The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1910-01-22
MUST CONTINUE
The GREAT Fight
ossTINAcY OF ROADS DEFEATS
AL EFFORTS TO END STRIKE
or swtTcHMEN. SAYS LABOR
ADVOCATE - BLACKLIST HAS
BEEN PROCLAIMED.


Late last week there were many in
dications that IA harmonious agreement
between the striking switchmenn ant
the railroad companies would be reach.
ed, with decided benefit to the parties
to the controversy and great advantage
to the general public, says The Min.
nesota Union Advocate. Unfortunately
these anticipations were not realized
| and, in spite of arduous efforts to brine
about a settlement. the disastrous con
ditions incident to the strike still pre-
vaoii and are spreading In magnitude
and Increasing in intensity.
General Reinstatement Refused.
In the efforts to come 10 an agree
ment the representatives of the rail-
road companies were stolidly obstinate
in their adhesion to the strikebreakers.
They positively refused TO consider a
general reinstatement of the strikers,
and the representatives of the latter
insisted that every man who had gone
out on strike must be returned to his
former position. On this point the dis
agreement was hopeless and the nego-
tiations ended.
Afraid to Work With New Men.
The striking switchmen are fully JUS
tilted in their unwillingness to go back
TO their former jobs unless all of them
are reinstated. They are afraid to
work in company with the inexperienc
ed men the roads now have employed.
realizing that their lives are in hourly
danger. In the st. Paul yards alone
many fatalities have occurred through
the ircompetency of the new men and
serious injuries have been numerous.
Last Saturday freight train in charge
OF an inexperienced crew got away from
all control and tore through a part of
the union depot, demolishing the walls
very considerably the engine landing
ln the basement and the cars piling
up on top of It, Ii the men i'm charge
Of the train had understood their duties
they would have had the brakes set and
been able 10 control the train. Follow
ing this accident last Wednesday ev-
ening a strike breaker from Cincinnati
who arrived here on Sunday evening. to
go to work for the Burlington, was ter
ribly crushed and mangIed In the Bur
llngton yard while trying TO perform his
duties and died before doctor could
reach him. These are but two instances
of many which prove the utter incom-
potency of the men now working for
the roads and have made their old
employees afraid to re-enter the service
unless all were put back and the new
men removed.
A Local Freeze Out.
Last Tuesday night the Great North
ern closed down it's Dale street shops
In this city and suspended indefinitely
all the workmen under so years of age
employed In them. This doesn't look
as II conditions were normal or any
where near 1t. 1t Is also d striking
commentary on the claims the road has
been making that It's business has not
seriously suffered, but was going on
nearly as usual.
Siade Proclains Blacklist.
From the beginning of thee ontrov-
ersy the railroads have been vigorously
advertising their entire fairness toward
the switchmen and their desire to deal
with them on square and equitable
basis. The falsity of these claims has
been shown in a general way at every
step of the negotiations for q setrle-
ment In specific contradiction OF them
George Z. slade, third vice president
Of the Northern Pacific, at 12 o'clock
Wednesday made the following declar-