The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-03-30
SW|TCHMEN STILL
EXPECT TO WIN
Secretary of Spokane Union De-
clares Prospects Are Brighter
Than Ever.

1T looks to me as If the switch
men in the Seattle and Tacoma ral.-
road yards are making $500 to 500
every month";, was the statement of
Manager Mills of the NorthW west
Bridge company who stopped off in
North Yakima Sunday while enroute
to the sound with several bridge out
hts that have been at work in the
lower valley. Mr.. Mills states that the
yards are blocked on the coast and
that to have car spotted, a shipper
must be on the ground and "shcll
OUT royalty if he gets what he goes
after.
The situation in Spokane is best
stated in the borrowings interview
printed in a Spokane paper:
I'VE consider the prospects or WIN
ming our strike better right now than
at any time since November 3d."
said Secretary J. r. Caldwell Of the
local switchmen's union last night
following meeting of the union
while we were turned down by the
conference at st. Paul, the fact that
the railroad companies are absolutely
unable to handle the business ~
greatly in our favor.
1.-THE business men all along the
Hill lines are beginning to realize thar
we are going to stay out until we get
what we asked for, ana traffic cond,-
tons are so bad that they are bring
ing. pressure to bear on the companies
to settle the strike without firthe,
delay.
"While the claim is made by the
railroads that everything Ia moving
and that conditions are normal, an
investigation of the yards Will show
that this is not the case. The COM
panies are moving many cars. it is
true; but it is only from one yard to
another, and there are plenty of cases
where cars have been tied w for two
or three weeks at one point.
Cars Stalled i'm Yards.
'"There are more than 200 bad order
cars in the Spokane yards at present
and the crews are unable to get them
to the repair track. A car of mer-
chandise that came in here in bul
order March II is still in the yards
waiting for repairs and yet the repair
men do not have enough to keep them
h1sv half of the time, as the bad
order cars are not brought to the re
pair track where they can get n
them.
"Such delays as this are resulting III
severe losses to the merchants OF tho
north west. and thew are beginning to
see that they must take a stand in
the matter. Those who are not dfrain
of the railroads are threatening to
sue, if they do not get better service.
ana others are considering taking the
Question mp with the governors Of
their states to see if this concition
can not be remedied.
1.-THE Northern Pacific finds that 4
can not keep strikebreakers for any
length of time and there are new men
coming and going all the time. Just
now there are about twice as many
men at work in the Spokane yards
as there were when we went out
yet the yard Is in the worst condition
that has been known since that time.
and is getting worse every day.
N. p. Sends East for Men
"The Northern Pacific Is sending
east for experienced foremen to come
here and straghten out matters. But
what can they do when they get here
A man can not learn these yards in
a day, and when he has the class of
help that is being furnished he can
do practically nothing.
"The boys who attended the meet
ing tonight were enthusiastic over the
prospect, and more than ever dete!
mined to stay by the ship. The RAIL
roads have. made the mistake o;
thinking that switchman can dc
nothing else; they will find, if they
persist in their present attitude, that
all of us are working at somethili z
else. and will not e re whether we az
back or not.
81 expect to SEQ a settlement Nv
April Is"