New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-25
ORDERS GENERAL STRIKE.
Curran Nag Call Ont Al p. R. R.
Freight Handlers.

Despite the optimistic attitude OF the railroad
officials. sweeping tie-up Of the freight traffic
OF the New-York. New-Haven and Hartford
Railroad and a strike involving not less than
25.O00 men is threatened for to-day, as the re-
suit OF the failure Of the railroad management
at yesterdays conference to reach any agree
ment with the employees
Lawrence J. Curran. president Of the Inter
national Freight Handlers Union, announced last
night that earlier he had sent kilograms to rep
resentatives of the union all along the lines OF
the railroad commanding them TO order out all
freight handlers, railroad and shipping. at BOs-
ton. Providence. Bridgeport. Fail River. New
Haven. Norwich, Waterbury and other towns.
1t is estimated that at least $500 men in Bos-
ton and 5000 In other cities will be affected by
this order.
Curran announced that he would visit Jersey
City this morning TO order out the freight ham
dlers employed the Pennsylvania Railroad, as
he believed that road aiding the New
Haven. 1t was said that the order would apply
not only to Jersey City. but throughout the
Pennsylvania system.
Daniel Sullivan. general secretary OF the Ma
rine Firemen's Union. announced that he had
called a strike OF all oilers and fremen. esti-
mated at seven thousand, who employed by
the New-Haven road.
A representative OF o. NJ. Shepard superin-
tendent OF the New-Haven Railroad. told
Tribune reporter last night that 900 cars on
seventeen transfer boats carrying much perish
able freight. had been tied up between Jersey
City and New-York all day, the result OF
additional fremen and oilers striking yesterday
and Monday night.
by tomorrow. however. added The Trib-
une informant I'VE hope to break the back Of
the congestion. New oilers and iremen are
being hourly engaged. engineers are firing the
passenger traffic, and have transferred as
much of the perishable freight as possible to the
various express companies"
MORE PAY AND SHORTER HOURS.
The strike began to assume more serious pro-
portions yesterday. when ninety-eight firemen.
employed on the boats of the transfer system
OF the New-Haven Railroad. went on strike.
These men members of the Atlantic Coast
Marine Ffremen's Union They are employed
on the boats which ply the East River TO
New-Jersey. transferring cars 10 and from Mott
Haven and Jersey City for through transit be-
tween Washington and Boston. The men de-
mand an increase to $40 a month from $40 and
shorter hours. They are now working in shifts
of twelve hours each. and demand three shifts
OF eight hours each They complain that they
frequently have to work fourteen, sixteen. ane
even eighteen hours day. with no extra pay.
The men also object to the food furnished
them. They said that some time ago the cap
tains of the transfer boats. after asking for
higher wages. got the opportunity to furnish the
food and make more the contracts. In con-
sequence. the fremen said. they frequently
have only bread. coffee and apology for milk
three-fOurths water. throughout the night shift
An attempt was made by the company to en-
ploy non-union men. but il was said to have
been unsuccessful. One engineer refused to
work with a non-uniOn fireman and was dis
charged.
The railroad company found itself with sew
eral hundred idle hremen. engineers and brake
men employed freight trains in the Mott
Haven yards. Four hundred of these men We're
laid off,
In the Mott Haven yards are hundreds OF cars
loaded with freight which it will be impossible
TO handle. There are many cars loaded with
perishable goods such as fish. CLAIMS and various
kinds of fruit. These perishable cargoes. it is
said. are already beginning to be worthless
through the enforced delay.
Twenty non-union men were landed by the tug
Transfer No. 0 at the Mott Haven Yards in the
afternoon All were hremen who had been Sc
cured TO man the tugboats IN the harbor When
&hey learned there was strike ths -