New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-17
Railroad Refuses Demand
for Higher Wages and
Shorter Hours.
NEW HAVEN CLERKS
WALKOUT AVERTED
Sanitary Conditions Again at
Issue In Cloak Troubles
Manufacturers Assailed.

union employees Of the Boston & Maine
Railroad went on strike at o'clock
tonight in response to the general
order Of A. E. Barker, president Of the
international Brotherhood Of Mainten-
ance Of Way Employees.
Most Of the strikers are trackwork-
ers, and their foremen. Tomorrow one
thousand non-union workers are ex-
pected to walk out. Two thousand
other workers are also expected to be
thrown out Of work.
After the railroad company had re-
fused demands for an increase Of 20
cents a day in wages and Saturday
half-holidsy. the men walked out. j..
II. Hustis, president Of the Boston e.
Maine, was responsible for the fat de-
NAL given the men.
Warns Against Violence.
Although at first the track workers
asked an advance OF 20 cents on an
eight-hour day, they later modified this
to a raise of 20 cents on a ten-hour
day. This, too, was turned down.
The strike order issued this after
noon warns against violence. 1T is
hardly necessary" it reads, ito ask you
10 fight q good, clean fight. ! am sure
that YOU would not do anything dis
honorable or that would endanger
the lives of other railway men or the
innocent people who travel on the
trains. Do not disturb the company's
property in any way. Show that you
are law-abiding citizens. By so dong
YOU will command the respect OF your
fellow townsmen and OF the general
public"
Sanitary conditions, the old battle
point in the cloak and suit industry,
have again been made the issue beween
employers and employees here.
Sanitary Conditions at Issue.
In a statement issued yesterday Ben
jamin Schlesinger, president OF tne IN
ternational Ladies' Garment workers
Union, attacked f. S. VILE, president Oh
the Cloak. Suit and SKIRT Mahulac'-
urers' Protective Association.
Schlesnger charges that inc manu-
facturers' organization MAINTAINS s"ea.
shops: that many OF the plants are
utterly unsanitsry, while others are
mere fretraps. .r
an a recent interview" he said, Il
made the assertion that the sanitary
reforms which the members OF the as,
sociation assert they have introduced
into their shops were pure shams.
~ argued that in arranging their
.hons the manufacturers had the Jekyll-
WIDE stunt beaten to pieces. One who
has saw. 400 eloakmakers working LOT
him EMPLOYS about 100 directly and
tho others indirectly, through the me-
dunn of contractors, hired IN most
Eases exclusively for him. The direct
ornIoyes compose his inside SHOP
This is in the Fifth Avenue district, IS
usually clean and sanitary, and serves
az .how place for buyers. factory IN
snectors and the public at large.
"Tbc other 200 workers are CROWDED
- dsrk old. unsanitary loft buildings
in the heart Of the tenement mouse uls-
tr;ct on the lower East Side-often
yeritable fire traps.
No Sweatshops, Says DIR. Price
Dr Ceor0e NJ. Price, who had charge
Of the joint board Of sanitary cohtroi
before the present Lockout, sara yeslei.
day he had hoped the progress mace IN
sanitary control in the last hye years
had taught the workers the loIly Oh
making an issue out OF sanitary cohu'-
tons.
in the true meaning Of the word really
existed to-day in the CLOAK ana SUIT
industry. ,,...L A..
The general strike Of the Fifth Ave,
nue. tailors. in progress for severa!
months. was practically settled yester-
dav by the return OF 1900 strikers,
leaving only 500 still dissatisfied. These
men are expected back at work within
two weeks. The strikers have gained
wage increase Of from 10 to 10 per cent
About forty-five firms are involved.
MANY hundreds Of cloakmakers, men
and girls. who won their strike IN the
sbons Of Rothman & Bieber. 1877
broadway, one of the largest Of the IN
dependent shops in the cloak and SUIT
trade, yesterday paraded through last
Side streets behind a band which
played the "Msrseillaise."
New Haven, May 16.-The threatened
strike OF 2,200 freight clerks on the
New York. New Haven & Hartford Rail-
road. who had been ordered to wa K out
tomorrow afternoon at o'clock, has
been averted, it WAS announced to-
night.
Bridgeport. Conn, May l6.-Because
the Automatic Machine Company would
not grant an eight-hour day and an in
crease in wages. instead OF the nifty
hour week now in force, one hundred
machinists to-day went on strike. Inc
entire New England industrial situa-
ton. complicated by the numerous rail-
road strikes, is looked upon here as
grave