Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-08-03
All New York Threatened
With Street Car Strike

| avenue and Boston road, the Bronx, by
| which strike breaking motorman was
killed. and two plain clothes police
men painfully injured. Besides these
it was said that five strikebreakers re-
ceived serious injuries. Four cars of
the Union Railway Company were
smashed almost to kindling wood
| Inexperience Costly.
All this occurred, it Is said, through
the inexperience of the men who man
i ned the car.
The men, it seems, went out for a
car that had been abandonedey strike
breakers during Thursdays excitement
and were returning at high rate of
speed with the abandoned car.
! They reached the incline where the
| Boston road crosses fremont avenue
when the motorman by mistake or
| through fear turned on his power to
full speed instead Of shutting it off
and putting on the brakes, causing the
cars to chase down the hin at terrific
speed rushing into two cars that were
stalled at the foot of the hill hurting
the first of the stalled cars between
two pillars Of the subway line, and
the other cars were forced on top.
The two cars were practically de-
molished. All the injured were rush
ed to Fordham Hospital.
In the afternoon of Thursday an
other car of the company was wrecked
at One Hundred and Thirty eighth
street and Willis avenue, the Bronx,
and seven occupants of the car were
painfully or seriously injured
James v. Akegren of Westbury N.
iFY hu
! man in Westchester avenue on Fri
day while he was riding a motorcycle.
The motorman failed to stop or sound
his gong at the corner and Akegren
was hit and tossed thirty-f1ve feet. He
| was taken to Lebanon Hospital, where
it was fnoud his skull was fractured.
His condition was reported as critical.
Sheriff O'Brien, of Bronx County,
on Thursday night, ordeDedzall surface
car traffic in the Bronx suspended and
all cars to be in the car barns. He
permitted the company to send out for
the stalled cars.
1t Is said that about ninety eight per
cent Of the motormen and conductors
Of the lines affected have quit work.
1t was reported yesterday that some
of the toughest gangs in the city are
working for the Union Railway as
strike guards. This was stated by Po-
lice Inspector Richard OConnor of the
Bronx distritc
MahOn Handling Strike.
The employees have placed their com
plants for adjustment in the hands of
President William D. Mahon, Vice
President p ]. O'Brien and General
Organizer William B. Fitzgerald, off
Of fho AYoo loo of cd iof ion
Of Street and Electric Railway En-
ployes of America.
Mr.. Fitzgerald who comes from
Troy, N. Y, had had charge Of the
Yonkers strike for week.
Plans were rapidly formulated by
the officers for bringing into the union
about thirty thousand men employed
on the traction lines of Greater New
York. The work of organizing has
been proceeding for several months,
and thirds at least of the men
have expressed their willingness to
join the union.
Recognition of Union.
After the enrolment is complete it
is said a demand will be made for rec
ognition of their union, an increase in
pay, and changes in working hours and
conditions
The men say that their demands
will be moderate and fair" The cost
Of living they say has increased, and
other employers have recognized it by
voluntarily increasing the pay Of their
men. The traction companies have
done nothing for their men, although
it is pointed out their revenues have
increased enormously
Mr.. Fitzgerald said that in the mat
ter of recognizing the union the Of
1cers were not stricklers for tech
nicalities" They wished only to help
the men.
A united strike on all traction lines
of the Greater City is now considered
| a possibility, unless negotiations can
be carried on successfully with the
traction officials.
There has been no recognized or
ganization among street railway and
subway line workers in New York City
since March 1905. when strike on