The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-17
TROLLEY STRIKE IS ON.
So Far 1t Has Not Proven as Effective as
the 1895 Strike.
SERVICE CRIPPLED ONLY ABOUT THIRD
There Was Some Interference with
Traffic, but Nothing of Serious
Nature Has Occurred.

| strike Is on In Brooklyn. so lar III mas
not been as effective as the strike OF 1870,
but there is no telling how long or iar
| reaching ii may become. For some weeks
past the employees of the several lines
controlled by the Brooklyn Rapid transit
company have been complaining that the
MANAGEMENT did not live up to the ten
hour law The men demand revision OF
the time tables at the different barns and
also claim that they should be paid 20 cents
an hour for overtime, which is equivalent
to 50 a day, the price which they set for a
working day Of ten hours. Meetings have
been held daily and nightly for the last
week and 1t was inferred from the reports
given out by the employees and their ad-
visors since Thursday last that while a
strike was imminent 1t would not. occur
for some days TO come.
General Master Workman Parsons and
District Master Workman Pines had charge
of the mems affairs and strike was called
at 4: 80 o'clock this morning AT this nour
most OF the motormen and conductors of
the Brooklyn Traction company's lines had
completed their night trips and the lead
ers decided that this was the most oppor-
tune moment to begin what was expected
to be stubborn fight with the traction
company. y heavy rain storm was IN
progress at this time and there was very
little passenger traffic. The Smith, Frank
lin avenue and Hamilton Ferry lines,
which are controlled by the Coney Island
Railroad company, having maintained the
regular terms with their employees. was
not impeded, but on all other roads the
transportation was stopped for a while
and a good deal of congestion occurred in
consequence.
Shortly after midnight about 1000 police
men from the precincts in Manhattan and
the Bronx districts were conveyed to the
different barns and many were placed
along the several routes comprising the
territory covered by the brooklyn Traction
company. Up to 1880 o'clock there were
very few cars run over these lines and
those that were sent out from the differ
ent barns We're policed by two, three and
four constables. On the Putnam avenue
line only few men refused to work and
it was notable that scarcely a half dozen
of the cars on this division were policed.
By 10 o'clock about one-tenth Of the regu-
lar rolling stock was working. These cars
were manned by inspectors and linemen
and in fact oilers and helpers were pressed
into service so as to maintain a partial
running OF the system. Many of the old
conductors and motormen reported for duty
on the Ralph. Gates Broadway, Myrtle,
Flushing and Third avenue roads and
President Rossiter said that shortly after
noon that over so per cent of the old men
ere at work
Later in The afternoon cars were running
at intervals of ten minutes, which meant
that the service was crippled about one
third.
Throughout the afternoon boulders and
large pieces of granite were taken from a
nearby yard and placed on the tracks in
the vicinity of Greenwood cemetery, and
as cars came along at intervals of twenty
or thirty minutes their passage was con-
siderably delayed until these distractions
were removed. No sooner did the cars
pass than the boulders were laid on the
tracks and again and the police were I'M
able to stop the work of the obstruction
lists.
A close watch was kept along Brooklyn
bridge to see that no one interfered with
the trolley wires. There was some wire
cutting reported to the Brooklyn police
headquarters, but score of linemen soon
repaired these in a temporary manner,
which sufficed to reopen the line.
Late in the afternoon conference was
held at police headquarters. Among those
present were Police Commissioners York,
Hess and Sexton, Chief of Police Devery,
Deputy Chiefs Mclaughlin of Manhattan
and Mcclellan of Brooklyn, and President
Rossiter. General McLeer was also in
attendance, but he said that as far as he
could see there was no necessity for the
calling out of the militia and no inter-
ference in any way by the strikers.
Several arrests were made during the |
day among the ranks of the strikers and
their sympathizers, but no disturbance of
a very serious nature occurred up to
O'Clock.
PresidentRossiter said tonight that the |
Brooklyn Rapid Transit officials would |
not arbitrate the strike difficulty with |
their employees.
There is nothing to arbitrate," said |
Mr. Rossiter. THE men who havo gone
OUT came to me with certain demands |
showed them that they already had sub
all they asked for, and would |
straighten out any injustice. They came |
IN lighting mood and were not disposed
to look at the subject dispassionately
How many men went on strike this
This morning."
Between 700 and 1000, Not more than
1000 at the outside. About 200 out of the
500 or 300 OF the Nassau men remain loyal
o the company and ran their cars as usu-
H. and about 200 of the $500 or 5000 Brook
yn Heights men went out with the strik-
,rs