New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-06
BEACH CROWDS
HELD BY TIE-UP
Richmond Car Strike
Maroons 10000 at
Two Resorts.

At 6:15 o'clock last night 10000 men,
women and children frolicked at South
Beach and Midland Beach, on Staten
Island, happy in the possession Of
dime carfare, a hot dog and a sea bath
and having the time of their lives.
Fifteen minutes later the sad sea waves
were sadder, the hot dog had grown
cold from inattention and the purchas-
ing possibilities of the dime had dwin-
died to minus nothing. South Beach
and Midland Beach were transformei
from palaces of pleasure into abodes
Of deepest despair.
For in those fifteen minutes the luck
less 10000 heard the 400 motormen and
conductors Of the Richmond Light G
Railroad Company, which operates all
the trolley lines in the Borough OF
| Richmond, had joined the striking car
men and that all streetcar traffic hac
stopped at 6:l5 o'clock. The front
rank of the crowd patiently waiting
for transportation heard it first, when
a startet looked at his watch, gathered
up his red flags and his switch bars
and said he guessed he'd be going home,
for there wouldn't be any sense In
staying there with nothing to do.
Thousands Walk, Thousands Wait.
"What do you mean nothing TO do"
asked a man.
Everybody but me is on strike,
said the starter. There won't be any
more cars until Monday, and maybe not
then"
From that moment the crowd at both
Midland and South beaches didn't have
any fun. 1t is twelve miles by dusty
road from the former resort to the
Municipal Ferry at st. George, and
eight miles by another dusty road from
South Beach TO the ferry. The Rapid
Transit trains were running occasion
ally, but they weren't running for very
! many Of the South Beach and Midland
Beach pleasure seekers. for most of
those who frequent these resorts are
lucky, as a rule, if they get through
day of pleasure with a dime left for
ferry and carfare. Several persons of
a commercial turn of mind attempted
10 inaugurate bus service to the
ferry, but this wasn't patroniZed to any
great extent, either, because all the
half dollars and dollars were in the
hands OF the hot dog and bathhouse
men.
Hot Dog Men Are Happy.
Il was walk or wait. Thousands
walked and thousands waited. Long
after midnight the roads from the
beaches were thick with unamiable
plodders. Hundreds of men and boys
slept on the beaches, lulled into
broken sleep by the song OF the sad
sea waves, but most of the women and
children walked. A few hardy souls
managed to reach the ferry house and
boarded the late boats to Manhattan
and New Jersey, their best clothes
coated with dust and their faces be-
grimed. Nobody was happy but the hot
dog and sandwich man, who cheerfully
set about preparations 10 furnish
breakfast 20 thousands and snare the
last remaining nickel.
The calling of the Richmond strike
followed a three-hour conference be
tween committee of the men and
William R. Rand, vice-president and
general manager of the railroad COM
pany. The men demanded an increase
Of wages from 25 cents an hour TO 80
cents, with 33 cents for overtime, and
recognition Of the union. Mr.. Rand
told them ne would grant the increase,
but could not agree 10 recognize the
union until he had submitted the prop
osition TO his board Of directors. This
he promised to do on Tuesday, II he
men would return TO work in the mean
time.
Power Plant Men May Quit.
At a meeting in Emerald Hall, in
New Brighton, half an hour later, the
trolley men rejected Mr.. Rand's offer
and voted 10 strike at once. a COM
mittee stationed outside the ferry.
house at ST. George at s o'clock notified
ali car crews Of the decision. The men
were instructed TO turn their cars in
after they had handled the trafic from
the 6:l5 boat from Manhattan. The
last wheel stopped turning at s:Ia