Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-12-25
BOSTON PEOPLE FOOTING IT.
STREET CAR SYSTEM OF THE HUB
TIED UP BY a STRIKE.
Men Began to Quit Early Yesterday
Morning and at Noon the Strike
became General - $500
Men Are Out.

Boston, Dec. 24.-In spite of the official
announcement of the Motormens and Con-
ductors' Union, of the West End street
railway, made early this morning that the
proposed strike over the alleged non-recog-
milton Of the union by the West End man
| agement, would be deferred until December
50, many of the employees took the matter
into their own hands and the service has
been seriously crippled all day by men
| leaving their cars.
At 10 o'clock all the cars were off the
streets of Boston except those of the Wash
ington street lines and the South Boston
! division. The men on the other lines. as
| fast as they came into carhouses after the
early trip. stopped work on being told of
| the situation. The executive committee of
the Pioneer Federal Labor Union. the CEN
| tral organization of the employees. held a
meeting this morning at which the action
| of the supreme council, after midnight, in
| deciding to postpone the strike, was criti-
| cised. President Young, of the union, is
| sued a request that all employees, both in
| and out of the city, remain at work until
| noon, when he said work on every line
would be stopped.
| The cities of Maiden and Everett. as we'll
| as of the Charleston district of Medford.
| had little or no street car accommodation
! this morning. and thousands of people
We're obliged to get to their work or busi-
ness in the city the best way they could.
| The first action against the company oc-
| CURED in Charleston and Everett. when
number Of the Maiden nIotormen and con-
| ductors refused to take their cars out be-
| fore daylight. No cars We're run from the
| Maiden and Medford line stables in Med
| ford this morning, ana the citizens who
were obliged to go into the city either
| walked or got into overcrowded passenger
| trains.
AT noon the order to strike went into eff
| feet, and at the end of an hour the only
| cars running were those of the South Bos-
ton and Grove Hill lines. Committees of
| the strikers were sent from headquarters
| to call cut the men on the cars as fast
| as they came TO the stations. 1t was esti-
mated that $500 men were out at 1:3O
o'clock this afternoon.
AS soon as 1t became known that strike
| was really on, The New York. New Haven
| & Hartford railway put in fifteen-minute
| time table on all its suburban lines out of
| the Park square. The other steam roads
| quickly followed the New Haven road and
| put on quick service to all suburban points.
| The West End Railway Company this
| afternoon issued a notice to its employees
| stating that those who voluntarily absent
| ed themselves from their duties would be
| considered as having withdrawn from the
| service of the company. The railroad has
| issued statement which gives a history
OF the strike from President Little'S point
| of view. In opening. mention is made of
| conferences between the union and the Of
| hcerS OF the road and of a letter setting
| forth that President Little had no au-
| thority to sign the 1897 agreement with the
employees except by vote of the directors
The West End officials say that they
| have done everything in their power to pre-
| vent a strike. They recognize fully their
| responsibility and the inconvenience and
| loss that a strike causes to all the people
| in Boston and suburbs. They are willing
| to go to any proper length to avoid such a
| calamity. They have never refused to sign
| the agreement presented by the union, but
| distinctly told the representatives of the
| men that the matter would be presented
| to the West End directors if they would
| only give them time to do it.
The West End street railway operates
its car lines throughout the entire city
| proper. South Boston, Dorchester, East
Boston, Cambridge, portions of Newton,
| Maiden, Everett. Medford and in the entire
Roxbury and Charlestown districts.
At 12:S9 this (Christmas) morning, the
| strike was officially declared off, the action
| coming like a bomb shell, but it remains
to be seen, when daylight comes, If this
second action of the supreme council will
be needed.
The following is the statement made by
the supreme council to the public, explain
| ing its position:
To the Public:-The supreme council was
given power to negotiate for an agreement
with the management of the West End
road. The council performed its duty and
in doing found the president lacking in
authority to make any settlement without
consulting his board of directors. He asked
for further time, which was granted. The
| men repudiated this act and We, as honor
able men, have had to do one of two
things, sanction the reputation of the men
and thus violate our agreement with the
president, or refuse to be silent party to
a continuance of the strike. We chose the
latter and would keep our agreement with
President Little as gentlemen at all haz-
ards"