The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-01
STRIKE BEGINS ON RAILROADS |Switchmen of Northwest Leave Posts HAY INTERRUPT RAIL TRAFFIC Federal 6cials Fail te Secure
 Settlement roads Centering Tn Twin Cities Refuse to Comply With Demands of switehmen-chicsge Grain
 Market May suRer
 Heavily.
HAY INTERRUPT RAIL TRAFFIC


 teen days of negotiations between the switchmens Union of North America and the joint committee of railroad managers representing thirteen rail- roads of the Northwest, strike in- voiving 2,300 switchmen became effec- tive at 6 o'clock tonight.
 The men engaged in this strike are employed by the various railroads running west and north of St. Paul from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast and unless speedily settled will mean q serious Interruption to traf- fic.
 The first effect of the strike was a sharp bulge in the price of wheat in the Chicago grain market today. The roads entering the Twin Cities and Duluth and Superior. are largely grain-carrying roads from the West.
 Tonight both sides to the dispute issued statements. The railway man agers' committee issued the follow ing:
 The switchmen in the Northwest territoPy made simultaneous demands on thirteen railroad companies cen- teriug In the Twin Citios for double pay for Sundays; holidays and over time: an advance of SO cents per day of ten hours in the wages of switch men,. switch tenders. towermen, en- zine herders and assistant yard mas ters; modification of the rule pro- viding for the payment of penalty in case of failure to permit switchmen to secure their meal in the middle of their shift at a stated period. which contemplates double pay in cases where 1t became necessary to work a portion of the meal hour anJ the eli- mination of the physical examination and the age limit placed upon switch men estering the service.
 swftchnen stood Firm.
 HThe switchmen in no detail receded from their demands which. If conce l. ed, would have entAilsd an additional expense upon the railroads switchisg service of some forty to foFty-fiye pss cent.
 aThe fraanagers' conmistse offered the switchmsn an Increase of twenty cents per day of ten hours in the rates of pay of switchmen employed In the territory west of Havre. Mont, on the Great Northern Railway and west of Billings. Mont. on the North CTS Pacific.
 .Further concession was declined because the rates of pay of switch men were increased over 13 per cent in November. 1906. ana because the rates had not been reduced during the period of business depression which followed.
 "The attention of the switchmen was called to the fact that in 1906 the switchmes were granted a larger percentage of increase than any oth- er class of employees in train service. At the present rates the wages of the switchmen averaged over sIoo per month"
 The statement then recltes that af- ter first declining to leave the dis pute to arbitration. the switchmen changed their minds and suggeste l Martin A. Knapp of the Interstate Commerce Commission and Charles P. Neill. commissioner of labor.
 Before the arbitration conference could be held, however. the switch men again declined this form of set clement and announced their intention of striking. This, the railway mana gers assert, Is breach of faith.
 Speaking for the switchmen. Presi- dent HawIey said:
 We want an advance of 6 cents an hour in pay and the elimination of overtime and Sunday work as far as possible and the request for double pay for over time Is in the nature of A we want to discourage overtime Sunday and holiday work.
 we also ask for modification of the physical requirements and age limit rules. Examination for employ ment on railroads is now regarded as strict as those required for service ir the army.
 This strike will result in a tie up of railroad traffic. From now on not a switch engine will move in the ter ritory between the head of the lakes and the Pacific Coast
 Early reports received by ths switchmen as to the effect of the strikers indicate that all of the men have walked out and that there has been a general tie-up of traffic in all the yards heard from. In St. Paul and Minneapolis the men are out and re- ports from Brainard and Fargo are to the same effect.
 c. T. Shade, General Manager of the Northern Pacific. stated tonight that he had only meagre reports. He said that local traffic had been delayed but that the railroads have a scheme by which they hope to facilitate the hand ling of traffic. Just enough switching has been done in the Twin City yards to keep passenger traffic moving and the switching has been done mostly by the train crews.