The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-12-02


eral days will throw additional thous-
ands out of work.
The railroad yards in all terminal
cities are filled with stalled freight
trains and an attempt to move a few
by the aid of office men drafted as
switchmen is making no impression.
The railroad managers committee
announced today that it was bringing
to st. Paul new switchmen to take the
places of the strikers. To this. Presi-
dent HaWley of the Switchmen's union
of North America, said: "All right,
let them come; we will not object"
Business men generally are begin
ming to feel the result of the strike
The first to be affected We're the
Wholesale and commission houses.
Wholesale grocers report that moth
ing is moving. The commission houses
are doing nothing and their customers
plies from day to day will soon be un
able to serve fresh vegetables and
fruit
Working Forces Reduced.
Some of the larger commission
houses today reduced their working
forces and will make further reduct-
ions if the strike continues Ions
In Minneapolis the flour mills closed
tonight, and it is estimated that $500
men employed in them are idle. A con-
tInuation of the strike will throw out
1900 more employed in the cooperage
and allied trades
In South St. Paul where the stock
yards are situated, only 800 head of
cattle were received today The daily
average is 1900. Manager Bangs of
a large packing house located here
said the question of reduction in the
packing house force depended entire
, On Of sfrily
If we cannot get stock, we will have
TO close he said.
He would not say how long the
plant could run on the present supply
Of stock
In the iron range in the northern
part of Minnesota, small towns wiz
soon be facing a famine unless food
stuffs can be sent in. In Superior,
800 men were laid off in the Great
Northern machine shops.
Mines will be affected by stopping
freight traffic. On the IRE docks ut
Duluth and Superior, within 4S hours.
10000 men will be out of work and the
general business loss will run into
thousands of dollars.
ST Paul and Minneapolis are the
distributing points for the entire
northwest, covering Minnesota, north
ern Wisconsin, northern Iowa. North
and South Dakota, Montana, Idaho and
a large part of Washington and Oro-
gOn.
Montana Badly Effected.
In all cities in these states. the
strike vii be felt The most serious
effect will be in Montana, particularly
in Butte, Anaconda and Great Falls,
where copper mines and smelters are
situated.
In Montana and eastern Idaho,
freight traffic is tied up. About 60
freight trains are stopped as the
sWitchmen are in control of all term
nal points. This territory is taken
care Of by the Great Northern. North
ern Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee and
Puget Sound railroads. Unless the
roads can carry coal and ore to
smelters Will be hit first, as their coke
supply IS limited. Mines may be able
TO continue operations for awhile and
store the ore in bins and on the dumps,
but not for long.
Butte is absolutely dependent upon
The operation of the mines and smelt-
ers. When they stop, everything stops.
All fcOdstuffs are imported. Many big
mining companies run company stores.
\ miners credit is good there as long
as he works. When he is out of work.
his credit stops Shelters in Anaconda
employ $500 men. There also are large
smelters at Great Falls employing
5000 men who are idle.
That all hopes of a speedy settle
ment of the strike are gone is indlcat-
ed by the departure for Washington
tonight by Martin A. Knapp, of the in
terState commerce commission and
United States Labor Commissioner
Ncin
Mr. Knapp said he could do moth
ing but offer his services and that al
this time they were not wanted
At offices of both the Northern Pa
ciffc and Great Northern railways it
was stated tonight that the strike has
had no effect upon the operation %
fast mail trains to and from the coast