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Show STRIKERS CALL ONJilT WITTE Deputation From Mass Meeting . Presents Him With an Address, i ST.. PETERSBURG. Oct. 2i.AL the meeting of 000 railway men held in tho University tonight, it was decided to declare de-clare a strike on all railroads operating: within St. Petersburg-, beginning tomorrow. tomor-row. It alao was decided to send deputations depu-tations to Prlnco Hilkoff, Mlnlnter of Railways, and. Count Trltto and present to them addresses demanding political reforms, re-forms, Included among them the convocation convoca-tion of a constituent assembly elected by direct universal suffrage. Speeches Are Revolutionary. The meeting remained In session until the return of tho deputations, the time being occupied by further discussions of tho situation and the delivers' of speeches of the most revolutionary character, all of which were loudly applauded. Thone present Included a large number of students stu-dents "Witte Receives Them. The deputations returned toward midnight mid-night without having .succeeded in seeing Prince Hllkorf. They found Count "VVittc. who received them, but he Insisted that the Interview must bo of a private character, char-acter, he, as president of tho Committee of Ministers, having no right to accept an address. He said, however, he had no objection to the publication of tho conversation-Many Demands Impossible. Ho pointed out that tho. address contained con-tained many demands which would not be realised ln any country and also many which wore worthy of mention. IJe wild that a constituent assembly was quite Impossible Im-possible and contended that the suffrage and other political demands had nothing to do with the question of the railroads. The Count promised that liberty of meetings meet-ings and of the press would ,bo promptly granted and said that tho continued application ap-plication of martial law to the railroads was due to a misunderstanding and would be remedied Friendly to Liberty. He declared that he was friendly to nil reasonable demands for liberty and promised prom-ised to confer with Prlnco Hilkoff. n to tho best means of dealing with the question. ques-tion. At the same time he advised tho deputation to end the strike and then to peaceably formulate the demands of tho men. Having listened to tho report the meeting meet-ing decided to postpone action until the deputation had an Interview with Prince Hilkoff. Situation Grows "Worse. The strike situation Is growing worse. I Several more of the smaller lines were tied up today. The few days' paralysis of freight traffic la already being Bevercly felt At Moscow there is danger of a famine. The pricos of food are soaring. Tileat Famine Threatens. St Petersburg is threatened with a meat famine. Only twonty-four head of cattle have arrived here since Sunday and there arc about 1000 head ln the yards. Unless supplies arrive soon the capital will be without meat at the end of tho week. There Is an ample supply of Hour. |
