The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-25

lation of a city ordinance. The Of
fence consisting in the act of Mr.. Lows
servants in sprinkling his yard with
out having a meter to measure the
amount of water used. But if fines
followed the violation of all the ordi
nances on the books the city treasury
would burst. Merely as an instance
of one regulation violated a thousand
times a day there is law, still un-
repealed and unmodified, against the
passage of any truck or business
wagon along the streets of New York,
which has tires less than six inches
broad. Imagine the fun some stick
Ter for strict Interpretation would have
BY trying to get that ordinance en-
forced, 1t is, of course, relic of old
days when the streets were unpaved.
No city in the country will show out
wardly the effects of the coal strike as
will New York, should the present plan
of permitting the use of soft coal be
carried out. The crystalline purity of
the atmosphere, and the Spotless Town
aspect of the business regions have
been too little reckoned upon as an
item of local pride. Should soft coal
SCOT us over we shall learn how much
we have had to be thankful for in the
matter of restrictive laws. There will
have to be a tacit agreement to let the
law lie imperative. by the way, before
soft coal can be burned here.
If the account that I hear is true
and it bears the earmarks of truth
the matter of the coal strike was very
definitely and purposefully settled at
the conference in this city. The rep
resentatives of the operators wished
to precipitate the strike now, while
the miners preferred to wait until fall.
The proceedings of the conference were
supposed to be secret. Both sides We're
pledged not to divulge anything to the
newspapers except what was given out
formally and by mutual agreement.
One day after adjournment, President
John Mitchell, of the Miners Union,
came out, his face white with anger,
though he had himself under control.
IF it ever gets to the ears of the
men how we were treated in that con-
ference to-day" said he to an inti-
mate friend nothing can hold them.
There will be strike right away. If
we can keep it from them we can hold
it off"
Everything that occurred at that
meeting came out in the newspapers.
1t did not come from Mitchell or his
confreres: the inference is that the
other side let it out.
Whoever is pinched for coal here,
the Metropolitan Street Railway Com
pany won't suffer. A high official of
the company told me some time ago
that they always kept in reserve a six
months supply of coal, as precaution
against blockade, railroad difficulties or
strikes. This is stored in various
parts of the city. 1t Is probably the
largest reserve of hard coal in the
country.
While the meat riots on the East
Side are not likely to prove serious,
they are at least very lively. The
East Side Jew of the male gender
doesn't riot-at least not after the po-
lice arrive. He is too thoroughly cow
ed. But the Jewish women have more
spirit. l am inclined to believe that
they have more muscle to back it. At
any rate they are very persistent
fighters and once they get an idea
firmly fixed n their heads, a deal of
clubbing is required to get it out. II
happened to me to see the last rally
of one of the riots. and there were a
good many torn and bleeding faces
among the police. AS for the butchers
against whom the boycott Is directed
How would you like to be the meat
man?" has only one answer In the
Ghetto nova days. Several OF these
men have had narrow escapes for their
lives. and the business won't be safe
for some time 10 come.
In the coal strike Wall street sees
the most unsettling factor that hss