New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-06
DAY OF DISORDER
In PHILADELPHIA
RIOTS IN VERY HEART
OF THE CITY.
Demonstration IN independence
Square, Despite Mayor-Ru-
mOred 1ppeaI to Dir. Taft.

PnltdQeIpIll0, Adrch D. = DlSOiuot
marked the first day Of Philadelphia's
great sympathetic welkout of organized
labor to back up the fight of the trolley
men against the Philadelphia Rapid
Transit Company. Nearly every section
of the city had tale TO tell of cars at
tackled. of men assaulted by strikers Or
sympathizers. or of clashes with police
when the latter tried to disperse the
crowds.
1t is reported that a move Is under
way TO ask the intervention of President
Taft. Tonight the car strikers an
nounhced a proposal of arbitration made
TO the transit company.
The evening passed with little disorder
In several sections cars were attacked.
but no one was badly hurt. The crew OF
one car was rescued from the crowd by
the police The mOtorman tainted from
excitement and was sent to hospital
A strike sympathizer dressed in the
uniform of United States soldier Gre
ated excitement tonight in the 10Th and
Market street station of the subway. He
fourished a razor in the crowd of persons
waiting to board trains. and many
was arrested and taken TO the City
Hall. where he gave the name of Carl
Roth
The scene Of the general disturbances
shifted to-day from the heretofore tur-
bulent Kensington district to the very
centre of the city The greatest trouble
was experienced by the police at Inde-
pendence Square. where. despite the an
nouncement by Mayor Reyburn that no
demonstration could be held on the
ground where the Declaration OF Inde-
pendence was signed. a crowd estimated
at twenty-five thousand persons gath
cred to take part in or watch the denlon-
stration of organized labor.
Keep Crowd on the Move.
Policemen, mounted and afoot. were
there by the score. with strict orders 70
keep the crowd moving The city au-
thorities had learned much in the last
two weeks in the handling of crowds.
and it was the belief that If the i'm
mense tnrong could be kept on the move
trouble would be averted This was ac-
complished and it is due to the patience
and steadiness of the police that no Sc
riOus outbreak occurred \ great crowd
of strikers paraded through the square
and were not moIested by the police.
There was wide difference of opinion
to-day as TO the extent OF the strike
Saturday being a half holiday. and in
some industries no work being done az
all on the last day of the week. it was
utterly Impossible to get more than rough
estimates of the number of men out The
committee of ten of the Central Labor
Union, which is conducting the strike.
in a statement made tonight through
Charles A Hope. secretary of the Central
Labor Union and a member of the com
mittee announced that 125.000 persons
were out.
Food Famine Averted.
Secretary Hope declared that bakers
milk wagon drivers and grocery clerks
were not called out and would not be-
1t was not the desire of organized labor,
he said. TO inconvenience the public to
the extent of handicapping the delivery
of the necessaries of life This viii
avert the threatened food famine
The committee of ten has taken action
which is calculated 10 prevent as far as
possible real suffering 10 the general
public. An order was issued exenlptinS
from the general strike union employees
of the city water works. the electric light
plant. drivers of funeral carriages and
employees in hospitals and homes
This order was thought to be no mora
than Just TO the public. said Secretary
Charles Hope we want 10 make our
protest, but we do not want to cause a
serious condition which would result IL
these places were affected
Although the entire population of the
cftv looks upon the strike as most seri-
Gus. the effects of which are likely 10
he felt for long time 70 come, the city
from Mayor Reyburn
down profess that the waIkout is not
as widespread as proclaimed by the labor
leaders.
Henry Clay. Director of the Depart
nent of Public Safety. said to-day that
le had police reports 70 show that not
more than twenty thousand men We're on
,trike.
However. with all the conflicting re-
ports. il was evident that PhiladeIphia's
Industries are not yet Frustrated by the
conflict The great industrial establish
rents, such as Baldwin's locomotive
works. Cramps shipyard. BriIrs car
works and the Midvale steel works. all OF
which are open shop" concerns were
N operation to-day with practically
heir fun forces.
Extent Of the Strike.
The greatest number Of sympathetic
strikers was found among the textile
workers in the Kensington district and
The Allied Building Trades. The strikers
,laimed that fifty thousand persons were
,l,t in these two industries alone and that
he scattering unions in other trades
we're we'll represented by strikers. The
master builders al meeting to-day ad-
nitted that their industry is seriously
crippled
There was a rumOr in circulation to-
,isht that the labor leaders might re-
,uest President Taft TO use his infiu-
snce To bring an end 10 the trouble or
lake some step along the lines adopted
ov President Roosevelt in the anthracite
,oaI strike of 1902 Such move. il is
believed. would be welcomed by the peo-
pie OF the city.
The day developed nothing in tho