The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-12-01

st. Paul Nov. 30--After Is days
negotiating between the Switchmens
Onion OF North America and joint
committee of railroad managers, rep
resenting thirteen railroads of the
northwest, strike involving 1880
switchinen, became effective at GOO,
o'clock tonight
The men engaged in tae strike are
employed by the railroads running,
west anI north of st. Paul from Lake
Superior to the Pacific coast. Unless
speedily settle the strike will mean
serious interruption af traffic.
The first effect was sharp bulge
in the price OF wheat at Chicago late
in the dav AS the roads entering the
Twin Cities and Duluth and Superior
are largely grain carriers in the west
a long interruption of traffic has
caused apprehension. Tonight both
sides dispute the issued statements.
Railroads Statement.
Thc railway managers committee
issued the following. ITO the public
The railroads of the northwest. rec
ognizing that the public is interested,
brt not unrepresented in the third
party in the controversy with their
swftehmen through a committee
which has been conducting their ne
gotiations, desire to state facts The
switchmen In the northwest teFfitory
made simultaneous demands ON f3
arilroad companies centering in the
Twin Cities of an increase in wages
and certain changes in the service
conditions. AT the suggestion of F.
T. Hawley, president of the Switch,
mems Union of North America nego-
tiations wer conducted in one CON
ference. The railroads. were rep
resented by a committee of ten man
ayers, and the switchmen by the of
ficers of the Switchmen's Union.
The Demands.
Their demands are for double paw
on Sundays, holidays, overtime; ad-
vance of sixty cents per day OF ten
hours in wages of switchmen, switch
tenders, towermen, engine-herders
and assistant yard masters; modifca'
ton of the rule providing for the pay
ment Of penalty n the case of failure
to permit switchmen to secure their
meal in the middle of their shift al
the stated per cent, which contem
plates double pay in eases where II
became necessary to work a portion
of the meal hour; the elimination oj
physical examination and the age
limit placed upon switchmen entering
the service.
Five conferences wer held at st
Paul. The switchmen n no detail re
ceded from their demands, which, i
conceded, would entail an additiona
expense upon the railroads for switch
ing service of forty to forty-five PEE
cent
Offered 20 Cents Increase.
"The managers committee offere'
the switchmen an increase Of twent
cents per day Of ten hours to switch
men employed in the territory wes
of Havre, Mont, on the Great North
ern, and west Of Billings. Mont, ol
the Northern Pacific, the differentia
of that territory having obtained TO
two years. AH
Further consession was denied TO
the reason that the pay of switchme
was increased over 13 per cent !
Nov. 1906. and because the rate
then established were not reduce
dring the period of business depres!
ion which followed.
Attention was called to the fac
that in 1906 the switchmen wer
granted larger per centage of II
crease than any other class of en-
ployes in the train service. AT tn
present rates the wages for th
switchmen average over $500 a
month.
"On November 23rd( in submittin
the final answer to the switchme1
the managers committee, assumin
that the switchmen desired an ami
able adjustment, suggested that ti
demand be submitted to arbitratic
under the Erdman act. The sWitc
men declined to accept the suggestie
and in a final written answer state
that they would not submit to arbltr
ton under any conditions" J"
Knapp and NeiII Appear.
The statement then recites that
ter discussion OF the proposal to
bitrate, at the suggestion Of preside