The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-25
VICTORY FOR THE OPEN SHOP
LABOR UNION LEADERS BEATEN
IN SAN FRANCISCO.

8Suke WHO INJURY 10 BUSINESS Done
by the STRIKERS and Their Allies Hope
In schmitx stili-Jslt to Union Labor.
SAN Francisco. Aug. 3O.-San Francisco
to-day is probably tho worst labor union
ridden city in the country. Certainly no
other presents tho spectacle Of the labor
unions encouraging . strike which has been
lost irretrievably. That 10 the situation in
regard to the strike Of the street Car men
against the United Railroads.
On May 1 this strike began-a strike
which all the prominent labor leaders re-
Gently admitted in public speeches was
illegal and unjustifiable. Yet these same
leaders have encouraged the ~prolongation
OF the strike unless President Calhoun Of
the United Railroads would recognize the
Street Carmen's Union. Upon this single
point Of recognition of the union the whole
controversy has rested. and unless the
unions give way the strike will continue
indefinitely. for President Calhoun has
declared that never again will he treat with
tho men as members Of b union.
There is good excuse for this attitude on
the part of Calhoun, as he had just COM
pleted the arbitration Of questions regard
ing wages and hours which cost his COM
psny . large sum The arbitrators had
been fair and only one Of them, a Catholic
priest named Father Yorke, had dissented
from the award. Yet only q month later
the union. in violation Of its agreement.
declared a strike for an eight o day and
uniform pay Of s. q day.
II the company had granted this emsnd
and had obtained q contract for q year or
two years there was nothing TO prevent
the union leaders from revoking the con-
tract q making additional demaads. In
a word, under President Richard Cornelius
the Street Garments Union vas . finely
developed engine Of oppression and It was
geared up to exact the greatest amount Of
money from tho corporation which has
done more to rehabilitate San Francisco
than any other.
When the carmen struck they evidently
counted on preventing the running Of
street cars. They knew that Mayor
Schmitz and the police were In sympathy
with them. So when President Calhoun
imported strike breakers and the first cars
were run down Turk street the striking
carmen and their sympathixers began q
fusillade Of sticks and stones. and when
tho strike breakers drew weapons nj
pCkdh W PAOtoCb bnOhioOlN" thOio Wb5 -
riot in which several men were killed and q
score were wounded.
The chief Of police had taken no pre-
cautions to guard against violence and his
small force Of men did nothing to check
it until the riot came. Then they did good
work and checked the violence. But on
the days following. when many insults
were leveIled against passengers on cars
and when motormen and conductors were
seriously injured by workmen In buildings
along the line Of the car tracks. the police
were inefficient and frequently allowed the
assailants TO escape.
Cars were blocked by teamsters and
every device was used to prevent the opera
ton Of the system. There was no street
car transportation after z o'clock at night
for two months and only recently has the
all night system been In operation.
These attacks IN the street cars. which
after the first day were more malicious
than dangerous to passengers. were ex-
aggerated by the newspapers Of the Coast.
Los Angeles papers declared that blood
ran in San Francisco streets and that it
was dangerous to venture into the city.
The great army Of winter tourists who
usually 90 home by way Of San Francisco
changed their plan. and went home directly
by southern routes.
Tho lack Of good street car transport
tation kept away thousands Of CONNER
oial travellers and general visitors. April
had been a very successful month with
general business and there had been enor-
nous activity in rebuilding. The car
strike changed all this within a week.
The hotels. restaurants and retail stores
we're the first to suffer. Their business
was cut in half and wen reduced beyond
this point. Thousands Of retail clerks
were discharged; 100 walters were soon
idle, most Of the hotels hall empty.
With the general slump in business the
banks refused to lend mone On real es-
tate for building purposes and scores OF
buildings that were projected were aban-
doned for the time. Strikes OF laundry
workers. brewers. and tebe-
phone operators occurred.
The street car strikers conceived the
scheme Of running lines Of omnibuses to |
carry union labor men and their sympa-
thizers. TIN various union passed
resolutions fining any member from t2s
to 500 for riding on the cars or for per-
hitting any members Of his family to ride.
All proprietors OF retail stores were warned
that il they p~atroni1sd the cars or per-
mitted their clerks TO ride in them their
stores would be black listed in the Official
labor paper. So In this big town day after
day for weeks could be seen long lines Of
improvised buses taking men and women to
and from their work.
Many Of these agons were unfit for
duty. many Of the horses were scarcely
able to haul the loads. Workingmen spent
from an hour to an hour and . half in reach
ing their homes in these wagons. The
fare was IS cents at tho start. Afterwsrd
the charge was reduced to 10 cents, but
President Cornelius last week admitted
that at 10 cents the enterprise was not
s~elf-supporting and that 5000 a month
was lost by the union in maintaining this
inc ficient service. '
Through all this turmoil the United Rail-
roads has gone steadily on, increasing
gradually the number Of cars operated
until now il is running nearly the full quota
II cars operated before the strike. The
patropage is increasing every week and