New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-05-07
corERNMENT EMPLOYES
FORM SYNDICATE.
claim Right to St1ke-HH Stand
uitk National Federation IN
impending Battle.

n
++-..o--,ins itself into a syndicate, or union
- the law Of 1854 thus attempting 10 place
-. association on the same footing with work
unions with the right to strike against
,he state as the workmen have the privilege OF
5oins against private employers.
-h;s defiance which is nothing short Of open
--,, came as a sudden and sensational sequel
=. Premier Clemenceau's failure this afternoon
- -scei,-e q 1eputation Of postal employees, who
allied 10 present demands for the redemption
:. nrornises which they assert the government
nssa when the recent strike was declared OF.
rbs Premier was III and confined 20 his room.
~, the delegation insisted that his indisposition
ss simulated Their failure to be received
served as a pretext for springing the surprise
.bev had prepared and within an hour the
transformation Of the association into national
.r,6icate was announced. and the statutes Of
,he organization were officially fled in the CITY
Hall
Il was what the French call coup de thea
We but af it proves successful it will be more
ike coup defat as its purpose is to make the
enployes the masters and not the servants of
the state The statutes of the organization fol-
Gov, strictly in form those of the workmen's or
esnization They declare Il their purpose u
defend economic interests and give moral and
material support 70 members having differences
With the administration, and, further. to seek
the passage Of economic and social laws in the
interest Of the organization. A committee is
created following the lines Of trade unions. 20
act as intermediary in such differences, and
members are forbidden. under penalty Of losing
their membership. personally 20 present the is
sues III disputes which may arise to the admin
istration.
MAKES OUTLOOK MORE SERIOUS
The most serious aspect OF the situation is
The fact that the leaders in this new move
uent are hand in glove with the moving spirits
of the General Federation Of Labor which is
now universally recognized as a revolutionary
organization. and which has for long time
been preparing for general strike TO destroy
capitalism" The suppression Of this organiza-
ton has frequently been contemplated by the
French government Many Of the postal en-
ployes. however. have had their eyes opened 70
the revolutionary aspect of the venture on which
the militants are embarking and have broken
away There are enough of these TO form
working nucleus to fight general strike which
IS considered n matter OF hours.
The government. which has asserted that it
vas prepared for any eventually must now act
vigorously OF abdicate. il is conceded and the
leaders Of the movement apparently have no
opticn but % declare strike the minute the
government makes hostile move
The entire country is much excited by the
violent agitation 10 which il has been subjected
periodically for months and real fears are en-
tertained that cyclone viii be let loose. There
are limitations in some quarters that the
Royaiists and other reactionaries are furnishing
funds 10 stir up revolution. in the hope OF
eventually imposing new regime No level
headed observer. however. seriously thinks the
republic in danger
WORKERS INDORSE SYNDICATE.
Up 70 a late hour tonight the government
had given no sign as 10 what move If intended
- make in answer 10 the postal employees ac-
lion In the mean time the latter had not been
idle. The railroad mail sortets. at a meeting
indorsed the syndicate movement and voted in
favor Of the principle Of a general strike. A
delegate Of the Marseilies section informed the
meeting that the support Of the seamen's unions
could be counted upon.
Employees Of the Central Postoffice also voted
me principle of a general strike at meeting
tonight. At which the speakers were for the
most part SUSPENDED OF dismissed postal en-
ployes.
The matter Of the registration OF the statutes
q the new syndicate is now in the hands of the
Attorney General t. whom the City Hall off,
flals forwarded the document. in regular course.
for an opinion as 10 whether it complied with
'he conditions OF the law OF 1884.
The rules to govern the proposed syndicate, as
Ned with the municipal authorities. are pre-
oeaeo by the following declaration:
lnasmuch the employees of the public ad-
ininis,Tatlons have with the state their en-
ployer, the same relations that private workmen
nave wth their employers. and as the postal
employees are not in the legal sense Of the word,
civ rs,rblf b,rif, IA
citation giving q decision Of the Court Of Cas-
sa'io' q 1905 is here insertedl they invoke the
oeheht of the law OF 1854" The law in question
e''es workmen the right TO form unions and 60
On strike.
Ihe committee Of the General Federation OF
Labor has issued a violently worded appeal to
0uler working classes against the tyrannical
Ha arbitary action Of the government" and
urging them TO rally for the coming fight"
a. SiInysm Under Secretary Of Posts and Tel
esfsphs' made the following statement tonight:
-. declare in my own name and the name Of
ne government that we're the syndicate formed
oay thousand times a powerful as il will
e eI De- We would never recognize its existence
IT, receive its delegates nor enter into rela-
:. - &or discUssicl with its officers, members
any person representing H.
high official said tonight that the law cf
e4 was clear and that the new syndicate did
1 comply with its conditions The Attorney
ieIal. therefore he said. would obtain DE-
before the Seine Tribunal dissolving the
snelcate. If il persists in holding meetings, its
ceFs 7ill be prosecuted under the law Of as
Sociations OF 1901
me governments preparations for the strike
fe completed ten days ago. when thirty conf
eentisl messengers were dispatched with secret
Alfuctions 10 the project Of every department
II France
Aoren France. May s-M. Marck. treasurer
the General Federation Of Labor. who was