Evening star., 1899-07-17
ONE THIRD OF LINES Tied UP
Company's Officers Say They Are
Not Seriously Incomenienced.
MR.. PARSONS STATEMENT

| street line, which is running as in normal
times.
President Rossiter of ;he Rapid Transit
Company said this morning that fifty of the
men VINO went out yesterday reported for
work this morning.
At tha strikers headquarters in Brooklyn
the men asserted that while some cars
were running, It was very irregularly. They
claim six recruits this morning from amorg
the men who remained at work yesterday.
Judging from the number of cars that are
running this morning the company has
nearly three-fourthG OF It's rolling stock in
operation on all the roads other than those
which comprise the old Nassau lines.
officials BeIIttIe the Strike
The Gates. Broadway, Myrtle. 3D. Ralph
Nostrand, Tompkirs and Flatbush avenue
cars are running en- fairly good time and
the heavy morning passenger traffic was
handled with very little congestion at any
point. The company's officers were very
confident this morning that they would be
able TO run the full complement Of cars on
the regular schedule time within twenty
four hours, and they claimed that the strike
would be over by midnight
Charles W. Mckenzie, chairman of the
committee Of the strikers, said that the men
were holding their own and would surely
win out. He claimed that every union man
on the traction compaEy'S roads and all OF
the men on the Nassau lines were out and
that all night long Il road employees We're
being brought into the union. He said that
the L" men We're working at the express
wish Of the strikers so as not to incon-
venience the public. Mckenzie said he was
confident Of success. and that a general tie
up OF all the cars in Brooklyn would occur
If the traction company failed to accede to
the demands Of the strikers.
Policemen Guard Cars.
On the Mary. 9TH and 9TH avenue roads
and the Douglas and Bergen street lines
the condition of affairs was serious -Four
policemen guarded each car. but there was
very little headway made on any of these
roads. Several cases of trouble on these
| lines were reported at police headquarters,
but no serious outbreak occurred. At 18th
street and 9th avenue large stones were
placed on the tracks and the police motor
men and conductors had hard time clear
ing the way to let two cars come along to
the city. A crowd of some 200 persons had
congregated at this point and they hooted
the police and employees while they were at
work.
Near the barn at Troy avenue and Ber-
gen street Bergen street car was stoned
by mob but no person was injured. The
police made two arrests, but neither of the
persons taken into custody belonged to the
union.
Trouble at Eanderveer Park.
Trouble was reported from Vanderveer
some of the trolley wires We're cut and
traffic delayed for over an hour.
General Master Workman Parsons said
today in reference to the railroad strike In
Brooklyn:
Il believe the position of The strikers is
being strengthened every hour, and with
the assurance of the financial aid that has
been given, the contest will be continued.
Between 5 and II o'clock last night 900
men who worked yesterday enrolled with
Efar NHea .1aa.
will depend Sntirely on the citizens of
Brooklyn, especially the business men, and
the Influence they have on the city officials
OF Brooklyn In compelling them to see that
the ten-hour and speed laws are enforced
Il desire to say that every encouragement
has been given the men to remain at home
and not to congregate around the car barns
or street corners. | Will call upon all those
VINO sincerely sympathize with the men TO
assist the police in suppressing violence and
IN protecting the lives Of citizens and the
property of the company. l will cheerfully
give my services TO Chief DeveTy I'm assist
ing to preserve the peace. This strike can
not be helped by violence
Then Mr. Parsons began to discuss the
conditions in Manhattan borough He said:
No strike on Metropolitan Expected.
Il do not think there will be strike of
the employees of the Metropolitan Street
Railway Company. 1 fully expect the board
of arbitration will impress President Vree-
land with the fact that there are real
grievances to arbitrate. and Mr. Vreelands
refusal to consider the matter with the
board of arbitration could only be inter-
preted as an intention TO join hands with
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company and
crush out with police assistance the spirit
OF organization among railroad employees.
In such a contest the combined influence OF
both corporations will be pressed into SER
wee, and Il is my purpose TO arouse organ
leZd labor so as to secure its assistance for
the railroad men in meeting existing condi-
a l.. md he h1S
men can then take a vacation. and should
they fell any displeasure they will know
that the situation has been forced upon
them by the greed Of these corporations,
and that their only assistance will be found
in joining forces with organized labor. taxi
ing the question to the ballot box in the
fall and securing officers of the city gov
ernment who Will dare to enforce the laws
without fear of offending the corporatio
for it should be remembered that the main
question in dispute between the emp oyes
and the corporations is shall The ten-hour
work-day law be enforced?' 1t should
also be remembered that this ten-hour law
for surface railway employees was made to
protect our citizens from the danger of
having trolley cars operated by men who,
from excessive toll. untitled for the
work, rather than enacted especially for
the benefit of the men themselves. Besides
enforcing the ten-hour law, the question at
issue before the public is, should the com
pany be made TO respect our laws? -
Col T. C. Williams, secretary OF the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company. in an
interview, said: THE Brooklyn Heights
lines are in good shape but the Nassau
system Is where most of the trouble is OF
the 400 men employed on our lines the
proportion of strikers is very small.
think the strike is already broken. and in
my opinion it will not last much longer"
Hiring Men in Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA, July 17-Agents Of
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company today
engaged 500 experienced motormen and con-
cuctors in this city TO take the places of
the striking employees. Many of them were
formerly in the employ of the Union Trac-
tion Company of this city and lost their
places a result of the big strike on that
system few years ago. At that time they
claimed their places were taken by Brook
iyn motormen and conductors. The Brook
lyn Rapid Transit Company had advertised
in the morning papers. and their headQuar-
tiers was opened but short time before ths