Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-01-10
. AR IN GOTHAM.
A RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
lNTERFERES.
An iil.Adyised Interference e-The lO-
c0m0tiyc Engineers Horse Car
Drivers The Central La
hor Union Furniture
Men BlackliSted.

New York has just lost splendid
opportunity to get control Of the clc-
waited roads. The threatened strike
OF the locomotive engineers caused
the Could gang to put their heads
together and hatch up Il scheme that
hey hoped would defeat the engi-
nrerS; they proposed a lockout to
forrstaIl the strike.
Just as this was to be carried ont
the railroad commissioners stepped
in and informed the monopoIists
that they would forfeit their charter
by such action, and the railroad
company took the hint, of course,
thus keeping a firm hold upon their
franchise.
If the railroad commissioner had
kept quiet. and permitted the very
wise railroad kings to lock out their
men, the public would have been
temporarily inconyenienccd, but it
would have taught the people a les
son, nameI y, that the city ought to
run the roads, and prevent such ca
lamities i'll the future.
One Of the State railroad commits
sioncrs said in answer to a question
as to what relief the Board Of Rail-
road Commissions could give:
Il had already telegraphed the
Secretary of the Commission at AL
bany of the stoppage of the trains
and that possibly | would telegraph
for the other members of the board
to come down. The board, upon
notice to the road to resume and
upon its refusal would then have
turned the case over to the Attor-
ney-General Of the State to proceed
in the courts to yacate the charter
Of the road.
" Has a railroad any right to stop
running its trains because of a dis
agreement with its employees on a
matter of wages"
Certainly not. No railroad can
refuse or neglect to perform its pub
he duty upon a controversy with its
employees over the cost or expense of
doing it. The duties must be per-
formed whatcvcrth the cost. That they
cannot be laid down or abandoned or
suspended without the legally cX-
pressed consent Of the State is the
decision Of the General Term of the
Supreme Court Of this State in the
case of the freight-handlers' strike.
In short. a railroad receiving IA char
ter from a State must run its trains
for the accommodation Of the public
regularly and continuously. unless
prevented by an act Of Providence or
from some other cause absolutely be-
yond its control, or its charter is by
right forfeited to the State. "
While the trains We're stopped
there was considerable confusion.
"Thc scenes at the various stations
on Ninth avenue were disgrace to
the company, said an empIoye. At
South Ferry, Desbrosses street.
Christopher, Fourteenth street,
Twenty-thIrd. Thirty-fourth cspec-
tally Thirty-fourth- and at Fifty
ninth street crowds Of indignant pa
irons blocked the stairwavs and side
walks.
" No trains rnnnng. You cant
get in, shouted the tickct-sellcrs.
but the people did get in, and when
barrlcades Of boxes and barrels were
built across the stairway at Thirty
fourth street the furious passengers
hurled them into the streets and
crowded the platforms, determined
to get on board when the trains be-
gan running.
The bosses say they will not sub
NIT to any dictation from labor
organization. and the Grand
Chief of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers is endeavoring by
peaceable means to settle the diff