The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-10-28
N. P. OFFICIALS
MOSCOW VISITORS
VICE PRESIDENT RAPELJE TELLS
HOW COMPANY HANDLED
STRIKE PROBLEM

J. M. Rapelje, vice president of the
Northern Pacific Railway, in charge
of operation, H. E. Stevens, chief
engineer, and other St. Paul offic-
ials, visited here today They are
on tour over the company's lines,
inspecting road bed, equipment, con-
struction activities and proposed i'm
prOvement projects. Conferences on
railroad problems, operations and
development plans are being held
with local officials and representa-
tives.
Hand1caps appearing in the earl
ier days Of the shopcrafts' strike
have leargely been overcome, the Of
ficials report.
1.-THE Northern Pacific has, from
the first, made every effort to prop
erly serve the public, to operate its
trains, and, at the same time, to safe
guard, insofar as possible, the in
terests and the welfare of our old
men," said Mr.. Rapelje. 1--WE placed
over the system a large number of
loyal officials and office men to help
keep the trains moving, and, vir
tuually, to hold many of the mems
jobs open for our old employees, who
had been mislead into leaving their
positions. We held these jobs,
through these means and others, as
long as we could reasonably be done.
eve have, from the first, trade to
make our employees understand that
we wanted them back, and we exert
ed every means that could be de-
vised to induce them to return. For
tunately these methods met with sue
cess and the Northern Pacific has
today large number Of its old men
on duty and more are returning to
work every day The situation. has
so improved that we are discontin-
uing all advertisements for men
wanted over the entire system.
Handle Heavy Traffic
Since July 1st, when the shop
mems strike began, the railroads
have handled the heaviest traffic,
excepting coal, recorded at any per-
iod in their history, except in Octob-
er 1920. Throughout July car load
ings increased rapidly, notwithstand
ing difficulties attendant upon the
coal strike. Even when miners re-
turned to work and an exceptionally
large volume of business was turn
ed over to the railroads, the carr
iers continued to operate at better
than normal capacity. Indeed, in
the week ending September 2, the
second week after the coal strike was
called off, the roads moved about
9,0UU,UUO COnS Oh coal. lnTOuSuOuI
the strike of shopmen, the number
of cars of freight has increased at
the rate of $4,000 to $4,000 cars per
week. In the week ending August
12, a total Of 952,580 cars were load
ed and handled, compared with $685.
269 in 1921. In the week ending
September 2, the freight car load
ings amounted to 931,59 cars, an in
crease over the previous week Of
40,760 cars. This was an increase
over the corresponding week of last
year of 1OO,310 cars. In the week |
ending September 2, therefore, freight
1oadings were equal to 91.5 per cent |
of the highest weeks loadings ever
recorded, which was for the week of
October Is, 1920.
with the rapid return of shop |
ment to their places, the ability of
the roalroads to properly and quick
ly handle the record breaking freight |
business is improving daily.
II am proud of the record made
by the Northern Pacific in this
I am deeply grateful to
the loyal and efficient men who have
made this record for our company
I believe the Northwest appreciates
their efforts and the results which
their work produced"