The herald., 1895-02-18
THE STRIKE CALLED OFF
How the Trolley Men in Brooklyn
Buried the Hatchet
In an Actress They Say They Have
Exhausted Every Honorable Heans
to Effect a Settlement

off the strike of the Brooklyn Heights and
the Brooklyn, Queens County and Suburb
an railways, District Assembly Seventy
live issued the following address:
To the public-Acting in behalf OF their EN-
ployees we presented to the the officials OF
the Brooklyn Heights and the Brooklyn,
queens County and Suburban Railway Com
panies certain requests for improved condition
OF labor on such roads for the year 1895. Sub
sequently these requests, which were never
other than of the most reasonable nature
were modified so as to leave the companies no
excuse for failure to come to an agreement
with their employees.
We have exhausted every honorable means
to effect friendly settlement, but the trolley
officials assumed q most uncompromising atti-
tude and refused to make single concession
in response to our reasonable requests. They
went further and SO far from improving the
conditions Of their employees they insisted
upon terms less favorable than they had made
without protest in 1894 and previous years.
Their exactions forced their employees to
| suspend labor on January l4th last. Since
that time there has never been day on which
the men have not been willing to go more
than half way in an endeaToi to adjust ami
cably difficulty that entailed hardships on
the employees, as well as incaleulable loss and
| inconvenience to the public.
The companies have not had the same con-
| sideration for the public, and the same spirit
of compromise. They started out to starve
! their employees into submission, and they
| have finally succeeded. 1t has been fight of
| the dollar against empty stomachs and, as was
| to have been expected, the dollars won vic
tory, though q dear one Our people, after a
heroic resistance, have at last submitted to
the inevitable. The civil, the military and. in
n n M IA oil
been used to coerce them.
We desire to return our most sincere thanks
to the organic ations and the individuals who
in any way aided our people during the
strikes, and hope the sympathzers will never
feel the power of corporate oppression. Many
OF our people still need assistance to keep the
wolf of hunger from their doors little from
the many will suffice, and any citizen, society
or newspaper who will help our people In this
respect will receive the best thanks OF all
with the hope that the time will yet come
when equal rights will be accorded to al |, spe-
cial privileges to none and that all will be equal
before the law.
Yours respectfully,
Martin Connolly,
John Giblin.
p J, Collins,
W. L. Holcombe,
Andrew d. Best
This action on the part of the district
assembly will permit the strikers OF such
roads to return to work, or at least to APP
ply to be taken back.
The strike against President Norton of
the Atlantic-avenue line is still on.
The trolley strike which has lasted
thirty-four days has cost an enormous
amount of money. Three million dollars
is considered by those involved Il moder-
ate estimate. When the strike started it
was stated that District Assembly No.
75 had from $50, 900 to $50, 900 in its
treasury. About $65 900 was subscribed by
sympathizers. All this has has been spent
and the $350,00 wages the men
would have earned have been lost.
The Brooklyn Heights Company was the
heaviest loser among the roads. 1t is es-
timated to have lost directly $500 900. The
other systems have lost close to $780, 900.
The cost to the city and state troops is
expected to exceed $3.50, 900. The damage
done cars manned by inexperienced men
is placed at 500, 900 more, and the loss in
earnings by the military during their stay
in Brooklyn is conservatvely estimated
at $3.50, 900. There were many other losses
to swell the amount, in addition to the
inconvenience and suffering caused by
the big strike.
President Lewis, of the BROOKLYN
Heights Railroad Company, said tonight
that during the day about 500 of the old
men had applied for work. A number of
them, he added, had been received back
into the service and others had their
names on the eligible list. He fully ex-
pected that the remainder of the strikers
would be on hand in the morning looking
| for their old positions.
Master Workman Connolly is reported at
his home as being very sick, the result of
the labOrs which he has undergone during
the past five weeks as leader of the strike.