Evening star., 1916-09-07
New York Car Strike, How
ever, Cuts Down Sur
face Line Service.
UNION OFFICIALS CLAIM
5000 MEN WALKED OUT
Several Minor Disturbances, and
Stoning of Cars-4,OOO Police
Are on Duty.

NEW YORK, September =
A strike was inaugrrated on the
subway and elevated lines and
several surface systems of the
Interborough Rapid Transit Com
pany today. Up to noon the city
appeared only slightly affected.
Union leaders, who demand
abrogation by the company of the
so-called master and servant"
contracts binding the employees
not to ask wage increases for two
years, claimed that 5000 men had
walked out, including 1000 on the
subway and elevated systems.
Traction officials asserted not
more than 1000 men had quit, and
that, with the aid of strikebreak-
ers, the company was maintain
ing normal schedules on subway
and e."
Few Surface Cars Run.
The green car" system, operated by
the New York Railways Company. was
chiefly affected. Apparently not more
than 80 per cent of these surface cars
are running. Except in Manhattan and
the Bronx borough no lines were af-
fected.
The New York Railways Company an
nounced that it's recent agreements
with it's employees were abrogated, ef
been begun of signing individual con-
tracts. The Interborough announced
that it's men who did not strike will re-
ceive double pay until further notice.
Little Disorder Reported.
Throughout the district affected lit
tie disorder was reported. In Harlem
and on the East Side there were few
minor disturbances. About 1000 patrol
men, in uniform and plain clothes, were
on duty to guard property and protect
passengers on cars and at stations
being bombarded with stones and bot
ties. thrown from roofs. were reported
to the police shortly before 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 missiles.
Meanwhile traction officials. admit
ting that "the gravity of the situation
is such that at any moment a crisis
may arise were providing stocks of
nrOyiSionS fri hraa
whom have come from other cities
Strike Menace Great.
If the carmen can carry out their
threats to halt surface as well as sub
way and elevated traffic, New York
faces the biggest and most vital strike
In its history. The geographical for
nation of Manhattan Island-long and
narrow-the wide distribution of pop
ulation of the ~greater city and the
concentration of the business make
New York peculiarly susceptible to any
interruption of street car traffic
When the workers of the city started
for their places of employment TODAY
the Amalgamated Association of Street
and Electric Railway Employees, con-
Quoting the strike, had been unable to
tie up the subway and elevated lines,
but had succeeded in gripping some of
Traffic Nearly Normal.
With the aid of nearly 1000 strike
breakers and under police protection,
the Interborough Rapid Transit Com
pany was running its trains on subway
and IL" almost on normal schedules
At o'clock the Interborough reported
that express and local trains were
running on normal schedule on both
subway and elevated lines, and with
but few changes from the regular
crews.
The strike of the Interborough en-
ployes has spread, however. to the car
men Of the New York Railways Com
pany, which operates all but two Of
the important surface lines in the bor-
ough of Manhattan and the Bronx.
Lines In Brooklyn in the system Of the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company are
thus far at peace.
Cause Of Strike.
Approximately $4,000 employees are
affected. The immediate cause Of the
strike is the refusal of the INTERIOR
ough company to release the men from
an agreement to seek no further i'm
provement in working conditions for a
period Of two years after the advance
in pay which the men received last
month Behind these demands, how
ever, is a contest over the unionization
of the street car workers of the city,
among whom the Amalgamated Asso-
citation has gained strong footing
only during the last few months.
The union employees of the INTERIOR
ough company voted to strike at $50
o'clock last night Several thousand
union men Immediately scattered
through the city to win over all street
car employees to their cause. Little ef-
feet from the strike was noticeable
during the night.
One elevated train was pelted with
brick bats. Passengers were taken of
and the train sent back empty to the
terminal with a few broken windows.
Guards and Choppers Quit.
About midnight several hundred men.
many OF whom wore the union button.
crowded into the subway at the Grand
Central railway station and induced all
the ticket choppers and platform guards
to leave their jobs. The company
quickly filled their places.
In response. to the railway company's
appeal for protection, flve thousand po-
licemen were released from patrol duty
today and made available for strike
duty. Two or three patrolmen were
placed on guard at every subway and
elevated station and two rode on every