New-York tribune., 1900-03-17
DEMAND LABOR LEGISLATION.
FIREMEN AND STREET CLEANERS IN MASS
MEETING-THREATENT THEIR OPPO-
NENTs WITH THE BALLOT

Under the auspices of the Central Fedora ted
Union there held IN the Grand Central Palace
last evening a meeting to demand that the
Legislature pass the bills pending there in the
interest of labor Though the meeting called
for o'clock. there were scarcely more than two
hundred persons In the hall at that hour Before
the opening of the meeting a delegation repre-
senting the Brooklyn street cleaners headed by a
band. entered the hall and were received with
shouts of welcome. 1t was fully an hour after
the time scheduled for the meeting when Patrick
j. McNulty, business agent Of the Drivers and
Hostlers Union of the Street Cleaning Depart
ment. called the meeting to order and introduced
John Hawkins. of Typographical Union No. 6. as
the permanent chairman. 1t had been announced
that John s. Crosby. the single tax advocate would
preside. No explanation was offered for his alb
sence
Chairman Hawkins in his Introductory remarks
after explaining the objects of the meeting, said
that the city authorities should give the hremen
reasonable hours of service and reasonable hours
of recreation. The city government. he declared,
should Of right give the men who clean the streets
of the city similarly favorable conditions and pay
the sweepers for Sunday work.
Patrick J. DAILY of District Assembly No. ~.
knights of Labor the first speaker, referring 10
the order issued by Fire Commissioner Scannell
that no member of the force should go to Albany
TO speak In favor of the ffremens BILL said; IN
that respect Commissioner Scannell made fool OF
himself" The speaker urged his hearers to re-
member at the ballot box in November next the
who at present arrayed against the sweep
and fremens bills pending in the Legis-
lature. This remark greeted with cries of I'VE
will!'
At this juncture Chairman Hawkins read tele-
gram from Senator John Ford regretting his in
ability to be present and expressing approval OF
the purpose of the meeting. Robert G. McNulty.
the next speaker, declared that the work of clean
ing the streets below Fourteenth-st. was being
done by supplied under the padrone system
James D. Clifford, foreman of Fire Engine Com
pany No g. the next speaker. He began by
saying that he had nobodys permission to be pres
ent at the meeting and denied in the most positive
by the members of the uniformed firemen in this
city for the purpose of aiding favorable legislation
at Albany.
To-day" he said, 'at the beginning of the
twentieth century, want tc change condition
that keeps twenty-seven days in every month
from our homes and families, and twenty-one
hours day locked up In the fire quarters with
that being enjoyed by the rest of mankind.
The fireman of to-day is white slave, and Is
nothing but a beast Of burden, like horse in
manser.'
Assemblynan John J. Egan, the father of the
bill favorable to the street sweepers, described
detail his experiences at Albany, and declared that
Assembyman Costello, Of Oswego County who
presides over the Labor and Industrial committees
ex-Congressman McEwen, of New-Jersey;
Assembymen OConnell and McManus, and Pat
rick Mcmahon, Master Workman of D. A. No. 40.
Resolutions favoring the measures under discus
sion were adopted with whoop, was one which
said that the bills favorable to both the firenen
and the street sweepers liable to be defeated
through corruption. At the close of the meeting IL
was estimated that fully one thousand people were
N he