The sun., 1897-05-17
10000 TAILORS STRIKE.
FORCED TIER EXECUTIVE COM.
MITTEE TO DECLARE KAR

They stood Around the Headauarterp All
Might, Yelling and Threatening Untii Th.v
Gained Their Potnt-Frons no. 900 TO q g. 600
May Becopse Hnvolved In the Movement,
A general strike OF the IL. 900 members OF tn.
Brotherhood of Tailors in New York, BROOKLYN
and Brownsville was ordered carly yesterday
morning, and went into effect when tho shop,
opened for the day, as Sunday begins the work.
ing week with the tailors. Tho Children's Jacket
Makers and Progressive Tailors will strike to-
day. According to the leaders this will bring
out about 5000 moro people. The tailors had
decided on Saturday afternoon at meetings in
Walhalla and New Irving Halls to leave tho
time for ordering tho strike to tho Executive
Committee OF the union. Tho meetings wero
small, however, and when they were over
crowds OF tailors gathered around both halls
and angrily discussed the decision. Toward
evening tho crowds increased and impromptu
meetings held at street corners and in little
halls and saloons.
The Executive Committee met at New Wash.
ington Hall. SO Orchard street. All Saturday
night tho tailors gravitated between there and
Walhalla Hall. and after midnight there ap.
peared to be preconcerted arrangement that
the Executive Committee should be forced TO
order general strike, to begin at once.
Shortly before o'clock in the morning num-
bors Of tailors began to crowd in front Of New
Washington Hall, shouting, "Strike strikei
Order strike" There was cheering. and the
cry "Strike! strike T. was taken up for blocks
around. The tailors became frantic and threat.
ened to break open the doors.
William Cohen, the new leader of the Brother.
hood Of Tailors, who is also the business agent
appeared at a window and reminded the men
that they had decided to leave tho time OF the
strike in the hands Of the Executive Committee.
80 we have" said a voice. but we want you
to order 1t now"
This sally evoked moro cheers, and then sev .ral
members Of the Executive Committee came oue
and began to reason with tho crowd. They were
jostled about roughly.
Lynch them IL they don't order strike"
yelled a voice or two.
Cohen tried to explain that the mon would do
better by waiting until all tho clothing trades
had formulated their demands when 10000 or
so could strike at once.
A howl Of rage was the mobs reply. Some Of
the men began to weep and wiring their hands,
and others continued to threaten. The entire
assemblage seemed to have gone crazy. Cohen
and the others retired. and the committee re-
convened and ordered the strike to go into eff
feet when the shops opened. at or 8 o'clock
Committees of ave from each branch were then
appointed to go to the shops, of which there are
about 700, and call the tailors out.
AS had been arranged some days ago, as soon
as the strike was declared, the trades union
banners were hung out Of the committee rooms
headquarters. and the crowd went away shout
ing and yelling. No one seemed to want to go to
bod.
AS soon as they left the shops the, strikers
all east side strikers Only about half of them
could get into the hall but those who could not
hung around the neighborhood while the meet
ing was in progress. The childrens jacket
makers, numbering about 1000 in New York,
Brooklyn, and Brownsville, and tine Progressive
Tailors numbering 1000, are requested to
strike to-day. as are also 1000 tailors in New
ark, n. J.
According to Cohen, the following trades arc
likely to follow within the next three weeks;
Sailors Jacket Makers Union. Pants Makers
Union, Knee Pants Makers Union Vest
Makers Union. Overcoat and Sackcoat Makers
Union, and Lithuani ian Tailors' Union. This,
Cohen says. will make aggregate, including
those on strike and to strike to-day, Of about
10000 or 35 900.