Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-02
Estimated That Twelve Thou
sand Men Are Already Idle as
Result of Switchmen's Walk
out
STALLED FREIGHT TRAINS
BLOCK RAILROAD YARDS
Hope Of Speedy Settlement
Abandonedi interior Towns
Face Grave Danger of famine
of Food and Fuel,
Try Morning Journa, special Leased wirel

Try Morning journal Special Leased wirel
st Paul Dee. EVERY line of in
dustry in the northwest dependent on
the movement OF the supplies is seri-
ously affected by the strike Of tho
switchmcu which began AT 6 o'clock
yesterday
Ii is estimated that 1000 men are
idle tonight on account OF the strike
order Thousands of freight handlers
and teamsters are losing time because
of the freight blockade. and con-
tinuance Of the strike for several days
win throw additional thousands out Of
work
The railroad yards In all terminal
cities are fillea with stalled freight
trains and an attempt to move few
by the officers and men drafted az
switchmen is making no impressions
The railroad managers committee
announced today that they were
bringing new switchmen To st. Paul
to take the places of the strikers.
business men generally are begin
ming to feel the result of the strike.
The first To be affected were the
wholesale ana comm ssion houses.
some of ttc larger efgnmission houses
4 e0aay iHdtfed their Ns srSing forces
and win make further reductions II
/ the strike continues, In Minneapolis
the flour mills closed tonight and 1t
Is estimated that $500 men are idle.
( 4 continuation win throw out of en-
rna ay ~
engaged in allied trades
In south st. Paul, whore are located
( the stock yards, only 800 head of eat-
/ lie were received today The daily
average IS l,S00,
Manager Bangs Of swift q Co said
that the question Of reduction In the
packing house force depended entire-
~ upon the duration Of the strike.
'If we cannot get stock we VIII have
to close" he said.
In the iron range In the northern
part Of Minnesota the small towns
viii soon he facing famine unless
4 trains of foodstuGfs can be brought in
/ there In superior, 500 men We're
laid off in the Great Northern rail-
way machine shops The mines will
/ be affected by che stopping of freight
traffic.
on the ore docks at Duluth aud su-
perior within forty-eight hours ten
thousand men will be out of work and
the general business loss will run into
thousands Of dollars
In an the cities of the northwest
the strike will be felt The most seri-
Gus effect viii bt In Montana. partie-
ularly in Butte, Anaconda and Great
FAILS. where the copper mines and
smeltcrs are located.
In Montana ana eastern Idaho
freight traffic is tied UP. About sixty
freight trains are stopped, as the
switchmen are In control of all ter
ninal points. The smelters will be
closed first. for their coke supply is
limited The mines may be able To
continue operations for Il time ana
store the ore in bins and on the
dumps
The smelters In Anaconda employ
about $500 men. There are also
large smelters az Great Falls, employ
ing 5000 men. which are idle.
THAT an hopes OF a speedy settle
ment of the strike are gone is indicat-
ed by the departure for Washington
tonight Of Martin A. Knapp, of the
interstate commerce commission, ana
United states Labor Commissioner
Ncil
Mr. Knapp said he could do nothing
but offer his services and at this time
they were not wanted
AT the offices of both the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern il was
said tonight that the strike has no
effect on the operation OF the fast
mail trains.