Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-01
Switchmen's Union and Railroads
Claim to Have the Situation
Well in Hand.
BOTH ARE STANDING FIRM.
No Attempt Made to Bring in Strike
brcakcrs-Tcn Thousand Men VIII
Be Thrown Out OF Work.

st, Paul. Dec. both sides in the
controversy between the railroads OF
the northwest and the Switchmen' s
Union OF North America, which result
ed In walkout OF the switchmcn be
tween here and the Pacific coast last
night, claimed to have the situation
we'll in hand this morning. Passenger
traffic was maintained in the Twin
Cities last night and this morning,
though With considerable delay, but
very little freight was handled any
where between the Great Lakes and the
Pacific coast.
The Switchmen are, firm in their de-
termination to hold out for an increase
of cents an hour In wages, with double
time for overtime, while the railroads
claim that things viii adjust them
selves TO their normal conditions with
in few days despite the walkout.
While some new men have been em-
'ployed at passenger stations, so far as
could be learned early this morning. no
attempt had been made TO bring In
there are enough old men left. together
With others that can be pressed into
service. to do the work.
r
No freight was handled out of St
Paul last night or this morning and
only one train left Minneapolis. that
soon after the strike was declared
Railroad officials, train dispatchers and
members of the train crews did the
switching in the Twin City yards. The
freight handlers at the Minnesota
(, transfer, the freight gateway of the
Northwest. following instructions. did
not report for work this morning.
/ All freight trains at Duluth and Su-
perlor were at standstill this morning.
1t is said that should the strike last.
I fully 10000 men will be thrown out OF
work at the head Of the lakes.
( The strike order was generally fol-
/ lowed between here and the Pacific
coast and where traffic was not entire
ly tied up. it was seriously delayed.
|. In most places freight trains were
Livingston, Grand Forks. Fargo. Man.
dnn, jamestown and Havre, and agents
refused TO accept freight for shipment.
. At some points in Montana as at
Billings and Helena, all the switchmen
did not strike. some of them belonging
to the brotherhood of Railway Train
men. Reports from Wallace. Butte.
Forsythe and Paradise are that the
men refused to strike and that freight
!. Is being handled.
1t was reported here this morning
that the members OF the Brotherhood
of Railway Trainmen would also strike
today. but this could not be confirmed.
1t Is said today that the moral and
financial support of the i, National
Railway association 10 being given to
the railroads of the northwest in
this effort to overcome union rule.
An indication of the far-reaching
effect OF the strike, should it be pro-
tracted is shown in dispatch from
Butte. Montana, where immense cor
Fer mines and smeltcrs are located.
They are wholly dependent -on the
railroads directly concerned in the
strike. Inability to ship coke to the
smelters will cause a suspension of
operations and fully ten thousand men
would become idle. A summary of the
switchmen on strike in Montana
shows go out at Livingston: IL at
Glendive: z at Billings: 10 at Helena.
at Butte: 50 at Deer. Avery and
Alberton; at Missoula. Garrison.
Saltese. st. Regis. Paradise and
Wallace Idaho; so at Great Falls and
SO at Havre.