The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-09-22
MLT CHEL INSISTS
LAWLESSNESS
4 MUST end
Mayor Informs Labor Leaders That
Law Will Be Upheld
CONFERENCE ENDS IN FAILURE
Sympathetic Strike of 100000 lFeder
ated Workers May Begin Before
Night.

New York, Sept. 22.-Labor leaders
were given formal warning by Mayor
Mitchell last night that he would en-
ploy the "full civil and military pow.
ers' conferred upon him by law to
prevent disorders if the threatened
general strike of trades unonists is
called today to aid the street car EN-
ployes, who quit their places the 9th.
The mayors communication was ad.
dressed to Hugh Frayne, chairman of
the conference committee of labor
| leaders, after a final effort to arrange
a peaceful settlement had failed and
following the declaration that a gener-
al strike was inevitable. The mayor
made it plain that for the union offici-
ais ito call these strikes will be to
assume full responsibility for all that
may follow"
The communication, which was con-
Cured in by Oscar S. Straus, chair
man of the public service commission,
reviewed at length the causes which
| led to the present crisis. Ii started
that the Interboro rapid transit com
pany, which operates the subway and
| elevated lines, violated YER
bal agreement with the labor
| leaders by refusing to arbtrate issues
arising subsequent to the making of
| the agreement. 1t stated, on the
other hand, that the employees of the
| New York railways company and the
other surface lines affected by the
| strike, were guilty Of breach" Of
contracts they had made with their
employers which ended a tie-up in
| surface roads July 5.
| The so-called final conference was
attended by Mayor Mitchell. citizens
committee and the labor leaders. 1t
ended in deadlock The mayor later
declared there was no solution in
sight" while members of the cit
liens committee described the situa.
tion as hopeless" adding that "it
would appear that both sides would
have to fight 1t out"
Ernest Bohm, secretary of the
central federated union, later as
serted that plans were completed for a
| sympathetic strike of 100000 workers
in other trades, and that the walk
out might begin today. Meantime the
state bureau Of mediation and arbi.
tration had sent notices to the lead
ers of the striking carmen and the
heads of the transit companies direct.
ing them to appear before the board
Monday when.>it was said, hearings
for the purpose of finding way out of
the deadlock would be started.
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American federation of labor, who
attended the mayors conference, de-
clared that he was with the strikers
ito the last ditch in their fight for the
right to organize" Theodore p.
Shonts, president of the lnterborough
rapid transit and the New York rail
ways companies issued a statement In
which he declared that mo union men
will be reinstated' by the Inter.
borough. He said, however. that for.
mer employees on the surface cars of
the New York railways company
would be taken back provided they
came free of unionism."
The police took extra precautions
last night to prevent recurrence of
rioting which already has resulted In
many innocent persons being hurt,
considerable property damage and
mere than $40 arrests. There are
67OO policemen on strike duty.
Repeatedly during the early hours
| yesterday Sixth and Third.avenue ele
vated trains were assailed by strike
sympathizers on rooftops. Twenty-Five
such attacks were reported by the 20
lice within few hours. Car win
dows were smashed under showers OF
bricks and bottles and several passen
gers were injured.