The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-03
THE SWITcHMAN'S STRIKE

For some weeks several railroads in
the northwest, centering at st. Paul,
have been handicapped in their OPP
erations by strike of switchmen,
whose demands included a large in
erase in wages and a shortening Of
hours. The railroad companies main
tanned at the outset that to accede to
these demands would involve a pro-
hibitive expense, and suggested an ar
bitration or adjustment. The men re-
| jected this suggestion, insisted upon
their terms and finally walked out. AZ
which threatened to impose the sever
est sufferings upon a great multitude
of people, the railroads managed to fill
the places of the striking sWitchmen
sufficiently to maintain operations to
meet the actual necessities of life. Since
then efforts have been made by the
governor of the state to effect a settle
ment, but his endeavors appear to have
been in vain. The strikers refused to
consider any terms that were not pred
icated upon the wholesale restoration
of all to their former places. The rail-
roads~insisted that they should retain
the efficient men engaged to fill the
places of the strikers, giving the lat
ter unemployment as vacancies oc-
Cured. On this rock the negotiations
split, just as peace has been prevented
in similar cases scores of times before
A general strike of all the railroad
operatives affiliated with the Fedora
ton of Labor is now threatened. These
federation operatives include the
switchmen, telegraphers, boiler makers,
machinists. freight handlers, clerks and
shop workers. The engineers, cOnduc-
tors, firemen and trainmen are not
affiliated with the federation. A gen.
eral strike under federation auspices
would chiefly affect the railroads
through the desertion of the telegraph
ers, and machinists, both of these
classes being specialists whose places
it would be difficult to fill quickly.
An appeal to Washington has been
proposed. Such an appeal can be sue
cessful only on the basis of reliable
pledge of the workers to accept the
federal findings as final. The United
States government cannot intervene on
it's own initiative in such cases. It's
officers have already rendered their
services as mediators and have failed
to work out a settlement. The inter
state commerce commission has no di-
rect Jurisdiction, nor has the president
any power in the premises In the
case of the great anthracite coal strike
President Roosevelt organized an ar
bitration without warrant of law, MS
success in that enterprise being due to
the fact that public sentiment was
aroused to a pitch of desperate deter
mination. Both sides feared that If
they did not yield to a friendly ADJUST
ment under federal auspices more
drastic measures would be adopted TO
prevent a widespread catastrophe
1t is impossible to interfere with the
operations of the railroad lines in TINS
country today without seriously me-
nacing the welfare of great numbers
of people The relations between the
CORPORATIONS and the workers are not OF
a strictly private character. The trans
portation lines are public utilities, ana
the laws should be so framed as to pre-
vent by automatic processes OF ad-
iustment any suspension of work
through failure on the part OF the
directly. interested parties to agree to
the terms of employment