Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-12-04
R. R. STRIKE SERIOUS
Every Line Of Industry HAM
pered and Thousands
Are Idle.
Montana Is Most Seriously Affected.
Wholesale GrOcers Report Moth
ing Moving in North
WeSt-IdlerS.

st. Paul, Mimi, Dec. Livery line
of industry in the Twin Cities, Duluth
and Superior, and all cities Of the
Northwest dependent on the move
ment of supplies is seriously affected
by the strike of the railroad switch
ment which began at six o'clock last
evening.
It is estimated that upwards Of H.
900 men are idle tonight on account
Of the strike order, thousands of
| freight handlers and teamsters are
! losing time by reason of the freight
! blockade in the terminal towns, While
continuance of the strike for several
days will throw additional thousands
out of work. The railroad yards are
filled with stalled freight trains and
an attempt to move few by the aid
of the office men drafted as switchmen
is making no impression.
| The railroad managers committee
announced today that they were bring
ing to St. Paul new switchmen to take
the places of the strikers. To this
President Hawley, of the Switchmen's
Union of North America, said:
.All right, let them come, we will
not object"
Business men generally are begin
ming to feel the result of the strike.
The first to be affected were tn
wholesale grocers and commission
houses. Wholesale grocers report that
nothing is moving. Commission
houses are doing nothing.
Some of the larger commission
houses today reduced their working
forces.
I. In Minneapolis the -four mills clos
ed tonight and it is estimated that
800 men employed in them are Idle.
In South st. Paul, where are located
the stockyards, only 800 head of cat
tie were received today, where usual
ly 1900 is the daily average.
In the iron range country the small
towns will soon be facing famine
unless trains of foodstuffs can be
brought in there. At Superior 800 men
were laid off in the Great Northern
: Railway machine shops. The mines
will be affected by the stopping OF
: freight traffic.
On the ore docks at Duluth and Su-
4 perior within forty-eight hours 1O,OOl
men will be out Of employment ano
+ the general loss on account OF no en-
ployment for labor and inability te
" deliver merchandise will run into
thousands of dollars.
st. Paul and Minneapolis are dis
4 tributing points for the entire North
western states in all Of the cities o
+ which the effect of the stopping of tn
carrying of freight will be felt.
4 The most serious effect will be il
Montana, particularly in Butte, Ana
conda and Great Falls, where the cop
=. per mines and smelters are located
In Montana and Eastern Idaho freigh
traffic is tied up.
,sI The entire town of Butte is depend
~ ent on the operation Of the mines an
smelters When they stop everythin
stops. All foodstuffs are imported
Many of the big mining companies ru
stores. A miners credit is good ther
only as long as he works. The SINE
,,t ters in Anaconda employ about 25Q
- men,. There are also large smelters
4 Great Falls, employing 5000 men, VIII
r are idle.
an That all hopes of settlement {
, the strike at present are at an en-
of was Indicated by the departure fe
be Washington tonight of Martin
e- Knapp, Of the Interstate Commer'
.s Commission, and United States Lab
Commissioner Charles P. Neill, wi
'es enoeaVoreu 10 seetio ene i0pu.o ~ :
b;tration.
va Mr.. Knapp said he could do nothil
-, but offer his services, and at this tin
re they were not wanted.
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