New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-30
Thousands Working Here
Will Be the First
Sufferers.
TROLLEY SERVICE
MENACED ALSO
AT Best Railroads Will
Run but Few Trains
Daily.

If the French nobleman who once in
vited the people of his country to sub
sist on a diet of grass should wander
into town to-day he could get himself
a good paying position with any rail-
road which terminates at or near New
York City. He would be just the man
needed to tell hundreds OF thousands
of commuters that it will do them good
10 walk in case of a national railroad
strike.
II is the commuters who will feel
the brunt of the strike first. In nearly
every railroad Office in the city yes
terday little effort was made to con-
ceal the fact that food and fuel trans
portation would be the first considera-
ton and that the business of getting
passengers to and from Manhattan
would be the last.
Trolley Service Menaced.
Many of them could ride on trolleys
while the trolley service lasts. But
with the immediate shortage of coal
that would result in the case OF a
strike it is predicted that not trolley
wheel in the neighborhood of the great
err city would be turning within a
short time after the trainmen's walk
cut.
The Long Island suburban residents,
officials of the Long Island Railway be-
lieve. will have better opportunity
than any other set Of commuters of
reaching New York City by rail. The
Long Island road, it was pointed out,
is in the business of carrying com
muters above everything else. Ii car
ries no coal to the greater city; only
a small percentage of the fresh fruits
and vegetables that pour into town and
an almost negligible quantity of milk.
The greater bulk of its comparatively
small amount Of freight is carried to
districts that are in measure self
sustaining. rather than into the heart
of New York City.
Passengers To BE Considered.
Each day. officials of the railroad
stated yesterday, the Long Island car
ries more than thirty thousand COM
muters TO Manhattan. What few trains
can be operated if strike is declared.
il is said, will be run more for the
benefit Of passengers than for freight
transportation.
o the men ana women VINO eaCn DAY
come TO New York from New Jersey,
from the Hudson River Valley and
lower Connecticut, the situation is much
more menacing. Upon the lines that
drain this western and northern ter
ritory will rest the burden of keeping
five million New Workers from starva-
tiOn and supplied with modicum Of
coal.
Many Thousands Affected
One railroad which casts net OF
steel rails through Jersey and carries
$4,000 commuters to and from New
York every working day expects in the
event of a strike not TO operate more
than two passenger trains each way a
day. This road normally employs more
than 600 coaches each day TO carry its
commuters. it will make every effort
to keep a majority of its seventy-iive
milk cars in motion.
With the exception of a very few
short electric lines, the New Haven
and the New York Central railroads
Grain practically all of the northern
district that lies east Of the Hudson.
These lines together carry 10000 COM
muters to the city each day. Officials
of the roads yesterday declared them
selves unable TO make an estimate OF
the number Of passengers they would
be able TO carry until they learned how
many of their men would walk out.