The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-25
BIG CAR STRIKE ON AND OFF.
THREATENED TO TIE UP PUBLIC
SERVICE LINES IN JERSEY.
Newark Lines stopped by Premature Ac-
tlon Of MOtormen-All Night Confer
ence Of Onlcials and Union Committee
Men Failed 10 &c: Their Demands.

Northern New Jersey was threatened
last night with a serious trolley strike on
the lines operated by the Public Service
Corporation. A strike was unoff1cialiy
begun in Newark and in Paterson early
In the evening, where conductors and motor
men on some of the lines refused to take
out their cars.
Al the same time conferences between
officials of the road and committee OF
the men were going on at Newark, and at
O'Clock this morning the announcement
was made officially that there would be
no 81 rike
This conference had lasted all the after
noon and until after midnight While
the officers Of the road were in consulta-
ton in Newark large meetings of the men
we're being held in Hoboken, Jersey City,
Newark and Paterson.
No word came from the conference until
o'clock. when Chief Of Police Murphy Of
Jersey City, who had already made ex-
tensive preparations for strike, received
atclephone me ssage from President Thomas
a. McCarter of the Public Service Corpora
ton that there would be no strike and
that an agreement between the contending
parties had been reached.
The men asked for % cents an hour.
continuous employment and u shorter
working day. President McCarer and
OF her officials Of the Public Service Corpora
ton refused positively to grant u recogni-
ton of the Union and to agree 10 take back
discharged men. but left the question Of
increased wages 10 further consideration,
together with the question OF continuous
employment, saying thGt he new mana ge-
lnent had not had time TO study the situa-
ton.
Pres ident Cornelius Ford of the New Jer-
sey State f. Iteration Of Labor, which has
been taking hand in settling the trouble,
laid earlier in the evening
There is 40 strike ON at present, al
though few dissa,isfi ell men may have
gone out prematurely at Newark. All
the men are members of the various
local branches Of the National
Amalgamated Association of Fleet rca
Street Railway Employees, Until the
order is given by the president OF
the association, William Mann of De-
troit, there can be no effective strike.
"Mr. Mann is now in Chicago, but his per-
sonal repre> entatNe Ricien Orr, has come
here to hear the complaints of the mer
ard to present their demands to President
McrarteI."
Mr.. Ford ard Mr.. Orr reprsse the
trolley employees ~ the COZ feIeICe al
Newark which resulted in ali agreement.
So eager did some of the men seem t.
he for a strike yesterday that despite the
fact that TO order had come from the officers
authorizing ono, several motormen ON the
|. Paterson and Newark line early in the
afternoon left their cars in Newark and
quit work, .,.
At o'clock last evening fourteen cars
on tho Newark and Bloomfield lin" had
been deserted and turned into the barns
The Montclair, Verona and Caldwell lines
were tisd up completely,
Pretty soon the Clifton avenue cross
town linz had to suspend operations
altogether. but on the other lines the com
panv managed to keep cars going at lonl
intervals
A LOT of cars were run with policemen
on the front platforms AS guard for tn
inspectors and others whom the road hat
to press into service. The police in Newarl
were kept ready to answer emergency
calls all the evening,
Al the Bloomfield avenue yard in Newarl
the men who had cult on their own re-
sponsibility went so far as TO try to inducr
others to leave their cars and called then
scabs when they refused
As result of this premature strike o
the men not more than one half Of tn
Newark equipment of the company wa
in operation at midnight, and on man,
~, hot pipcv trSr, 0tTv-
had taken the places of theconductors and
motormen.
The few cars that were now running wer
utterly inadequate to carry home the crowd
from the theatres in Newark, and thou
sands had to walk from two to three mile
to their homes.
That this action Of some of the Newar
employees did not meet the approval o
other employees of the company was show
by the fact that in towns and Essex ant
Bergen counties there was absolutely n
interruption Of traffic with the exception
OF the city of Passaic, where every car wa
motionless at $50
In Jersey City and Hoboken the servic
was the same as usual, and the men seeme
perfectly content to remain at work unit
IW'v got Il utHHllt OlicI i'oiii 'iiC oAiSNi
Of their organization.
xplanation Of the action of the Newar
employees in quitting work without order
from their officers. it was said that tn
troubles arose originally with them AM
that the employees in other places ha
not felt altogether in sympathy with thei
grievances.
This trouble. it is said arose principall
over the discharge of some of the men
This. the company said, was for violatio
Of rules, but the men say it was becaus
the men discharged had been suspected
by the company of forming union.
The Public Service Corpor ration 500
after assuming control of the trolley line
in northern New Jersey granted an increas
to the employees which was received b
great many of them with considerable
satisfaction.
Under the new schedule, increases /
their pay were made at the end Of two
FIVE ten and twenty years of service, wit
paw for all overtime. The result has bee
tAat many old conductors have been max
ing as much as SIS "A week.
Although the employee in many place
held meetings last night to await the resu
of the conference at Newark, it was sal
that many of them were not at all in fave
Of striking. These men told the disgruntle
ones that they were getting better wage