New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-09-04
STONES LAST RESORT.
Chief Tells Engineers He Would
Tie W Steam Roads.

If ali other measures failed Grand Chief
Stone tGid the elevated road notornen on Fri
day when they. the members Of the Brother
hoods of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen,
cast their ballots for a strike that would tie up
all the elevated roads on Tuesday. he would
stop every steam railroad train that runs
into or leaves the city from entering or depart
ing until August Belmont showed a disposition
TO grant the demands made on the INTERIOR
ough He could fulfil this threat. for the en-
gineers and firemen Of all the roads having ter
minals in this city, including those which enter
by ferries from the Jersey shore are members
OF the brotherhoods
Those who know the grand chief say his
words were not a bluff; THAI II he can't do
1t III any other way. he will force the Inter
borough 20 grant the notornen's demands by
isolating New-York City. in 50 far railroad
communicat ton IS concerned
Thus, II Mr. Belmont maintains the adarnan-
tine attitude from which he has declared he
VIII not recede. and Stone is equally determined.
the city will face not only its greatest traffic
strike inside rs boundaries. but cutting off
far as railroads are concerned from the outside
world With the elevated systems practically
useless, the surface cars vainly trying TO handle
the hundreds of thousands OF rush hour passen-
gers. and the hundreds of thousands more Iiv-
ing in nearby cities who depend on the steam
roads 10 take them TO and from their places
Of employment here unable to reach them the
business Of the entire city would receive a stag
gering blow. the like Of which It has not known.
The mind can hardly grasp the chaos that would
result We're no trains to enter or leave the
Grand Central, the Long Island road and the
Putnam division OF the Central stations and
stations in New-Jersey connecting with ferries
10 New-York, or what It would mean TO the
communities the greater part of whose ,nhab-
itants sepend work here for their livelihood.
A most important feature Of the means in
the hands Of the mOtOrLlen to enforce their de-
mands and one that hitherto has been over
looked. Is their ability 70 stop all the elevated
bridge trains and the entire elevated system of
Brooklyn, temporarily at least. AS In Manhat-
tan, the uotornen Of the bridge and Brooklyn
elevated trains were engineers and hremen be-
fore they became motOTrnen and are members
Of the brotherhoods Of Engineers and FireTnen.
Several Of them were at the meetings Of their
respective organizations on Friday. and they
stand ready 70 obey strike order that would
result in the most stupenGous bridge crush on
record, large as they have been heretofore.
Add unparalleled congestion at the bridge 20
unparalleled congestion on the surface cars, and
a complete tie-up Of the railroad trains entering
and leaving the city and the result impossi-
bic 20 describe Will he the conditions that will
Under suCn circumstances Il IS easy 10 conceive
all business ar Il standsJiI for the tie-up OF the
steam trains would include the freight traffio
on the surface OF the situation. these are the
lengths TO which Grand Chief Stone IS prepared
10 80 10 gain Tor the subway motormen wages
OF s. 30 for 4 nine hour Gay. But the subway
rotornen ara really q minor issue. The real
night = being Waged in behalf Of those engineers
and hreneu who in the near future notably IN
the case % the New-Yorls Central Railroad. will
become uotOTmen through the change on the
roads that employ them from steam to
J!lC!ty as { motive power
The brotherhuOCs have seen this coming, and
have realized that there must be A fight for the
continuation OF engineers wages for rnotorrnen
every road that uses electricity. The first
victory must be the important one. and now
that they are confronted by what they planned
70 meet they are determined that they must
win or lose for all time.
The engineers say = the marlborough has its
way now, these same directors Will see 10 Il
when the engineers become motormen on the
steam roads that their pay Is reduced 10 that
OF the subway rnotormen- Hence. the grand
chiefs determination 10 all the power in
he ranks OF the brotherhoods the country over
TO keep the subway motoErnen's wages up TO the
engineers standard.
The motormen say that the men now running
school trains In he subway number fourteen
and that they brought here from Chicago
TO instruct outside workmeu VINO get the
notorTuen's places that have been promised to
the elevated road trainmen.