Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-07
Subway and "L" Trains Are
Being Run Under Pro
lection of Police.
AFTER SURFACE LINES
Company Employs 5000
Strike Breakers in Effort
to Keep Traffic on Move.

New York, Sept. IA million
or more residents of New York
] left their homes this morning not
knowing whether they would ride
| TO work or walk. The first test OF
| the strike declared last night by
the union employees of the elevated
and subway railways came with
the morning rush hours on these
main arteries of travel between
the two ends of Manhattan island.
! II the carmen can carry out their
threats to halt surface a we'll as sub
| way and elevated traffic, New York
| faces the biggest and most vital strike
! in its history. The geographic forma-
| ton of Manhattan island-long and
narrOw-the wide distribution of pop
! ulatiOn Of the greater city and the con-
! CentratiOn of the business, make New
! York particularly susceptible to any
| interruption of street car traffic.
| When workers started for thei-
! places of employment today the Anal
| gamated Association of Street and
/ Electric Railway Employees had been
unable to tie up the subway and ele-
waited lines, but had succeeded in
/ Gripping some of the most important
! surface INES.
| With the aid of nearly 5000 strike
| breakers and under police protection,
the marlborough Rapid Transit com
I parry was running its trains on sub
way and 81" almost on normal sched-
ules. The strike of the marlborough
! employees has spread however, to the
| carmen of the New York Railways
company, which operates all but two
( of the important surface lines in the
! boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx
/ Lines in Brooklyn in the system OF
| the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company
are thus far at peace. Approximately
| $4,000 employees are affected.
What Caused Strike.
The immediate cause of the strike
| is the refusal of the marlborough
company to release the men from an
| agreement to seek no further improve
ment in working conditions for a per-
iod of two years after the advance in
pay which the men received last
month. Behind these demands, how
! ever. is a contest over the unioniza-
ton Of the street car workers.
The union employees of the INTERIOR
ough company voted to strike 1t 80
O'Clock last night. During the night
an elevated train was pelted with brick
bats, the passengers were taken off
and the train sent back empty to the
terminal with a few broken windows.
About midnight several hundred men
crowded into the subway at the Grand
Central railway station and induced all
the ticket choppers and platform
guards to leave their jobs. The COM
pany quickly filled their places.
Traction chiefs declared that they
could maintain service, but expressed
fear that police protection would not
be adequate. The public service COM
mission has started a general inves-
tigation of the strike.
Up to noon the city appeared only
slightly affected.
Union leaders, who demand abroga-
ton by the company of the so-called
master and servant" contracts bind
ing the employees not to ask wage in
creases for two years, claimed that
5000 men had walked out, including
1000 on the subway and elevated sys-
TENS.
Traction officials asserted not more
than 1000 men had quit and that with
the aid of strike breakers the company
was maintaining normal schedules on
subway and Il" The Green car"
system, operated by the New York
Railways company. was chiefly affect
ed, apparently not more than thirty
per cent Ol IueS6 SUI idCS CdI
Except in Manhattan and the Bronx
boroughs no railway lines were af-
fected.
In Harlem and on the east side there
were a few minor disturbances. The
New York Railways company announce
ed that men who did not strike viii
receive double pay until further notice
Several instances of elevated trains
being bombarded with stones and bot
ties thrown from rooms were reported
to the police shortly before 8 o'clock.
Reserves rushed to the scenes of dis
order, entered the buildings and
chased from the roofs gangs of men
said to have been seen carrying mis-
siles.
At o'clock the Interborough re-
ported that express and local trains
were running on normal schedule.
Chicago Signs Breakers.
Chicago, Sept. More than 1000
men have been signed here to act as
strike-breakers in New York. ii was
learned today after the departure last
night OF James T.. Waddell, who is
called by many the boss" strike break
er of the country.
WaddeIl left for New York in a spe-
cial train with 1877 experienced street
car and elevated men. They rode in
baggage cars.