Show I RAILROADS ARE AE AEi i HAVING HARD ADD TIME Increased Cost of Materials i Makes it Difficult for Them to toMake toMake toMake Make Both Ends Meet 1 r SO DECLARES JAMES J 1 HILL t Engineers and Trainmen n Are Jre Amon The BesL Paid laborers InThe In InThe InThe The Country I Portland Or 01 Dec Bee IS In discussing general railroad conditions of or the country yesterday James J Hill Hilt of or the i Great Northern contended that with the advance in cost of or all nil materials 1 required for tOl construction and main maintenance maintenance of or railroads the largo large lar e rail railroad railroad road systems 8 of or tho the country count are arc hay hav having haying ing trouble to make ends meet Engineers ers and trainmen said saM Mr Hill Hili when asked concerning the agi agitation agitation agitation tation in the tho cast east for tor a n general strike among railway are among the best paid laborers In the tho country end and their wages have been Increased more during the tho last few tew years than oT oY any other class of or workmen For that reason r I think that tho the pos possibility of or a general strike among amonA these men is altogether remote and In fact tact not considered seriously by b the men themselves The recent strike by the switchmen employed on the Northern railroads s I was the result more moro of ot rivalry between I two organizations of oC these than from any an other cause The or i 1 which ordered tho he walkout ordered t tway I hoped to be successful and in that way wa attract to Its membership nil switchmen employed on the other rail railroad railroad railroad road systems and who are affiliated with the Order of ot Railway Trainmen But it required only three days to top place p o this strike w where It fall foiled d to prove provo troublesome to o the tho thea railroads railroad As n a x result tho the strike exists in name on only onI ly I |