The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-10-13
FRENCH STRIKERS
| TIE UP RAILROAD
Employees OF Northern Line Also
Cause Wreck.
SOLDIERS HAVE POSSESSION
Refusal Of Company to inereass
Wages Of Men TO One Dollar
Day Is Cause Of
Trouble.

Paris, Oct. Especial: The en-
ployes of the Eastern railroads joined
the strikers today and 1000 miles Of
the road are completely tied up,
Bordeaux. France, Oct. 12.-Spe.
cial: The employees of the Central
Railroad announced this afternoon
that they would join the general
strike tomorrow. The employees of
the Western railroad Joined the strike
last night. The probabilities are that
all the lines in France will be tied up
tomorrow.
At Columbus, 6 miles from here, the
strikers held up two supply trains
bringing food to the capital. They
released all the live stock and despoil.
ed all the food stock. A labor leader
this afternoon made a sensational
speech declaring that il the strikers
were forced to obey the order to join
the army they would retaliate by
shooting the officers. .,
Paris, France, Oct 12-EmployeeH
of the Northern railroad are on
strike and the tieup is complete.
Trains only for Calais and Cologne
are moving. Military engineers have
been called to replace the strikers,
but the number is inadequate to re-
store the running schedules. Several
acts Of violence occurred before day
break. AT st. Quentin the tracks we're
torn up. Two locomotives were In
collision at Terginer and obstruoted
the main track. Military forces have
and have been posted along the road
to protect the railroad property.
Company 10 Surprised.
The strike developed overnight and
took the company and the public by
surprise, There has been III feeling
on the part of the employees for some
time owing to the refusal of the
Northern railroad to increase the
wages OF the men to 81 a day and to
grant other concessions. There have
been rumOrs Of impending strikes, but
the men conducted their plans with
great secrecy.
Demands Of the Employees.
Demands of the employees are as
follows:
l. General increase In wages to
meet the higher cost of living
2. Retroactive application OF the
employees pension law
3. More equitable division Of work.
4. Granting OF one day OF in seven
for all employees.
5. Distinct employment by the
month instead OF by the day.
AS soon as the company and the
authorities learned the situation the
Paris terminus OF the road was &C.
cupied by the military. municipal
guards and police. The government,
it appears, was not unprepared for
tOday's developments and had taken
steps TO preserve order. In the night
troops were assembled in this city
and along the lines OF the roads in the
provinces, where they were held in
readiness to guard the stations, the
rolling stock and the tracks.
VIII Not Be Intimidated.
In the face Of these preparations the
trainmen declared that they would not
be inundated and that II they were
called upon as reservists to man the
trains they would refuse on the
ground that such commands would
be Illegal. They asserted that the law
provided only for the mobilization of
railroad men for the purpose Of trans
porting troops.
The demands originated with the
under trainmen. the baggage handlers
and ticket takers. but they we're sup
ported by the complete personnel, as
every branch OF the service has some
grievance. The strikers threaten to
draw to their support the employees
Of the state railroad lines.
Work ceased first on the freight
trains and none of these have left
the city. Telegraphic and telephone
communication along the road Is In
terrupted, and thus the management
was In ignorance Of what trains were