The sun., 1897-01-29
POLICE-LABOR SYMPOSIUM.
h0osETEJT AND LABOR LEADERS
HAVE A TALK ABOUT sTRIkks.

Bradiey-Martia Baii-Goi,e 60 Meet
Assin-Crush . Cup OF Ale Tegether.
Theodore Roosevelt. President Of the Police
Board. spent throe hours talking with leaders
OF organized labor at Clarendon Hall In East
thirteenth street on Wednesday night. and
Yesterday he ssid that Il was the pleasante.t
evening he had spent since he bcca me Police
Commissioner. and one Of the plcasantest of
his life, and that he hoped to repeat the visit
moro thar once. In fact. he made an appoint
ment then for another meeting for next week.
II did not 20 TO the meeting as President of
the Board of Police. nor as . Police Commits
sioner." said Mr.. Roosevelt yesterday, but
Just a. plain me- and my purpose was to act
into close touch with earnest and Intelligent
men VINO arc laborinG honestly 10 bring about
. solution Of what we call the labor aues-
tion.' OF course. IL was inevitable that police
matters should como up for discussion. and
had no objection to this, for learning each
others views upon thc~e matters II may help
both the labor men aud the police 10 get into
. position OF accord whore they will not clash
at such serious times a. during strikes.
II was brought mp In the spirit Of indvld-
ualism." continued Mr. Roosevelt. but I am
not afraid to hear and to consider what may
be said upon tho other side OF this or other so
oial questions. and desire TO put myself in
-
largo part Of the population OF our country as
do theee who lead organized labor"
The meeting. Mr.. Roosevelt said. had result.
cd from HE having recently met Henry Lloyd
Of the Tin and Sheet Iron Workers Union. lie
and Mr.. Lloyd wore both speakers ~ the
same meeting. and on their way home thoy
oil to discussing labor matters. and Mr.. Roose-
velt got much interested in the talk, and re-
auostod Mr.. LLOYD to arrange for him to meet
other labor leaders at some convenisut time.
Ameug tho labor men who weTo at Claren-
don Hall on "Wednesday night were Secretary
Henry OF tho Central Labor Union. Mr.. Maher
The building Trades section was holding .
meeting at the timo. but II adjourned when
its nemSsr. heard that Mr.. Roosevelt was
In . body. Mr.. Lloyd Introduced Mr.. Roose.
Welt. and said plainly that he was there at his
matters that came under discussion was the
rights OF pickets At times OF strikes.
= Mr.. Lloyd aud Mr. A.her sonte1dsd that the
picksts at the scene OF . strike. to warn away
working people who might otherwise be Ab,ut
TO take the places OF the strikers, and to see
that the newcomers we,c not induced to 20 TO
work by false REPRESENTATIONS or false prom
ises the part OF tho employers.
But tho police do not allow this" they de-
clarcd. They drive away the pickets or lock
them up upon .lisht pre'eI'. or upon no presert
Mr.. Maher made q strenuous objection TO
the way the police adopted during the recent
ers' rsis was done By sendins a Policeman in
plain clothes around In the cabs on the look
out for striking drivers In the last cab driv;
ers' strike the way adolted was much nicer"
he declared. That was to put policeman in
uniform on too of each cab. II ended the
strike in . hurry. Why couldn't that DO done
aowi'
ting the policeman on the box with tho driver
was discriminating against the employer and
viri uAlly coerctnk tho employers to give way
o the strikers, as WAS proved by the result
OF tho strike to which dr. Maher refers. That
10 not q part OF the business OF tho police. he
i-olice take part in strikes not for the purpose
OF helping or hurting either side. but solely TO
preserve order. II 10 10 offensive TO the cab
owners or against their Interests TO put pO-
licenien In uniform on the boxes beside tho
drivers, thon 1t ought not TO Os done"
Tho labor men admitted that tho plan re-
fsrred TO had practically won victory for
them against their employers, but Mr.. Naher
said that IL was seldom strikers who msde
trouble for the police or raised disturbances
1T is always the sympathizers-the out
Who seek 70 take % oaS pisess" @ he DECLARED. I'd '''
II don't know whether t makes any great
difference 70 tae man who T. ,sampsd sh1thss
him." said Mr.. Roosevelt. Ii 10 tho business
OF the ,olice TO prevent his being thuinped at
all. and so long as am there they will stick
TO that plan. Sou men vii, agree with me,
every one. that the worst injur, any working
in or countsnAnce riot. Order must be main
tained in the community urst and last, or the
discussion OF the workers wrongs cannot pro-
ceed intelltgently or effectually
The meeting applauded the sentiment to the
echo. and Mr.. Roosevelt looked pleased.
pickets was that a sy stem wa. propo. ed which
should be not unlike that by which the dif-
fersnt political parties are respresented by
watchers At the polling plAcos on election days.
The labor men proposed that they should Ap-
point mon for pckets who should De properly
provtL ed nth credentiAl and that these nol
should be recogn.z zed as entitled to do picket
duty within certain understood limits at the
scene of strike. and that no other persons
should be allowed 10 loitsr within these limits
This, Il was said would do away with crowds
about such places. Ind put an end 10 the danger
Mr.. Roosevelt said ne liked the plan. and that
he would bring II before HIS COLLEAGUES Of tho
PolIcr Board. Chief Conlin. and other police
offic~rs OF knowledge and e1perisnce. and dis
cuss the matter with them.
1t thet. that he aekcd for another meeting
pointm-nt was made. and this matter Of pickets
will probably DO ono OF tho subjects which will
MIR. Maher complained that strikers among
the cab drivers who wero arrested in the Ten
derloin. and who should naturally be taken 10
vile. where they had been dealt with harshly
by Magistrate Mott. Mr.. Roosevelt said he
would look into this.
OF general intsres: TO organized labor. com
plained that the Elght-tiour law WAS too In
sions. and declared that new laws were needed
TO stop the sub-ietung Of municipal contracts
lot the purposes OF OF enhctlnR Tie laws wnlCh
meant TO give all OF this work either to
union workmen or to assure tho workmen who
do get the work union wager and union hours:
such sub-contractors. he declared. .ften paid
but half the legal rates. and he cited instances
In which he said he had evidence OF these facts.
But we can't get these cases before the
Grand Jury. though our evidence Is perfect"
ho cried. NOR can we reach the District At
tornsy."
Public officers are sometimes driven To tho
last ditch hy callers who have no serious busi-
ness" said Mr.. Roosevelt. II know IT. of my
own experience; but II you have good eW.
dence that the laws passed in the interest OF
labor arc violated. your business Is serious. and
f you hnd IL mpossibe 10 reach MIR. Ole, u.
you come TO me, and will SEQ that you reach
him lilo Will want TO meet you. know"
The poor man has show. anyway"
shouted one OF the delegates.
- don't know about THAI" said Mr.. Roose-
welt. - man named Ellison came out OF
prison tho other day. He was n man ~ posi-
tion and woalth. belonged to . swell club and
all that. He assaulted aad beat n man and got
three years. Every day poor men are getting
ten days or three months on tho island for of
Iencss like that And 1 don't think that tho
guests at the seeley dinner will A,cuse the au.
thorities OF being lArtiAl TO them. Whktyou
mean is hat We all have our hands full hGht-
ing for our honest rights. and Agroo with
haF vtlI hava fhar ftn fnr lan.<