The sun., 1909-12-02
FREIGHT TRAFFIC PARALYZED
IN THE GRIP or
STRIKING SWITCHMEN.

Flour srills, Packing Hedses. Mines and
smeiters Csmpci,ed % Ciese Tor Lack
% shappinw Facllfties-Feea ana
Coal Famines TNreaten suasIierrewns
ST.. PAUL. Dec. The strike Of switch
men on the Northern transcoutinental
lines between st. Paul and the Pacific
Coast has tied up freight traffc. Not
q wheel Ia turning under a freight train
between St, Paul and Seattle.
In Minnea polls twenty Ave -four mills
closed down to-day because they could
not receive grain or ship -four. At st.
Cloud the Great Northern closed its
shops, putting out 500 men. At Superior.
Wis. the Great Northern ciosed its shops
and dochs. crowding out $50 men. At
St. Cloud in the granite works 500 men
were thrown out OF employment.
From wilmar. Fargo. Grand Forks.
Jamestown. Devils Lake. Minot. Billings.
Livingston. Butte and Helena ies engine
crews have been called or.
The switchmen have allowed perish
able freight to be attached TO passenger
trains to be taken to terminal stations.
but this permission 10 only good for the
next twelve hours.
The chief OF the Brotherhood Of Loco
motive Firemen to-day advised the gen
ersl managers OF all the Western rail-
roads that II any attempt is made to re-
place the striking switchmen with nom
union men he viii call strike.
This IL the most far reaching strik~
that has taken place In the West in
twenty Ave years. Members OF the Inter
stste> Commerct Commission. business
men Of ST., Paul and Minneapolis and
members OF the city councils Of various
cities OF Minnesota. North Dakota and
Montana are preparing 10 urge that the
strike he settled. All overtures TO the
switchmen have been unavailine.
kilograms from the northern Mime
aotA iron range towns tonight. which
includes q population Of more than
900. say that u the strike continues
for wesk there will he food famine.
The fuel supply may he had from the
local timf or. but all OF the food must
como from Duluth or the Twin Cities.
One OF the effects Of the strike Is the
suspension ~ the big pscking houses
at South st. Paul. They can neither
receive live s,ock nor STRIP their product
which now fills their storerooms.
All through the Northwssf mills and
facsorie. have been closing down to-day
end il would be diHicut 70 estimate
he number lof people who have hsen
affected ~ h vs
Despairing Of any compromiss Martin
A.. Kuanp,. chairman -ef ths Interstate
Commerce Commission. and Charles p.
Neill. United States Labor Coinmissioner.
Who came here to act al mediators, @ill
return to Washington tonight. n
Railroad mana gers arc arranging for
strike breakers. President HAwiey Of the
Switchmen's Union declares that this
will not break this strike. and President
w. @. Lee OF the Brotherhood Of Rail
road Trainmeu has wired that members
Of the brotherhood will be instructed
a. to their relations to your strike In
limo with the established policy Of the
brotherhood 4
In sc. Paul and Minneapolis there is
on hand and the small towns In the strike
district are shut on from their daily
supply. There is enough coal ON hand
20 last about a month with normal weather
conditions.
HELENA, Mon.., Dec. THE switch
mems strike situation In Montana became
more aggravated to-day whom all q the
railway trainmen employed in the
Helena yards OF the Northern Pacific
Joined the strikers. Orders have been
issued for the closing down OF the Boston
and Montana mines in Butte and its
smelter In Great Falls and the Indications
are that the East Helena plant Of the
American Smelling and Refining Com
pany must soon cease operations because
OF non-receipt OF ore shipments. Five
thousand men are affected by the strike
in the Boston and Montana properties.
The Northern Pacific has taken on
a number Of passenger trains and none
OF the roads b accepting freight ship
unsots. There b danger Of q coal famine
unless tho strike h settled soon.
CRicAao. Dec. i.-Chairman r. Thomas
OF the General Managers Association Of
Chicago, representing the railways. to-
day uve out q statement In relation to
the strike Of switchmen on the roads In
the Northwest. which in part folloWs:
The switchmen In the Northwcst terri
tory made simultaneous demands on
thirteen railroad companies entering the
Twin Cities for an increase In wages and
certain changes In service conditions.
The demands were for double Day for