The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-24
JANIYORS FIGHT JANITORS.
,,,,rF DRiUN AND Blue BLOOD
nv THE BASEMENT SPILLED
aha, Rival Organizations Clashed--Ashes
Among the Garbage Is One Issue
between Hubschmanltes and Her
.o,,,tes-l.icensing Janit Ors Is Another

meeting of the Janitors' Association OF
xa, Work at 90 Clinton street was invaded
-, a rival organization last night. A knife
,.,s drawn. fisticrffs We're exchanged NJ d
Tito nut ont before the invaders were
" o,, bodily Town the three flights of stairs
:, tho foot of which they held an indigna-
inn meeting an denounced the janitors
rho had thrown them out.
The working cause of the scrap was
Harry IIuhschman, who says he Is ianitor
at ,ol Willet street but who is accused by
Ma adversaries of being Tammany ap-
no;n,ee in the Custom House. What
started Hubschman, however. was the
memory Of the wrongs which are said to
have arisen when n theatrical benefit for
The ianitors was given in an East Side hail
ayear ago
Jacob Bashein was president Of the organ
ization and the treasurer was one Horo-
witty, who is now secretary of the organi-
ystion which did the invading last night. Ac-
cordng 10 the latter, President Bashein
spproached him after the entertainment
and demanded the $3.50 receipts. Horo-
vitz objected, but finally gave in. At
stormy meeting held few days later at
the rooms of the Janitors' Association, he
demanded an accounting. He got what he
etci,edlv calls pair of blue eyes" and
nothing more. Then was formed the an
DEPENDENT Janitors of Greater New York"
and ever since the two societies have ac
cised each other of everything from polit-
ical flirting TO brihing street cleaners to
let them put ashes into garbage cans.
One especially sore subject between
them is the proposed licensing Of janitors.
which the Janitors' Association OF New
York are trying to bring about. Last
night Bashein's successor, Hersohn, spoke
IN the subject at length.
"A licensed janitor could exact money
from either his employer or the city for
sorting the garbage from the ashes" was
he burden of his speech. Hubschman
hardly gave him time to finish before he
Yas on his feet.
You want to put $4,000 Of us poor people
out Of business. You want to put $40 900
n the citys Golfers and then, as commits
soner or something, you want the handling
Of it he shreked.
There we're cries of "St down." and
Throw him outl' but Hubschman only
yelled the louder. Secretary Mason and
several others charged him.
Suddenly from various parts of the hall
half a dozen men jumped up and pushed
their way in front Of him. A valiant old
lady in a poke bonnet, who was screaming
in Hubschman's face, subsidized from lab
IN, hn afnnnaoh HnHachypan alhnIUa1 10
way shouting. to the middle of the hall.
Mason got him by the coat collar. Then
the knife was drawn. The man who drew
il was tall, sandy mustachioed individual.
One or two men we're slightly cut
-Hubschman's a hero" yelled the man
with the knife. "and Hersohn's a ="
just then the poke-bonneted janitress
She made dive for the chain
which, hanging from the central cluster
of Welsbachs. controls the whole lighting
of the hall. An instant later the room was
a chaos of screaming, scuffiing blackness
Women yelled. Benches were overturned.
Then some one threw open the doors and a
score Of wrestling men began a fight that
into knots of twos and threes
down two more flights and finally dissolved
when 1t approached the air of the street
There the Independent Janitors Of Greater
New York stood fast and held an independ-
ent meeting on the curb.
They want us to pay 80 a piece for the
risst to live" yelled Hubschman. They
want to put the landlord under S25 penalty
not to employ us if We haven't citizens
papers and can't pass their examinations
in hygiene. They got DeForest to give
$500 in prizes for the ceanest house. What
they did it for was to teach the young tene-
ment house inspectors how to find fault
Mr. Frank won one twenty dollar prize
Then Mason came to him and got it away
from him for sick benefit What right e
Mason got to run things. He isn't janitor
and takes S25 a week from the society for
telling the society that it ought to protect
itself"
Up three flights, meanwhile, President
Hersohn, his janitorial flock regathercd
was denouncing the invaders as a band of
pickpockets, and waved the society's
bank book in the air as proof that every
thing was conducted in an open and above
board manner
What I've seen at this meeting has con-
rinced me that Tammany Hall is no part
10 vote for. Numbered Secretary Mason
u vote the straight Republican ticket.