The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-15
STREET oAn TIE UP.

luo IntifO EleCtfiCht syHtSH OF bFoOR.
iyu, with tho Exception OF Ono Road,
Tied Up.
BROOKLYN, Jan. 14.-At 5 o'clock this
morning all tho trolley cara In Brook.
Ign wcre tod up, tho employees refusing
to take out tho cars. Ovor 5000 mon
quit work. This includes motormon,
conductors, electricians, switchmon and
othors employed at tho various power
houses. All but ono OF tho surface
roads, and that comparatively minor
concern, aro affected. 1t 10 claimed TINT
tho strike will yet extend to tho lines OF
tho brooklyn Elevated Railway Com.
pany. Tho contract botwoon tho Kings
county Elevated Railway Company aud
its employees 10 such that 1t 10 be-
llevcd thcro can DO no striko
on that line. District Assembly rs,
Knights OF Labor, which has control Of
ali the trolley limo employees In Brook
Ign, hold meetings during the past few
weeks, and after tho meeting Saturday
their executive committee waited upon
President LOWS, OF tho Brooklyn
Heights road. and again asked that ho
grant thoir demands. They discussed
tho question for threo and half hours
In President Lewis Office and finally
Mr.. LOWS refused TO grant their do.
mands. The outcome OF this WIS that
tho committee held another moc.ing
and adjourned until last night. At last
nights meeting, which onded at |
o'clock this morning, II was decided to
tie up all tho roads in the city OF Brook.
lyn with tho exception Of tho Smith and
Jay street line. This was done this
morning, and not II car outside Of tho
Smith and Jay strcot limo IL running.
Tho companies expected the men
would 60 out this morning, and detor.
mined to anticipate them. They asked
the electricians, about 1000 in number,
II they would take out tho cars. Every
one OF them refused to do so. They
were then told that there was no work
for them. Ono foreman was asked II he
was willing to take out car. lie 70.
fused, but was tho only foreman to 70
out. This morning tho people had to
use tho elevated roads. The trains were
made up with extra cars to accom-
modato the rush, but the public was
greatly Inconvenience.
The Court street line OF tho Brooklyn
City Company ran out seven cars, be-
ginning at s o'clock. The cars were
manned. front and rear, by two police
men. There was no trouble. There
was one car running on tho Fifteenth
street branch.
The entire police force, consisting of
100 mon, lie in readiness in case there
should DO any trouble.
The mems grievances and demands
are thus stated: The state law provides
that days work for employees OF street
railway companies shall consis. OF ten
hours, within twelve consecutive hours.
1t ia alleged that this law mas been dis.
regarded by the corporations. which
have required the men to work eleven
hours and even twelve hours, with no
interval longer than ton minutes for
lunch, and depriving them OF that time
in most instances. The wage rate
agreed upon year ago waa s. for the
statutory days work. The companies.
it is alleged, have made no allowance
for overtime. The men demand ADDER.
cnce to the Law regarding hours in
days work, or s. 25 for q day OF twelve
hours.
An address issued by the executive
committee OF district assembly rs al.
leges that the trouble was precipitated
by the Brooklyn Heights com pany in
excluding their electric workers from
work. The statement goes on to saw
that the trips on the road have been
greatly increased since the introduction
OF tho electrical system, and that the
fragrant violation OF the ten-hour law
has mentally and physically incapaci-
tated tho mon for their work. All the
companies run trippers so that the men
can make only from 10 to so cents day.
While the corporations are not allowed
by law to run at rate OF speed OF more
than ten miles an hour, it is claimed
their schedules arc so arranged thatthe
cars have TO be run at rate OF speed OF
from fifteen to twenty miles an hour,
In consequence nearly 100 fatal acct
dents have occurred since the trolley
was introduced aud countless injuries
TO passengers. The men desire 10 have
the schedule so arranged that the cara
can be run safely. The address is signed
by Master Workman Connolly and the
other members.
An official OF one OF tho lines said:
THE companies cannot afford to in.
crease their expenses one dollar, and if
the demands OF the men were com plied
with there is not ono OF them which
would not BIO driven into bankruptcy.
Immense sums of money have been
borrowed to equip the roads with the
electrical systems and this money has
got to be paid sooner or later"
There were but few cars running up
to IL o'clock. There is an occasional
car on the Court street limo OF tho
Brooklyn City Company, and the Mon.
tapue street line and elevated systoms
nrn runniup ne usllal