Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-01-17
ONLY ONE SURFACE LINE OPERATING

--Grieyances of tho Men and the
Position Taken BY the Companies.
BRooKLyH, N. Y, Jan. 14.-At B
o'clock this morning all the trolley cars
in Brooklyn wero tied up, the employees
refusing to take out the cars. Over 5000
men quit work. This includes motor
men, conductors, electricians, switch.
men and others employed at the various
power houses. All but one of the sur
face roads, and that comparatively
minor concern, arc affected.
1t is claimed that the strike will yet
extend TO the lines of the Brooklyn Ele-
waited Railway Co. The contract be.
tween the Kings County Elevated Rail.
way Co. and its employees is such that it
is believed there can be no strike on that
line.
District Assembly rs, X. of H., which
has control Of all the trolley line EN-.
ployes in Brooklyn, has held various
meetings during the past few weeks,
and after the meeting on Saturday their
executive committee waited On presi.
dent Lewis Of the Brooklyn Heights
road and again asked that he grant their
demands. They discussed the question
for three and nalf hours in President
Lewis office, and finally Mr.. Lewis re.
fused to grant their demands.
The outcome of this was that the
committee held another meeting and adj
iourned until last night. Atlast nights
meeting, which ended at / o'clock this
morning, it was decided to tic up all the
roads in the city Of Brooklyn, with the
exception Of the Smith and Jay street
line. This was done this morning and
not car outside of the Smith and Jay
street line is running.
ELECTRICIANS REFUSE TO RUN CARS.
The companies expected that the men
would go out this morning and deter
mined 10 anticipate them. They asked
the electricians, about 1000 in number,
if they would take out the cars this
morning. Every one of them refused
to do so. They were then told that
there was no work for them. One fore
man was asked if he was willing to take
out car. He refused to do it. He was
the only foreman to go out.
This morning the people had to use
the elevated roads The trains were
made up with extra cars to accommo-
date the rush. The public was greatly
Inconvenience.
The Court Street Line of the Brooklyn
City Co. ran out seven cars, beginning
at 8 O'Clock. The cars were manned
front and rear by two policemen. There
was no trouble. There was not car
running on the Fifteenth street branch.
REPORTED CONCESSION.
1t is said this morning that President
Slocum, when waited upon at $50
O'Clock by the executive committee, had
conceded the demands of the men.
The entire police force, consisting of
l,700 men, is in readiness in case there
should be any trouble, but none is ex-
pected.
THE STRIKERS GRIEVANCES.
The mems grievance and demands are
thus stated;
The State law provides that days
work for employees of street railway
companies shall consist of 10 hours,
within IL consecutive hours 1t is
alleged that this law has been dis
regarded by the corporations, which
have required the men to work l | hours,
and even latterly II hours, with 10 in
terval longer than 10 minutes for lunch,
and even depriving them Of that brief
time in most instances. The wage rate
agreed upon year ago was 81 for the
statutory days work. The companies,
it is alleged, have made no allowance
for overtime. The men demand ad-
herence to the law regarding hours in u
days work, or $2.25 for day Of II
hours.
THE coMPhNY's SIDE.
An official of one of the lines said:
The companies cannot afford to in
crease their expenses one dollar, and if
| the demands OF the men were complied
with there is not one OF them which
would not be driven into bankruptcy.
Immense sums of money have been Dor.
| rowed to equip the roads with the cleo.
trical systems, and this money has got
to be paid sooner or later The strike
will be even more serious than under
the old horse car system. The employees
in the power houses are organized as
| Knights OF Labor Just the same as the
motUrmen and conductors, and when
the signal is given to stop work they
will fall into line and not car can be
moved"
BROOKLYN, N. Y, Jan. 15.-Both
sides in the electric street railway
strike show a determined front to-day.
On the Court street line 90 cars are
being run at irregular intervals, each
guarded by from two to eight policemen.
Strikers or their friends have OBJ
structed the tracks by upsettiGg barrels
of ashes. The rubbish was cleared away
by laborers from the power house ON
the Flatbush avenue line.
A mail car was sent out at 1924
o'clock. 1t was preceded by six
mounted policemen, while eight un-
mounted policemen rode in the car. II
passed through district where the
strikers are reported to be in more
reckless mood than elsewhere, but the
manner in which 1t was guarded evi-
IDENTIFY overawed many who have been
inclined TO lawlessness for no attempt
was made to stop it.
Another mail Cur on Flatbush avenue
line was started out at 9.23 o clock, and
the company announces that it is de-
termined to run the mail cars all day,
no matter what action the strikers may
take.
The strikers contemplate petition
to Mayor Schicrin to-day, asking him
to end the tie,up by virtue of his official
power, and will cite the action taken by
Mayor Pingree of Detroit, in 1891, when
he held that the railroad companies had
violated the 10.hour law, and warned
them that if the strike then in progress
was not over i'll "a hours he would de.
clare their charters forfeited.
A meeting of the strike committee of
the surface lines was held early to-day.
Those present refused to tell what action
had been taken.
STATE BOARD TO INVESTIGATE.
New York, Jan. 15.-Messrs. Robert
son, Purcell, Madden and Feeuey, OF