The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-21
pUSHCART MEN TALK STRIKE.
IMMUNITY. FROM ARREST or
THEY'LL QUIT ron 3 DAYSl

Six Branches Held Taking Bees Yesterday
--Voto Postponed Until Their Corns
mittee Secs &. II. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of
Race Division OF the Gty's Trade.
Seven thousand pushcart pedlers belong
ing to the United Citizens Pedlers' Associa-
ton Of the Greater New York threaten to
strike unless they gain what they consider
their rights from the city In the way OF
protection and immunity from arrest.
Mass meetings Of pedlers were held In
various halls throughout the East Side
yesterday to vote on the question OF gen.
eral suspension Of the pushcart trafhc for
three days. No action was taken pending
an appeal to be made to Leader Charles +.
Murphy Of Tammany Hall tomorrow.
There are six branches In the pedlers'
organization and Ill OF 'them held meetings.
Whom the strike was to be actually directed
against and by what means 1t could bensht
the pedlers II It was ordered was not made
clear at the meetings. 1t was pointed out
that the pushcart elders struck for one
day in themidciie Of summer last year against
q new rule OF the city authorities circum-
soibing the limits, where the pushcart
men could ply their trade. It had the
effect. the ayitators said Of forcing the
abolition OF the obnoxious rule the next
day.
Sigmlnd Schwartz, who runs an UNDER
taking establishment at 1o7 Forsyth street
and is president Of the United Citizens
Pedlers' Association, addressed all the
meetings ofthe SIX. branches. The princi-
pal meetings we're held at Odd Fellows
Hall, 9s Forsyth street, and at 20 Delaney
street, the old headquarters of the Uni
versity Settlement Other places where
meetings were held included 70 Ludlow
street and 4a:PM street, and thsmen who
hire out the pushoarts to the pedlers and
have an organization Of their own met at
125 Rivington street Among those who
made speeches at the meetings we're LYMAN
Apte, Joseph Lettwak.. Louis .Zeltner. A.
Hefteron and Jacob Buchholz. They were
not in favor of rushing things.
Before the meetings began President
Schwartz said to Sun reportsr;
About six months ago the pushcart
pedlers, finding themselves Disseminated
against, asked for the stoppage OF all If
cation as to who should have Them. A
committee was appointed by the Mayor
for the purpose of making this investiga-
tlOH, DuI ~ has HeNeT Iudue any IHppIts
Meantime more than half the pedlers must
work without licenses and risk being fined
for selling without a license or 60 to the
poorhouse. There are l 500 storekeepers
who have pushcart licenses to which they
are not entitled We want these licenses
taken away and given to pushcart pedlers.
an Orchard. Monroe, Rivington and
several other streets pedlers who stand
opposite the stores have to pay SO month
~ 49, t1k> ~ ha fEr h De- not
a general rule in the other streets, but We
want it stopped. II strike has to be or:
dered 1t will bring about the cooperation OF
the wholesale fruit and other dealers, and
produce such condition of affairs that
reform will come very quickly, When the
to get their rights
The employing pushcart men we're very
anxious to avoid a strike as 1t would involve
them as we'll as the pushcart men. They
were willing to do anything they could
to aid the pedlers in bringing about re-
form. After the meetings OF the pedlers
were over, the general executive COM
mittee. consisting Of. six members from
each branch met and were addressed by
President Schwartz. He advised them to
wait a week before the strike was ordered
and see Charles F. Murphy.
It was then decided to appoint COM
mittee to wait on Mr.. Murphy and ask that
ne use nlS lnIluenco 10 nave tne GUY OTCl.
nances 80 amended that all the pushcarts
pedlers will be able to get licenses and that
all their alleged grievances be remedied.
1t is proposed that the Greek pedlers be
confined to the downtown districts, that the
Italian pedlers be confined to the di strict
between Bayasd and Mulberry and Houston
streets. and that the other peders operate
on the East Side generally.
The committee will tell Mr. Murphy that
the attempt made by the police to .confne
the pushcart trade to the neighborhood Of
the new Williamsburg Bridge could not
possibly be carried out, as while people
might 60 for fish to the market at the bridge,
they would not be likely to 60 there for .
necktie. The. pedlers, they Say. will
be willing to aid In keeping the streets Clean
that IL the visit to Mr. Murphy proves fruit
less mass meetings will be held next SUM-
day to order general three days strike
Of 1000 pushcart pedlers.