The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-05
switchmen's Strike in the Northwest
May be Joined by the Flour
Mil Employees and Freight
Handlers Also.
1000 MEN ARE INVOLVED
Two Unions Will Meet This Evening
and Discuss the AdvisablIIty
Of Striking Out Of sym
pathy.
[Gate City Leased Wire Service. /

[Gate City Leased Wire Service.l
MINNEAPOLIS MINI, Dec. "A
new element was injected tonight in
to the strike of switchmen on the
northwest railroads which threatens
to cause trouble in an entirely new
quarter. The flour and cereal mill
employees, flour leaders and the
freight handlers are now showing a.
restless spirit and it is feared they
may refuse to handle flour or other
freight switched by non.union men.
The flour mill employees have called a.
general meeting for tomorrow night
when vote will probably be taken on
the attitude of the union. If the men
refuse to handle freight moved by non
union men, officials of the switchmens
union declare the freight handlers will
quickly follow them.
Should these unions declare
strike, 1000 men would Immediately
be involved and several thousand
Others would probably be thrown @ut
of work on account Of enforced clos.
ing of the mills. Officials of the
switchmens union tonight declared
that such action would paralyze the
Twin Cities railroads again, mas
much as they would not only have to
fill the places of switchmen, hut OF
the freight handlers as wsIi. In spite
of this new development general man
ayers Slade and Gruber, OF the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific rail
road were optimistic tonight. They
characterized the reports concerning
the possible strike of freight handlers
as mere bodies put up by the switch
mems union officials.
The railroads profess to have brok.
en- the backbone of the strike and in.
sist that instead of having difficulty in
getting men to fill the strikers places.
they have more strike breakers than
they can possibly use. About 500 adj
ditional strike breakers reached the
Twin Cities from Chicago today and
were at once put to work. Great
Northern officials declare they can
now exercise selection In the matter
of strike breakers and will send back
many who do not come up to require
ments.
Chicago Excited.
[Gate City Leased Wire Service.l
CHICAGO, Dec. 4.-Fiery speeches
and the definite promise that the
switchmen's union of North America
will not be crushed IF 1t takes the
whole fighting force of the American
Federation of Labor characterized
a mass meeting of 700 members OF
the switchmen's and affiliated unions
held here tonight to discuss the
advisability of Chicago strike ir
sympathy with the northwestern
switchmen.
Vice President James B. Connors
of the switchmen, declared after the
meeting that only the assurance b,
officials of all departments Of the rail
way department of the Federation o.
Labor that their departments stant
ready to strike rather than see the
switchmen defeated prevented the
meeting from stampeding and order
ing an immediate wallzout. The meet
Ing was attended by roo workers rep
resertlng every branch of the feder
alton railway department with mem
bership Of 100000. 1t was addressed
by First vice President Soldering
and Second Vice President Connor!
of Switchmen's Union, Internationa
President P. J. Flannery, of thu
Freight Handlers Union, and thu
presidents of most of the other rail
way unions, including the telegraph
ers. maintenance of way men and rail
way helpers.
Infamatory Meeting.
Al the outset the meeting prom
ised to be quiet but it rapidly devel
oped into an exciting inflamator,
meeting. Many demands were mad'
from the floor for an immediate strike
But Sederling, Connors. and Elan
merry, advised against hasty actor
and pleaded with the men to avail
the outcome Of conferences next weel