Oxford Democrat., 1910-07-26
NM draud Trunk strIke.

For the past week we have been real
izing, right at our doors and In our busl
ness, some Of the effects Of an extensiv
strike.
Although some bad Q general knowl
edge that negotiations which might pos
sibly result in a strike were going Ol
between the Grand Trunk Railway man
agement and some OF its men, the actua
Inauguration of the strike came as I
surprise to the general public last Mon
day night.
The strike Is by the conductors, train
men and yardmen of the entire Crane
Trunk system as far west as Chicago
including the Vermont Central, which II
controlled by the Grand Trunk. Ths
number Of men directly affected Is abou,
$500 on the Grand Trunk and about $50
on the Vermont Central. In addition 8
number of men in the shops are laid of
by reason of the interruption of train
service.
On Monday it was announced that 8
strike would follow that night If the out
come of a conference held that day wai
not satisfactory. In accordance with
the announcement, the strike went on al
$50 that night.
The effect was apparent in the condi'
tions at South Paris Tuesday morning
The Norway car stood on the siding, the
engine in the engine house, steamed up
but the train crew were about the station
unoccupied. All traffic Oh the Branch
was suspended, and the next day the
engine was not steamed up.
A lot of work is made for the express
company by the discontinuance Of the
Norway train, as the express for Norway
has to be taken from this station by
team. The transfer also takes consider
able more time than from one train to
the other, so that the main line trains
are delayed here longer than usual.
All passenger trains on the main line
continued to run, but behind their
schedule from few minutes to a num-
Der of hours. Two Of the old conduct
ors were on Tuesday, Charles Pratt, the
oldest conductor on this division, and D.
r. Bowker. Aside from these two, the
men who were acting as conductors were
minor officials of the road, clerks from
the railroad offices, or new men taken on
by the road, and reputed to be "strike
breakers"
No freight train went through here in
either direction until Thursday, when a
through train of beef cars from Montreal
to Portland went down.
A local train from Portland came in
Thursday night, bringing the first freight
we had seen since the beginning of the
strike. Some Of it had been quite anx-
iously awaited.
Some freights have been running since
Friday, but the service is by no means
normal as yet. There is much uncertain
ty in the movement of freight between
way points, and no perishable goods are
taken anyway.
There has been little disorder at one
or two points, but nothing serious. No
rioting is anticipated at this end of the
line.
The strike is understood to be for an
Increase of pay to the same schedule
paid on other eastern roads. A COM
promise schedule, making less increase
than that asked, was submitted BY the
road and rejected by the men. Both
sides appear willing to arbitrate ii they
can name the ar6itrators.
Both sides profess entire confidence in
an outcome favorable TO their contention.
1t is understood that the two old con-
ductors, Charles Pratt and D. F. Bowker,
who were on their runs Tuesday, quit at
the finish of those runs.
The usual excursion trains were run
on Sunday, the down train In the morn
ing being about an hour late. The latest
train so far has been the early train due
at 800 A. NJ. Sunday, which went down
about p. NJ. This was due to the train
being derailed near Richmond, P. G., by
a misplaced switch which had evidently
been tampered with. Only part of the
train left the rails, and no one was in
inred.