New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-23
NO STREET CARS IN ROCHESTER,.
A STRIKE BLOCKING ALL THE LINES.
THE DRIVERS DEMAND CONDUCTORS OK FEWER
HOURS OF WORK - TIE COMPANY DENfiNe
CHARGES OF THE MEN,

THE DRIVERS DEMAND CONDUCTORS o' f"'~
HoUns OF WORK THE COMPANY DENYING
CHARGES OF THE MEN,
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Rochester, May 22.-Not car has been running
to-day the thirty five miles of street railroads
in this city. The lines are all operated by one
company termed the Rochester City and Brighton
Railway Company; 800 drivers are employed ana
1877 cars used When the hour for starting the
cars arrived this morning not one of the drivers
was in his place. All night the Street Car Drivers
Assembly, Knights Of Labor, had been in session,
and at a. m. it was unanimously resolved TO
strike. AS daylight arrived the following
circular was scattered broadcast in the city IL
represents the claims of the drivers in q nutshell
On March Is committee OF the employees OF inc
Rochester City and Brighton Railroad Company waited on
the ocials Of the company and submitted request Tor
reduction OF their hours Of labor and since then have re-
pestedy requested answer. which they have at iass
given and that Is positive refusal We now ap
peal TO the public to assist hardworking. industrious
class Of to have justice done them As the compd,
will reduce hours Of toll will you not refuse 70
deposit fares in the box, thus compelling hcm to place
conductors the carso that at least work will be
made lighteri We compelled TO drive make
change and attend the safety passengers getting OH
and the We ask II It be possible to do tnis
in from fourteen to seventeen hours each day. ana
do 1t with Justice to the publicf II in favor Oh
thus helping US. will you sign petition to that enect'
which we havo placed Arcade and other placcsi
The Arcade was thronged with drivers and SYM
pathizers at an early hour but soon the throng oe-
gan to disperse, as there were no indications Oh
any excitement. Not man was at the barns' IN
Statest.. but at Aen-st. about fifty men gathered
carly this morning to discuss the strike. Patrol
men kept the crowd moving, and after short time
no one remained except few idlers. Thus lar
nothing has been done to indicate that the men
contemplated violence, but the police have taken
every precaution to preserve order and arrange
ments have been made to call not only the entire
force into service. but asoo reserve force should
occasion require The following statement gives
the company's side Of the matter:
The Of the drivers in their circular that they
are working from seventeen hours Is false
The work twelve hours at the outside and only
thirtythr OF 200 drivers working that time
There 116 drivers working from eleven hours ana
twenty eleven hours hfEy minutes The reiiet
work from seven fftyeght minutes eleven hours
thirtysx minutes What the men really demand Is that
they shall have hours work in twelve consecutive
hours Now schedule is srrans ed in the best pos
sibe manner for all concerned Our paid better
and have better hours, all things considered than the
drivers OF There are now Ill drivers In our
employ who have working for the company fifteen
months of these receive 50 day and the others
s1 75.
The Board of Arbitration, consisting Of William
Purcell and F. w. Donovan, met this afternoon
and held two sessions, at which tn, .estlmony Oh
the strikers and of representatives of the company
was taken. The former reasserted the grievances
already stated. The latter said that the men had
Ncw-Yorlx ideas in their heads and wanted tne
company to run on the NewYork system but that
this could not be done in Rochester No decision
was reached. -, A.,
The drivers have many sympathizers with them
and at o'clock this afternoon fully l5OOO peo
tbree miles. and few complained of the hardship
An effort will be made to start several cars IN the
morning and trouble is feared. The strikers nave
been circulating a petition, which now has 5000
signatures asking the company to accept the driy-
ers' terms.