New-York tribune., 1899-07-20
SAYS THE MEN ARE GAINING.
GENERAL MASTER WORKMAN PARSONS
DECLARES HE WILL MAKE THIS
THE FIGHT OF HIS LIFE.

twenty y-ffth-st Yesterday afternoon. General
Master Workman Parsons made the following
statement
II wish to state in reference 10 :he situation
of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company
that the ranks OF the men are being ADDED 10
hourly md their hesitation in joining The strike
this morning was largely due, first. to ;he TACT
that only short notice given OF the decision
reached by the Executive Committee to strike
which was declared between $3.50 and O'CLOCK
this morning and also 20 the fact tnat
to-day was payday most Of the lines. ana
the men were expected to report at the depots
for their money. Not wishing to go there as
strikers many Of them started to work to-day
who Will join the ranks Of their comrades to-
morrow.
THE activity of the police especially on the
Seccnd-ave. division. in their violent treatment
of the strikers without any provocation, proves
the correctness of President Vreelands depeh-
dence on them to settle the dispute. Instances
have occurred to-day which fully convinced the
men Of what they may expect at the hands OF
the police. AS an illustration of this the ponce
cleared out the saloon at Ninety-sxth-st. ana
Second-ave. at noon. and arrested the proprie-
tor. Mr. OConnor. simply because some or the
strikers had seen tit to gather in that place
the strike time alone will tell but If 1t continues
as it has in Second-ave. to-day ! want TO De
relieved from. any responsibility to the public
for what may These strikers may De only
railroad employees but they are men
"A call is proposed for a meeting OF the presi-
dent and secretary of each labor organization
in New-York City. for the purpose or devislne
plans TO carry into effect the purpose OF the
meeting. in Cooper Union last night in placing
organized labor solidly behind railroad employees
i'm their present struggle for an entorcemeht Oh
nIC h0f
ganze
ION these two issues organized labor can ne
made a unit and when these Issues are settIeu
the organization can be made permanent ioI
other such emergencies which Will demonstrate,
| think that there are some people lelt WHO
have not been purchased by either Oh uhese
corporations. The strikers can be ASSISTED py
the contribution of n sufficient fund TO continue
the fight until the fall election when the contest
might he transferred from Mr.. Rossiter ana Mr.
Vreeland to w. G. Whitney and II. j. Grant VINO VINO
is vice-president of the Nassau system ASK
Grant why Van Wyck does not interfere lie
and Whitney can give good reasons
FIGHT TO FINISH. HE SAYS.
"At the meeting a. Cooper Union last night
organized labor enlisted in the contest and 1t
must be fought to finish. opposed strike
until 3 O'Clock this morning.
This movement Of the railroad men was not
gone into haphazardly. The companies are deal
ing now with National organization Of labor
and not with their poor. half fed employees Or
ganzed labor has to look on these two corpora
tiOns and their connections in other cities as
being perhaps the nearest approach to the
formation of an East India corporation in this
country like the ones that ruled England for
many years.
mir Pines has nothing to do with the action
cf the New-York men, and was not Informed
OF their purpose until long after they had de-
cided to act. l believe this strike will continue
until the men have ample assurance that their
demands will be acceded to- The men viii ac-
cept nothing but a written promise that their
grievances will be remedied. ! expect that oU
per cent of the employees OF the company Will
join this strike"
AN EARLIER STATEMENT
Earlier in the day Mr. Parsons had said
"The quotation In evening paper OF my
remarks last night made to the Executive Com
mittee is much overstretched. l did not say
I would wash my hands of the whole affair.
did not say that they could all go to hell.
told them at last after heated argument, II
you strike, | can't prevent you Ihey knew IL
they struck that I would stick to them till he'll
froze over. advised delay for day or two
sbut now that it is on I'll mae 1t the hght OF
my life to sustain the men in compelling an
observance of the ten hour law ana the reuieSS
of other grievances.
From present reports do not expect gem
eral tieup Of the Metropolitan street Railway
Companys lines. The strike VIII be more IN
teresting tomorrow than to-day, because all the
men will be informed to-day of the strike. The
men must win. and the question is only on the
observance OF the law. 1t would be sad thing
f II didn't.
II have lust heard reports from the Second
ave road TO the effect that only twenty cars
are in operation the line which are Opera.ed
by those who were in the company's employ yes
terday All the other crews have struck. The
men complained Of excessive violence OF the
police from being roughly handled without
cause. Ny information from one OF the strikers .I
who has been in four other strikes is to the
effect that he never witnessed such officiousness
and cruelty on the part Of the police
"On the West Side, especially on the Eighth
ave division some few arrests Of strikers have
been made at the request of the officers of the
company on the general complaint that they are
strikers. Pail furnished promptly in all
cases and the men were released.
81 corGemn most emphatically the blowing up
OF the elevated structure. II lone by strikers
they will be repudate by the organization
This savors much OF the old tactics charged as
employed by the company in former strikes 70
create public sympathy. This is not far-
fetched idea have no doubt that every ex-
treme will be resOrted to in order. apparently 10
Justify the calling out of the State troops to as
sist in enabling these companies to evade the
law good illustration would be furnished
perhaps. from the fact that in all OF the assem-
blies of the strikers can be found agents acting
for the interest of the company as against the
men by advising the resort to all kinds of un
lawful methods in support Of the strike.
PLANS FOR A STRIKE FUND.
At midnight. after visiting the various strike
Headquarters John n. Parsons said to a Trib-
une reporter: The developments of the day are
entirely satisfactory. l am pleased to see the Ill
tention OF the to insist settling their diff
culties by peaceful and lawful but determined
methods Their ranks are being added TO hourly.
II seems TO me that before sunset Tomorrow
President Nreeland will realize that there is
something to arbitrate. Sixteen hundred men
are now out on the four divisions. on which the
strike has taken place, and tomorrow l expect
that 75 per cent of the whole number of men
on those divisions will have quit work. The
men are out to stay and will fight 10 a finish.
Despite Mr. Vreeand's assertions. the headway
between the cars still running shows clearly that
there are some mer missing off those lines Very
much encouragement has been given to me by
disinterested citizens. who are thoroughly i'm
pressed with the justice Of the mems demands
l,,.bo hae eli inp he t,,rnx