The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-10-20
STRIKE IS
MENACE TO PEACE
OF WHOLE NATION
Workingmen In Many Lines
Consider ACCESSIBILITY of Tie
ing Up All Industry in
France.


spreading throughout the country and
threatens to become general tomorrow
morning.
Traffice is disorganized and the rail-
road managers cannot possibly cope,
with the situation. 1t is upon the gem
eral government, therefore. that the
burden Of the situation rests. The
cabinet determined to take the initia-
tive and has called the strikers to the
clare they will not respond, holding
the laws providing for military organ
fzation do not intend to make 1t i'm
possible for trainmen to protest eff
fectively against conditions Of labor
which they consider unfair.
This issue between the government
| and the strikers constitutes the most
serious phase Of the situation. The
| reservists who failed to report for duty
may be declared deserters and dealt
with accordingly.
More Men Go Out.
Following the strike on the Northern
| railway yesterday, the central commit
tee of the National Railroad union de-
cided to call out every employee of the
| private and state owned roads
Last night the employees of the
Western railroad. who also have griev-
ances. decided to go out. Their ex-
ample was followed this morning by
who voted to quit work at noon, and
by the men of the Paris. Lyons and
Mediterranean lines, who voted to quit
this evening. The leaders say the
strike will be general throughout
France by tomorrow morning, when
not single train will be in motion at
any point in the republic.
Troops have been modified and sent
out to- occupy the principal points on
all railroads.
What Strikers Demand.
The strikers demand a general in
crease with q minimum wage Of 81 q
day; retroactive application of the
employees pension law; a more eouit-
able division Of labor, one day off in
seven, and employment by the month
instead of by the day.
The great railway lines are the
Eastern, the Central, the Northern, the
Paris, Lyons & Mediterranean, the
Western, the State and the Belt lines.
The total trackage is nearly $4,000
miles, and some 100000 employees would
be involved by a general strike.
The strike on the Western road is
most serious so far as Paris is con-
cerned. 1t has cut off an enormous
suburban traffic, and interrupted COM
munication with the ports Of Cherl
bourg, Havre and Brest.
To Paralyze All Activity.
Encouraged by the effectiveness of
the strike of employees on the North
ern and Western railroads and the ex-
tension OF the movement throughout
the Eastern road and the Paris Lyons
& Mediterranean lines, the leaders of
the French working men generally
threaten gigantic move to paralyze
the activities Of the whole country.
The electricians and the employees of
the omnibus, metropolitan and sub,
way transportation lines of this city
considered today the advisability of
selling this opportunity to launch a
grievances. The situation throughout
the republic Is regarded as grave.
The railway companies are making
desperate struggle to maintain some
sort of a service with the aid of mill
tary engineers and men from the navy,
but are meeting with little success.
To the governments call to the COL
ors of 10000 strikers the latter reply
the military code allows them a delay
Of Is days before responding. The
reservists who refuse to report to duty
are liable to Imprisonment for from one
to IL months.
Paris Almost Isolated.
The extension Of the strike 20 the
east and south has practically isolated
Paris, which is threatened with famine
The strike leaders declare not a wheel
will be turning on any railway in the
republic tomorrow morning.
Up to this afternoon the acts of vio-
lence have been confined to the cutting
Of telegraph wires and the tearing up
or tracks at several Joints. The Paris
end of the Western road strike is COM
plete. Not single train came or went
out on that line after early morning.
The highways leading to Paris are
blocked with humanity. Thousands Of
workmen trudging toward the city con-
verged as they reached the city's gates.
where the congestion was frightful.
The demand for cabs and automo-
biles could not be met and prices scared
accordingly. The government Is serious
ly concerned over the matter of food
supply. President Fallieries hurriedly
returned from his estate in the south
today and conferred with the ministers.
Already the market is pinched.
Enormous quantities of milk and fish
en- route from Normandy and Belgium,
are stalled at points along the North
ern road. The blocked Northern line
is the great artery for agricultural
products.
The president of the grain syndicate
said that the stock of -four on the
Paris market today did not exceed U.s.
600 Quintals, which Is less than eight
days supply for Paris. This does not
include the -four in bakers hands,
which. however, Is not large. The bulk
VI LlcdlS, NS6cldDieS come
in over the Western and Paris, Lyons
and Mediterranean lines.
The National Railroad union COM
prises only 100000 of the total Of 30O,-
900 men employed in the railway serv-
Ice, but a large majority Of the nom
union men are participating in the
strike.
The government is adopting meas
ures similar to those practiced in time
of war.
The southwest express had a mar
row escape from being wrecked on its
arrival here today The brakes failed
to work and subsequent investigation
showed that the air pipes had been
cut. The train dashed into the Austen
litz station at speed Of 60 miles an
hour 1t was finally stopped just be-
fore reaching the Dorsant terminus.
At Bots Columbes, the strikers held
up a freight train and smashing in the
doors of the cars freed cargo Of live
cattle. Heavy consignments of fruit
and vegetables destined for Belgium
and Northern France are stalled and
ruined. Prices of fish, eggs, butter and
milk jumped rs per cent. The mer-
chants are arranging for the transport
tatiOn Of Vegetables from the sllh,1rhS