Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-03
Alleges Misconduct


| Notwithstanding that President
Hawley of the Switchmens union
| Joined with this committee in the tele-
| gram sent November % to Martin A
| Knapp, chairman of the interstate
/ commerce commission, and to Charles
| p. Neill, United States commissioner oil
labor, inviting their good offices as me-
| diators under the Erdmann act, the
| strike order was issued without the
| knowledge of the managers committee
| OF of the mediators by the sWitchmen's
committee, directing the switchmen to
| cease work in event that their full de-
| mands had not been conceded, viola
| tion of good faith which led to the
| present condition.
1.-THE transportation of perishable
| freight has become virtually impossible
and the result cannot fail to act hard
| ship to the public. Every effort will
| be made to restore transportation con-
| ditions to the normal at the earliest
| possible moment"
| All except one of the twenty-three
big flour mills in Minneapolis are idle,
although millers say they will know
in twenty-four hours whether they will
open their mills soon.
Imported strike breakers wearing
! special police badges were reported on
duty at the union station yards today
by strike pickets. When President
Hawley learned that these men had
been imported he called attention of
the state labor commissioner to the
matter.
Labor Commissioner McEwen said
that if men wearing police badges
were not residents of Minnesota they
and those responsible for their pres
ence in the state We're violating the
state law. McEwen is investigating
| the report, and said this afternoon that
If he finds non-residents of Minnesota
are wearing special police badges he
will at once order their arrest, as we'll
as the arrest of those who brought
them here, If they appear liable, under
the law.
Only Voters DeputIzed
The law makes it illegal for any
one not a legal voter of the state to
act as special police officer, detective,
constable, militiaman or patrolman. If
they have been sworn in they are liable
to Imprisonment for one year.
One thousand men were thrown out
of work when the Great Northern
closed its two shops in ST. Paul today.
The Great Northern's shops at st.
Cloud have been closed since the strike
began, and 1t Is reported all the shops
in the northwest that can be closed
without absolutely stopping every
wheel, will close at once.
The first violence in the strike was
reported in Duluth today when Super
intendent Nicholas of the Northern
Pacific road applied for protection,
claiming several train crews had been
attacked by strikers.
The strikers posted themselves. on
the viaduct crossing the railroad tracks
and threw stones The windows in
one engine were shattered and the en-
gineer was badly cut by the glass.
If the switchmens strike is not set
tied within forty-eight hours probably
5000 men will be idle in Duluth, and the
| range cities, which get all their sup
plies from the head of the lakes, will
be in imminent danger of food and
fuel famine.
Yesterday and today the jobbing
houses at Duluth laid off many men,
Passenger trains are running on time,
with yardmasters and foremen doing
the switching. No attempt has been
made to bring in strike breakers at
Duluth.