The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-02
STRENGTHENING STRIKE ENDS
DRIVERS TO GO TO WORK THIS
MORNING WITHOUT CONDITIONS

Some Progress Made In Removing the
Accumulation OF Filth. but the stencil
Was Worse-AIdcFmen butt I'm Too Late.
The strike Of the street cleaning drivers.
which seriously crippled the work Of tbs
department for nearly q week and which
caused a vast amount OF filth to acoumu-
late in the streets. particularly in the oon-
gested sections OF the East Side. was
declared of without conditions yesterday
afternoon and the strikers will return to
work this morning at the usual hour
The firm attitude Of the city officials.
especially Mayor Mcclellan, forced tbs
drivers to the conclusion that the fsht they
had made for the eight hour day and tho
relaxation of the rules under which tbs
department is governed was futile ana
hat IL they did not return to work they
would lose their jobs.
The attitude that the Mayor assumed
from the ST art was that the drivers were not
strikers in the ordinary sense OF disputes
between employees and employers, but
that they were merely insubordinate civil
service employees who had broken the
rules of the department by absentinE them-.
selves from work without leave. II was
upor this ground that he refused to treat
or deal with the insurgents until they re-
turned to work.
A committee Of the drivers led by Herman
Robinson. organizer OF the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor. called upon the Mayor at
2'a0 O'Clock yesterday afternoon. It couldn't
be called a conference. The Mayor simply
told the committee that he could nave no
dealings with them until the drivers vent
back to work. The COMMITTEES then re-
turned to the Office Of Fred G.. Acer. who
Is the attorney Of their union. After a.
short discussion with him -four members
Of the COMMITTEES returned TO the City Hall
and reported to the Mayor that they we're
ready TO go back to work in the morning.
Mayor Mcclellan was gratihed over
their decision, and while not promising tbs
men anything definite he said he was al
ways ready and willing TO hear the grew
ances Of the employees of any department
Of the city government He said that hs
had had a wide experience in matters Of
that kind in the course Of his terms as Mayor
and that once he was even called upon To
settle a dispute in the Police Department.
The members OF the committee seemed
also to be greatly pleased at the outcome
of the strike and said they woul immedi-
ately hasten in automobiles to notify all
the drivers who were still out that the strikei
was OF. They said il would be impossib,s
yesterday to get around in time to notify
all the men affected. but hat the drivers
would be on hand this morning.
There would have been no strike at all
IL we had gone to the Mayor and explained
our grievances" said a member Of the
committee. but we we're foolish enough
to 90 TO Craven instead"
The committee said also that whsn tbs
drivers got started again they would be-
willing to work overtime in helping tbs
Health and Street Cleaning department.
to get rid Of the huge accumulation OF
garbage in the East Sids streets. Ths >
drivers will not be paid for the time they
didn't work, but will draw extra pay for
overtime work.
In the meantime the work OF removing
the grave menace TO the health Of thou
sands, particularly children. will be oon-
tinued with undated zeal by DIR. Bsnssl.
the sanitary superintendent. working under
the direction OF DR.. Darlington. president
Of the Health Board, and the drivers Of
the Street Cleaning Department who stuck
TO their jobs.
Considerable progress was made yests--
day toward the removal OF the surplus filth,
but as the day was very warm there was
little or no relief from the horrible stencil
which has poisoned the air OF the whole
East Side. reaching as far east "a the middle
OF the Williamsburg Bridge and as far west
as lower Broadway. II will be several days
yet at least before the stencil gets out OF
the air. In the meantime the people OF
the Ghetto are having a hard time 20 sleep.
being unable 10 close the windows OF their
crowded rooms. The situation. il was said
last night. was worse In that respect than
ever before and the odors that arose from
the masses Of filth were aim ost beyond
human endurance.
While the committee OF tho strikers was
pondering over the situation the force Of
men employed by DR.. Bensel was being
constantly increased. At Stable A 40 out
Of 200 carts were At work and at Stable q,
In Hamilton street ,sixty-ive out OF seventy
Ave were on duty. II was impossible to
renew operations at Stable H because
OF the lack OF drivers. u at Stable r lbs
men went 10 work. Stable D had thirty
out Of sixty-two and C had twenty-thres
out Of 10 men.
The strike spread for a moment to Stable
B in Brooklyn. where about half the
drivers went out. They will. however. be
back At work in the morning.
The City Hall was filed yesterday with
Tammany district leaders and other poll
ticians who wished to get a finger into the
strike situation. Most Of them we're ardent
shouters for the rights of the drivers Ind
said il was a shame that these hardworking
men should be abused SO cruelty. The
Aldermen. of course. projected themselves
into the discussion and the result was a
pretty lively exchange Of compliments
among certain of the members.
Alderman Kcnneally started the spst
by introducing a resolution requesting the
Mayor to provide for a conference between
Commissioner Craven and himself on the
one side and the representatives Of ths
strikers on the other in order that tbs
trouble might be settled in a satisfactory
manner. Alderman Brown seconded tbs
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