The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-04
COMPLETE TIE-UP.


CONTINUED from Page One-)
Reports from Duluth state that the
strike at the head of the lakes Is prac-
tically broken, but in the Twin cltles
the railroads SO far have not peen aDie
to handle any volume of business.
Discussion among various business
reanizations of the Twin cities is ex-
pected to result in some definite move
lpent to bring the railways and sWlIcn-
men together for a conference TO-DAY.
The railway officials say, however, thas
|. hey will make no concessions ana II
the. switchmen return to work II VIII
have to be under the same conditions
kat prevailed before the strike.
Nothing to Do With Present Strike.
Peoria, Ill, Dec Nv. S. Carter,
grandmaster of the Locomotive Ere
mer and Enginemen, does not anllci
nate any interference on the part OF
the locomotive firemen and eng1nemen
in connection with the strike now exist
ing in the Northwest. on the cohtroIy
he takes an optimistic view of the. sit
uation and believes settlement Will De
soon reached. The switchmen' he says,
would be willing to arbitrate and that
the railroads would accede
The demand for an increase OF III per
cent by the Brotherhood or RaliWay
Trainmen, if such demand has Deen
made, has no bearing on the present
strike. so far as Mr.. Carter knows. Ap-
solutely nothing has come to the atlen-
ton of Mr.. Carter in connection Win
the switchmens strike and ne relles oii
the newspaper reports
They Must Vote First.
Chicago. Dec. president w. G..
Lee. of the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen, who is here today conduct
ing negotiations with Chicago railway
officials declined to discuss in detail
the published reports that the roaos
of the country are on the verge vi
great labor war
ut is misleading to say that the
trainmen's organization have MADE
demands for increased wages from
the roads, he said today. Ihe pro-
position for an increase in wages on
the lines east of Chicago has been re-
ferred by the officers of the organlza-
tions to the men themselves. Ihere
are at least $4,000 men interested ana
each man must consider the PROPOSE
ton of the demand for more wages
and vote on it before any such de-
mand can be made.
"It will take sometime for the oe-
cision of the men to be registered ana
until then the situation can not be
| regarded as acute"
Gradually Resuming Traffic.
Spokane, WASH, Dec. 4.-Operat-
| ing officials of the Northern Pacific
and Great Northern railroads say they
are gradually resuming freight traf-
! fc. The former railroad expects to
send out ten freight trains today.
| Three switch engines. are working
/ here The Great Northern made up
five freight trains for the east yester-
day and expects to send out the same
number today. Four engines are
/ working in the Great Northern yards.
All told, ten strike breakers are as
sisting the other railroads here. The
| Seattle Transfers union has decided
| against a sympathetic strike. Freight
traffic is reported at standstil at
Missoula, Mont, but three freight
trains left Helena this morning for
/ the west Two volunteer freight crews
| have gone to Paradise to start time
freight south of that terminal.
| Repetition of 1902.
| Cleveland, O.. Dec. A general
| increase in wages and a betterment
/ of general working conditions will be
asked of every railroad in the United
States if the present attitude of the
| great brotherhoods of railway en-
1 Dloyes is carried out. That the re-
| quest will be made there now is con-
| sidered no doubt. Whether this will
! lead to a general strike is problemati-
cal This situation is not precipitated
/ by the strike of the switchmen ON the
| northwestern roads, but is a move
ment that has been growing for two
years Warren S. Stone, head of the
| brotherhood of Locomotive En-
| gineers said today:
"There is a spirit of unrest among
| the railway employees throughout the
| United States. The time is ripe fol
/ another movement similar to that OF
1902. A general strike is not i'm
probable"