The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-01-30
TIE BROOKLYN TIE-UP.
THE SURFACE CAR SYSTEM
AT A STANDSTILL.

The Knights Of Labor and the Greas
Trolley Corporations In Trial OF
Strength-Nearly Seven Thousand
Men Out-The Causes Which Led
to the Trouble.
The first great struggle OF the year be-
tween corporations and their employees be-
gan in Brooklyn, when the great trolley
tie-up or lockout. which had been threaten
Ing the "City OF Churches" for two weeks,
materialized just before daybreak on the
date set by the leaders of the movement for
trial Of strength. The men who quit
work called 1t lockout, while the officers
OF the roads said the movement was strlSe.
The men claimed that the company had
locked them out by forcing motorman to
surrender their lever cranks and also by re-
fusing to allow electrical workers to 20 to
work Mt the usual hour.
During the first day OF the contest between
employers and employees. save for the So
called Slocum system OF four lines. which
Is better known rs the Smith and jay
street, the Flatbush "matl' service" and
desultory service on the Court
street line. run to save the Brooklyn
Heights charter. not wheel turned on any
OF the f1fty-four street car lines of Brooklyn.
The men out numbered 4500 regular en-
ployes and 1000 extras. The loss to them 1t
was estimated was not less than $4,000 per
day. The net loss to the companies
In receipts was $4,000 dny.
The numbes OF passengers thrown
upon the limited resources OF the BROOKLYN
elevated or else made to walk to their places
ofbusiness and pleasure was 100000 a day.
The loss to the great stores OF Fulton and
other business streets OF Brooklyn. due to
the enormous decrease In the number OF
their shoppers, was not susceptible OF calcu-
lation, but was far In excess Of TINT OF either
the companies or the men. Probably no
anatr ever came home as quickly to the COM
mercial portion Of the community as ehts
de-up did to the great retail storekeeper' OF
Brooklyn.
The tie-up was not unexpected. The raen
had demanded an increase OF pay from $9
to S2.25 per dav and modification in the COM
pantes' system OF paying extra men BY the
trip. These trippers, as they are called.
have been able to earn less than S1.50 per
day, and sometimes they took home forty
cents at night after hanging around the de-
pots ten and twelve hours for n job.
The Executive Board Of District Assembly
No. rs, Knights OF Labor, was In charge OF
negotiations with the several companies,
and 1t Issued the orders which resulted In the
tle-up alter the street car corporations Dau
refused to accede to the demands OF the men.
The attempts to run cars were attended in
some instances with violence and gener-
ally with failure, though. on the whole. the
first day OF the big tie-up was far more
peaceable than was expected. Crowds lined
the car tracks and surrounded the depots all
day, and from several places small
riots were reported. On the whole, It
. was quier day, considering the
magnitude of the movement With one ex.
eeption the trolley companies stood firm.
Their officers made formal demands upon
the police for assistance, and announced
perfect confidence in eventual victory. They
discharged all strikers. and went to selecting
new men from the many hundreds who
applied for employnlent