New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-19
70 Labor Heads Vote
aye" on Sympa-
thetic Move.
SEVERAL WANT
TO ACT AT ONCE
Conservative Wing Saves
New York from I'm
mediate Tie-Up.

ne long threatened general strike
OF union men throughout greater
New York, involving more than half
million workers, may be demanded
by labor leaders on Friday.
Upon that day. unless the Mayor
has settled the car strike, the leaders
say they will call the general strike.
Their decision will have to be re.
ferred back to the rank and file of
the union men themselves, and ap.
proved by them, before it can be.
ccme absolute. The action, if actu.
ally taken, signalizes an abandon
ment of the recent plan to call out
only those workers transporting sup
plies to the traction companies, and
goes back to the original plan to call
out all union workers in the city.
Until o'clock yesterday the city
wide tie-up has been only a distant
possibility-a final master stroke Of
unionism which some labor leaders
hesitatingly proposed, while others
ridiculed it. But at yesterday af-
ternoon seventy union heads, locked
behind the doors of an upper room
in the Hotel Continental, enthusias-
tically sprang to their feet and
shouted Aye" to a resolution call
ing for the general walkout.
Those who voted were men upon
whose wills, to large extent, hangs
the destiny of labor movements in
this city. They constituted the
United Labor Conference of Central
Bodies of Greater New York and Vi
cinity. and represented. directly D.
indirectly. practically every laoc-
unit in the greater city.
A series of conferences in the
Mayors office in the City Hall, which
begins to-day, may serve to delay, II
not prevent, the calling Of a general
strike. The conferences were called
at the request Of union leaders.
They requested in letter the ad-
iustment of the strike on the basis
agreed upon at the end of last
months strike.
Members of the committees ap-
pointed by the Merchants Associa-
tion and the Chamber of Commerce
and Oscar S. Straus have already
been invited 10 the conference.
Will Watch Car Strike Events.
They will watch events in the car
strike until Thursday night without
further action. Mayor Mitchell and his
advisers will have until that time TO
bring about a settlement Of the trouble.
If the city's executive and his coun-
sellors fail the United Labor Confer
ence vii. convene at 2 o'clock Friday
afternoon 20 set date for the general
yalk-out. It's representatives declared
last night. After that it will only
be a matter Of hours. they assert, until
New York is paralyzed beneath the
weight of the greatest strike it has
ever known.
Had it not been for the more con-
servative wing that controlled the
meeting yesterday the city-.ide strike
would probably have been called
to-day. As soon as the delegates had
seated themselves in the council room
IL was evident that the sentiment for
the strike was pronounced. There was
a discussion Of the general situation
for two hours. During this time every
important phase OF the vast plan was
brought up for consideration.
Then one Of the delegates arose and
read a resolution calling for an imme-
diate strike in all trades and indus
tries. His proposal was greeted by q
sslvo of applause. Most Of the men
present seemed eager for instant ac-
tion.
Resolution Is Amended.
But before the resolution could be
carried General Organizer Fitzgerald
of the Amalgamatcd Association Of
Street Railway Employees and Hugh
Frayne. organizer for the American
Federation Of Labor. pleaded that in
asmuch as the Mayor had intervened
in the car strike. his plans should have
further time to mature. The resolu-
tion was amended by section defer