The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1909-12-03
CHANCE
IN The SITUATION
Strike of Switchmen COntin=
ueS to Be Effective.
SOME men ARE IMPORTED

Yards at ST. Paul PatroIled by Non
resident "Poice," which Is Alleged
to Be in Violation of the State Law.
Business Men Not Prepared to Take
Hand in the Trouble at Present.
st. Paul, Dec 3.-With no decided
change in the shipping congestion re-
sulting from the switchmen's strike
the question of interference by the in
terested business men has been raised.
However, the business men doubt that
the time for such interference has
come. They expect to see the railways
and their men meet the situation.
Should the strike continue, however,
the business interests are likely to
take a hand.
Although hundred or more strike.
breakers have been imported freight
traffic is practically at standstill.
Passenger trains are moving nearly
on time.
Action by the roads in importing
special police may result In state in
reference. The Union depot yards
here are being patrolled by dozens OF
these men. They admit they were
brought here as guards and say there
is not switchman among them.
1--WE will make no complaint against
the Chicago special police" said Presi'
dent Frank T. Hawley of the Switch
mems union. "If you want any infor-
nation as to their status get it from
your state authorities, who are sup
posed to enforce the laws. We have
no suggestion to make
Labor Bureau Questioned.
e. G. Hall, assistant labor commits
sioner, in the absence of Commission
or McEwen, said:
'If these men are not residents of
Minnesota and, if they are wearing
special police badges or acting in any
capacity as officers to preserve the
peace, they are violating the law and
whoever brought them here is violat-
ing the law. The law on the case is
plain. 1t is not susceptible of any
other Interpretation"
The strikebreakers, or special po-
licemen, or both, as the case may be,
were brought in from Chicago by the
Great Western and Northern Pacific
railways. They were recruited through
the agency of a well known strike
breaker who makes it business and
has no other business, SO far as is
known.
At the strikers headquarters in the
Hotel Foley every movement of the
imported men has been reported Pick
cts all along the yards have been
watching for them during the past
twenty-four hours and when the first
twenty-five arrived the fact was tele-
phoned in at once.
Traffic Officials Optimistic.
The beginning of the breakup of the
strike is announced by the railroad
officials. They say that sufficient
| number of men to handle the normal
amount of traffic will have arrived in
| ST. Paul within twenty-four hours and
that it will only be few days until
| normal conditions are resumed.
Between 200 and 300 men have ar
| rived from Chicago and were placed at
| the disposal of the railroads. They
will be used in st. Paul, Minneapolis
| and Duluth. 1t was claimed at the
| railroad offices that plenty of men
could be secured to take the place OF
| the strikers and that assurances had
| been received from representatives OF
| the trainmens unions that no sympa
| thetic strike would be called.
| A number of the men imported are
experienced switchmen, according tc
| railway officials, and they will be put
| at work Immediately in the places o1
| the strikers The others will be utilized
| as guards of the company's property
| until they are taught the duties in the