brought in there. At
Superior 800 men were laid off in
the Great Northern Railway ma
chine shops. The mines will be
affected by the stopping of freight
traffic. On the ore docks at
Duluth and Superior within 48
hours, 10000 men will be out of
employment, and the general loss
OH account of no employment for
labor and inability to deliver
merchandise will run iuto thou
sands of dollars.
St. Paul and Minneapolis are
the distributing points for the
entire northwestern States, in all
of the cities of which the effect of
the stopping of the carrying of
freight will be felt.
The most serious effect will be
in Montana, particularly at Butte,
Anaconda and Great Falls, where
the copper mines and smelters are
located. In Montana and eastern
Idaho freight traffic ls tied up
The entire town of Butte is de-
pendent on the operation of the
mines and smelters. When they
stop everything stops.
All foodstuffs are imported.
Many of the big mining COM
panies run stores. A miners
credit is good there only as long
as he works.
The smelters in Anaconda EN-.
ploy about $500 men. There are
also large smelters at Great Falls,
employing 5000 men, who are
idle.
That ali hopes of settlement
of the strike at present are at ar
end was indicated by the depar.
ture for Washington tonight o1
Martin A. Knapp of the Inter
state Commerce Commissioner
Charles Neill, who endeavored te
settle the dispute by arbitra
tion.
Mr.. Knapp said he could dc
nothing but offer his services ant
at this time they were not want
ed.
st. Paul, Mimi, Dec. 3-With 1,
500 men imported to take tn
the place of the striking switch
men who are members of tn
Switchmen's Union of Nortl