The sun., 1905-09-07
MAIL DRIVERS STRIkE.
Plenty Of Men Take Their PIaces-SerNicc
Not Seriously Impedeti.

NV SoCjOubiy hUpVupV'
All the mail drivers from Forty-second
street to the Battery went on strike at 1890
o'clock last night and Uncle Sam had to
soour the city for volunteers to take their
places.
At l:3O o'clock this morning mail was
being carried from the Post Office to the
Grand Central Station the steamship piers
and the ferries by all sorts Of vehicles.
green automobiles OF the rubber neck
type, few OF the regular wagons and other
wagons that the Post Office people found
convenient.
There was no disorder, for forty cops
were ordered by Headquarters to duty
at the post Office, on wagons, at the stable
in East Fifteenth street and at Station h.
There were twenty-five policemen at the
post office, ten at the Grand Central and
fourteen at the stables, sent by Chief In
spector Cortright at the request Of c. II.
Wocott who has the contract for handling
the mail.
At 1890 O'Clock last night fifty union
drivers who we're due to 60 on duty for the
night shift appeared at the contractors
stables at 5l3 East Fifteenth street.
They announced that they were sick and
couldn't work Those that had been de-
livering mail had emptied their wagons
and had brought them to the stable in good
order. For twenty-fcur hours the Mail
Drivers Union had been meeting at Avenue
A and Eighteenth street considering a
strike. At 1890 the order was given for
the men to quit work.
Most Of the drivers quit under protest.
They were men Of family and wanted to
continue working, but the strike leaders
wouldn't have it that way. The men were
peremptorially ordered to get of the wagons.
Five Of the strike leaders appeared at the
Post Office about II o'clock and attempted
to talk to some mail drivers still at work
there. Ben Fox, who handles the con-
tractors wagons at the Post Office, or dered
them away and they went
The Mail Drivers Union had demanded
from Contractor Wolcott. who assumed
the contract on July last, increase Of pay
and shorter hours for the men. Drivers
Of two horse wagons had been getting $2.lo
day and wanted $780,
Drivers Of one horse wagons had been
receiving 81 90 day and demanded Sl.75-
or the strike leaders did for them. VOL
colt advanced each class 10 cents a day
when he took the contract, and thought he
couldn't afford to pay more. The men
also wanted eleven hours time, instead Of
twelve, including an hour for lunch.
When the strike began, Mail Superin-
tendent Roome at the postoffice was more
or less prepared for It. E. j. Travers, who
is interested In the contract with Walcott,
drove up in an automobile and With Roome
proceeded TO get very busy. Messengers
were sent out to get men wherever they
could be found.
From the New York Transportation
Company eight little rubber neck autos
were hired. When they got to the Post
Office the drivers were sworn In by Roome
and pasteboard signs reading u. 8. Mail"
were tackled on their sides.
Dozens OF volunteers were at the Post
Office ready for work by midnight. Dozens
more we're sent to the Fifteenth street
stables to take the wagons out Some OF
them got the wagons, some of them didn't.
The strikers had piokets all around the
stables and when the pickets couldn't per-
suade they threatened. The result was
that at least half the volunteers were
scared off the job.
Police Headquarters was informed OF
the situation and promptly instructed the
police all over the city to arrest any driver
that deserted his wagon. At o'clock
Roundsman McCarty with twenty men got
to the Post Office, and when the O'Clock
rush OF newspaper mail commenced
McCarty put sturdy cop on every auto
mobile and wagon. A postal clerk went
along, too, in addition to the driver,
"The men were intimidated," said Travers.
'You can say for me that We'll 60 broke
and sell out before we'll agree to their de-
mands."
Supt. Roome said that there might be a
few delays in handling the mail this morn
ing, but he thought that the strike wouldn't
amount to much and that the service would
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