New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-05
Action Due if Contractors
Don't Yield Strike Break
ers Mean Walk-Out.
MEN TUNNEL EXPERTS,
UNIONS HEAD SAYS
Laborers Graduates of Great
Tubes Through Alps from
Italy to Switzerland.

"Of course. the timbermen and their
assistants are skilled workers." shout
cd Pietro Pacelli, president Of the Tun-
mel and Subway Constructors lnterna-
tonal Union. as he banged his fist on
his desk at strike headquarters, 2O6
East 12sth Street, yesterday.
Aren't most OF them graduates OF
the great tunnel system connecting
Italy and Switzerland Haven't many
Of them grown up in the business Of
excavating and Snoring from child
hood? tell you they are as much en-
titled 10 be called skilled men as the
miners of Western Pennsylvania Any
man who got his diploma from So.
Gothard tunnel or from the Simplon
Pass is not 'mucker."
In his excitement Pietro Pacelli. d.
rector of the general cessation Of labor
under the subway planking from The
Bronx to Brooklyn, jumped from his
chair. "We'ye got members now strik-
ing for a living wage who helped build
the famous spiral tunnels at
Goeschenen.' he went on. Eyes. sir,
men who burrowed through the Alps to
sheath up the main route from North
ern Europe into Italy are entitled to
living wage from the contractors"
Warn Against Strike Breakers.
Apart from Paceli's energetic char
acterization Of his followers. the Soc
ond day Of the strike was as quiet as
the first. Late in the afternoon came
the first move Of the union to extend
the strike, when drillers and blasters
employed on the construction work in
Seventh Avenue, between Forty-thlrd
and Forty-ffth Streets. were ordered
out. They responded TO man. the
union leaders said. This section OF the
work is included in a contract with the
Holbrook. Cabot & Rollins Company.
Although only fifty blasters and drill
ers were affected by the order, II Is eX-
pected that fully $500 additional work
ers may be called out II the contractors
and the union continue the struggle.
"As soon as they start to employ strike
breaker we'll order a general strike,
said Michael Carraher, secretary and
treasurer Of the union.
No efforts al Cancellation were made
yesterday. c. A. Crane, secretary Of
the General Contractors Association,
al 81 Chambers Street, left the city for
a trip through upstate cities. lie left
word that the association had nothing
10 10 10
Frank Y. Sullivan. attorney for the
union. sent special delivery letters yes
terdav 20 Mayor Mitchell. Fire Commits
sioner Adamson and TO the Public Ser
vice Commission, warning them that
the absence of timbermen from the
subway excavations constituted a grave
menace to public safety. lie said 1t
would be unsafe to use ,ne high pres
sure system in places where the pipes
were not carefully shored up. James
Blaine Walker, secretary OF the com
mission. said engineers had inspected
every section of the subway Affected
by the strike and had reported that
there was no danger.
Following a meeting OF the executive
committee of the union at 200 East
12Sth Street last night, Mr.. Sullivan
issued this statement: THE union has
received word that it will be supported
to the fullest extent by the American
Federation of Labor. II the present
situation continues it will mean gen
eral strike involving $4,000 men work
ing in the dual subway system. 1t will
be possible for the strikers to hold out
for eight months without outside iinan-
cial assistance.
"Thc Public Service Commission has
authority TO order conference looking
toward settling the strike. The work
ers are willing to meet any committee
appointed to consider concliation.''