The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-25
VOTE ON STRIKE.
100000 New York Workers Cast
the Die Today.
General WalkOut "Wednesday
Depends on the Result.
UNIONS FACE A CRISIS
Many Men Do Not Want to quit
Their Jobs.
Leaders Insist Car Men Will be
Given Full Support.
UNIONS FACE A CRISIS

New York. Sept. 25.-Labor organ
,u..;o,,s Including about 100. 900 work
80 mot TODAY to vote on the question
of Joining in the proposed genera
strike to take effect here wednesday
morning. Ernest Bohman secretary
Of the conference of labor leaders ol-
recting the movement, asserted that
unions representing 179,5OO workers
already had voted to quit work
A meeting of the leaders VIII De
held this afternoon to hear the reports
from the local unions. Among those
IN vote today are the machinists' metai
workers and Iaundrymen aud p1tc s -
Secretary Bohm asserts that II w M
general strike becomes effective i WI
not last more than two DAYS az le
believes it will quickly force tne t tLoi,.
ton companies to a-bitrate Will 1ii0ii
striking employees
Labor leaders hello secret ne tlnes
sunday in various parts of the city
to devise IL plan for making ettectlNe
the 7 for Il general suspension u
work
inns that had been counted upon as
among the most loyal adherents OF eHe
American federation in any SITUATION
that may arise brought the leaders
face to face with the fact that theS
were confronting crisis.
Walk Out Assured?
Grave doubts were expressed by
many of the leaders as TO the apllity
nf+be central federated union TO MAKE
.ood it's threats. But, in spite OF
these concessions the men VINO nave
heen most active in fomentlns TN
,,Ians for the walkout persisted IN tneiI
statements that walkout . Miiioi'
would stngger the city was assufeu-
III is impossible to say how many
workers will 90 out on wednesday
and we are not crossing any DriuSes
until we come to them, salu w II
n FITZGERALD. general organizer OF tne
An,;,lma gated Association OF Electlic
Railway Employees of America. llA-
GERALD is :.le one man above all othcrs
Tnnn whom rests the responsibility I'f
the unions fight against the inter
borough and the surface railway llies'
II think" added Mr.. Fitzgerald'
..+,, H. organized effort to belittle
tho strike has done more to stimulate
The unioos TO co operation than any
tbipp else hat could have been de-
vised. cav
Ernest Bohm, secretary of the Cen
traI Federated union, was one OF the
,,,,s+ ol,tinisfic of the labor leaders.
He said:
we have heard from sixty of the
local unions. These have an asgre-
cate membership of 10000 and they
are all pledged to suspend work on
Wednesday,"
VIII Workers Quit?
Mr. Bohm was asked:
will the workers abide by the
Dledges of their union officials ~
He said: 81 can but repeat what
have just said. The unions are
pledged to go out.
But will the men go out?' Mr.
Bohm was asked.
"a trades direct
" connected with the street railway
service will go out at once. The 9th
ers might be slow in answering the
call" Mr.. Bohm admitted
rs it not fact that there are seri-
GUS objections on the part of the
men? ?" was the next question.
Mr.. Bohm replied:
"lf there are we do not know of
them Further than this he would
not comment.
Inquiry among the men disclosed
the fact that many have protested
against leaving their positions at this
time. With the prospect of increasing
prices of foods and other necessities
of life. they dc not care to risk their
positions, especially in a strike of this
kind
Demand General Strike.
And the Central Federated union
men evidenced their concern over the
prospects when they began the task of
making d direct appeal to all of the
six hundred labor organizations in the
city urging cooperation il the threat
ened walkout. Under Mr.. Bohm's di-
rection 1000 letters were sent to the
officials of local unions.
The river front coopers' union.
with 500 members, voted to suspend
work if there is a general strike. And
the COUGHING of their resolution in
phraseology that made it operative
01T~ h.
was regarded as one of the most sig
nificant actions of the day. Other
ions professed their readiness to par
ticipate ''if there were a general
strike" but even the most optimistic
of the leaders would not predict a
general strike" of all the trades
small electric railroad has been con
structed In one of the sewers of Paris
ONO unto lists are seeking abolition Of