New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-03
BREAK In STRIKE
Continued from fret page.

de SDttlal ponce oIIlStT, QtltCtlNt. CUM
stable. mi!itiaman or patrolman. If he
las been cworn I'm. he may be judged
guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to
Imprisonment for one year.
Both Great Northern and Northern
Pacific officials admitted tonight that
men imported from Chicago and else
where and wearing badges of special
police officers had been stationed on the
property of the company, but they de-
MED that In so doing they were violat-
ing any law.
I'VE have brought men here TO guard
the company's property" said General
Manager Gruber OF the Great Northern.
IF they leave the company's property
and make arrests IL would be viola
ton of law, but this the men have been
instructed not 10 do
Governor Adolph o. Eberhart will be In
st. Paul Tomorrow morning To take up
the strike questions with State Labor
Commissioner william z. McEwen. One
of the questions that will be put up
to him will be the complication brought
about by the importation Of the strike
! breakers from Chicago used as police
ST. PAUL MAYOR WITH STRIKERS.
Mayor LAWYER of St Paul, who is an
attorney. has been retained by the
switchmen as legal counsel. In an adj
dress at a mass meeting OF the switch
men in the South Side Auditorium. in
Minneapolis. last night, he said:
THE five men you have selected TO
lead your strike are tried men and true.
and / would rather follow their lead
than that OF the ten gentlemen at the
Hotel Ryan. in St. Paul. Some of the
newspapers give you the employers side
only and state that the railroad man
ayers were not notified until too late
OF the contemplated action of the switch
men; hut l state here and now that
they knew to a man that the strike
order was issued and that they made no
offer of a settlement to avert the i'm
pending trouble"
Mayor Lawler issued a statement this
afternoon defining the position Of the
men and the refusal to arbitrate under
the Erdman law. He says the Erdman
law is so hedged about with legal pro-
visions that should the switchmen agree
to arbitrate under IL they would be
stripped of ali legal power legitimately
TO press their claims. and il would put
them completely in the power of the
railroads.
Mayor LAWYER says. admitting that the
decision were favorable to the switch
men, the railroads might appeal to the
courts and delay a final decision from
one to two years. during which time
they would be compelled TO work under
the old schedule Of wages. and it would
be illegal for them to strike or in any
way aid in a strike.
In his talks to the strikers yesterday
and conservative in their actions. He
did say. however. that. while not appear
ing before them as Mayor of st. Paul,
he did not think il out of place 10 say
that they would have the support of the
administration in their fight.
RAILROADS ARE OPTIMISTIC.
According to the railroad officials. the
beginning of the end of the switchmen's
strike is in sight. One prominent Of
fetal who has been active ia managing
The strike, said to-day that the railroads
We're handling 80 per cent of all business
offered. I'VE are employing new men
a fast as they come and we are moving
q large amount of package freight" he
said. In a week the public will not
know that there is strike on among
the switchmen."
The railway managers say they can
get plenty of men 10 take the places of
no bat of ha
now on hand are experienced switchmen.
Some of the strike breakers We're placed
81 work in the yards and others were
/ utilized as guards.
Five switch engines were working in
I the Union Station yards early to-day
and others were expected TO be put in
/ commission when needed. According to
/ a statement issued by G.. T. Slade, third
4 vice president of the Northern Pacific
+ two coal trains were moving o-day be-
I tween Duluth and st. Paul, and four
trains of grain and miscellaneous freight
/ were moved into Duluth from The West.
Way freight service. he said, had been
rs established on practically ali lines.
Some St. Paul wholesale grocers re-
+ ported to-day that shipping conditions
were somewhat improved, while coal
4 dealers and produce men said that con-
ditiOns were unchanged
Against the optimistic statements of
/ the railroad managers the strike leaders
/ say they are in a stronger position to-
/ day than they have been since the strike
! started. They refer To the fact that
! the Brotherhood of Trainmen and Con-
/ ductors passed resolutions in joint ses-
! sion declaring that they would stand
neutral and only do such switching
work as they have always done.
! GREAT NORTHERN SHOPS CLOSE.
Factory forces are being reduced
! owing To the shortage of supplies caused
/ by the freight tie-up and the two big
/ shops of the Great Northern Railroad
/ in st. Paul. employing 1000 men, failed
| TO open to-day The St Cloud shops
have been closed since the strike be-
! gan. All but one of the twenty-three
big flour mills in Minneapolis are idle,
although the millers say they will know
In twenty-four hours whether they will
open their mills shortly.
The cessation of the flour mills has
thrown about five thousand men out OF
employment. IL is stated that the mill
0trin