The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-02
.SWITCHME HE UP NORTHWEST Thousands of Men on a
 Strike. BUSINESS IS AT STANDSTu Flour Mills and Ore Mines Ars
 Closed. Both sides stand Firm and Messrs. Knapp and Nein Leave For washington-strike Break-
 CTS Arriving In saint
BUSINESS T AT sTANDs7ILL

St. Paul. Minn.. Dec. 1--Every iina of industry in Duluth and Superior and all cities of the Northwest de- pendent upon the movement of sup plies. are seriously affected by the strike of the railroad switchmens which began at o'clock last even- ing.
 It Is estimated that upwards of 13.- eco 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 terminal towns. while a continuance of the strike for several days will throw additional thousands out of work.
 The railroad yards are hllsd with stalled freight trains and an att tempt to move few cars is making no impression. The railroad mana gers committee announced today that they were bringing to St. Paul new strikers.
 To this President Hawiey. of the switchmen's Union of North America. said: "All right. let them come: we win not object"
 The first business interests to bA affected were the wholesale and cons mission houses. Wholesale grocers rs-
 
 sion houses are doing nothing and their customers In the small towns who get their supplies from day to day will soon be unable to serve fresh vegetables and fruit.
 Some of the larger commissiox houses today reduced their workina forces and will make further redur- tions if the strike continues mans days. Fieur Mills Closed. Tn Minneapolis the -four mills closed tonight aud 1t is estimated that s.b00 men employed in them are idle. A continuation of the strike VIII throw out of employment about 1sbe0 more who are employed In the cooperage and allied trades.
 Tn South St Paul. where are located the stock yards. only 300 head of cat- tie were received today Usually tss0D is the daily average. Manager Bangs. of Swift & Co. said today that the question of reduction In the packing house force depended entirely upon the duration of the strike.
 "If we cannot get stock." he saids I've will have to ciose.' He would not say how long the plant could run lon the present supply of stock
 In the iron range country the small towns will soon be facing a famine unless trains of foodstuffs can be moved. In Superior. 300 man wers laid off in the Great Northern machine shops. The mines will be affected by the stopping of freight traffic. On the ore docks at Duluth and Superior, within forty-eight hours. 10000 men will be out of employment and the general loss on account of no employ ment for labor, and inability to deiiv- CT merchandise will run Into thous- ands of dollars.
 St. Paul and Minneapolis are the dis- | trIbuting points for the entire Northwest. covering Minnesota, Wis- South Dakota, Montana. Idaho and Q large part of Washington and Ore | gon.
 In all of the cities in these States l the effect of the stopping of the car. rying of freight will be felt. l Traffic Is Tied Up. l The most serious effect will pc Tn l Montana, particuarly at Butte, Ana eonda and Great Falls, where the cop- oer mines and smelters are 1ocated- In Montana and Eastern Idaho freight l traffic is tied up About sixty freight ! trains are stationary. The switch- men are in control of all terminal points
 This territory Is taken care of by the Great Northern. Northern Pacinc and the Chicago. Milwaukee and Puget | sound Railroads. Unless the raii- roads can carry coal to the smelters l and ore from the mines to the smell l ters. operations must speedily cease. l The smeIters will be hit first for their coke supply Is limited. l The smelters in Anaconda employ | about 2,50O men. Thero are also large smelters at Great Falls, emFloy- I ing about 5000 men who are Idle.
 That all hopes of a settlement Of the strike at the present time was at an end, was indicated by the departure for Washington tonight of Martin A. l Knapp Of the Interstate Commerce. | Comnisslon and United States Labor commissioner Charles P Neili, l MT. Knapp said he could de nothing but ofIer his services and at this tune | thav vera not wanted.