The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-16
Sympathetic Strike Voted in
All Branches Labor Of Which
Aids Traction Lines
BUT PRELIMINARY TO
GENERAL WALKOUT
Shonts Says That Unionism Is
Crushed in Railway Situation
and That iiis Company HAS
Nothing to Arbitrate

New York. Sept l5.-Recommenda-
ton for a sympathetic strike OF 49,,
900 trades unionists, in behalf OF
the car men, was made tonight by
the Central Federated Union at
special meeting held in the Labor
Temple.
Sanction of such strike by the
parent organization is tantamount to
an order for the men to quit work.
Ernest Boehm, secretary of the
Ventrai Federated Union. said the
strike would begin sometime between
tomorrow and Monday.
After adopting unanimously the
resolution of the committee OF five,
which last Sunday recommended
general sympathetic strike of all
trades. the Central Federated Union
passed the following motion:
We recommend as preliminary
TO the general strike that the tide
water boatmens union. longshore-
men. international brotherhood OF
teamsters engineers. fremen. plum
hers and such other trades whose
labor is keeping the traction cars
running, stop work. and we guaran-
tee TO support them fully to the end.
To Boycott LINES.
We also have decided upon gem
York against which A strike has been
declared" said Secretary Boehn. The
committee OF I'VE will arrange at once
for p!cketing the various lines All
secretaries of the unions affiliated
with the Central Federation have
been instructed 10 keep in constant
touch with ths -1arcut organization y
The Central Federated Union has
approximately $4,000 members in
Manhattan arg the Bronx who win
walk out at the call OF general
strike.
In the trades recommended to strike
prior TO Ih- general walk~out there
are $4,000 mem ners.
The Brooklyn Central Federated
meeting OF Thursday night also adopt
ed the sympathetic strike recommen-
datton OF the committee OF five, Thus
all unions in the greater city. con-
nected with the Central Federation.
have gone on record in favor OF a
general tie-up of all trades and in
dustries.
One hundred and ten unions were
represented tonight at the meeting in
Labor Temple.
Also present were labor leaders
from many out-of-town places, some
coming from points as far distant as
FL Paso, Texas. They ali stated un-
oficially that they were ready TO help
the New York strike with all their
means.
Police Activity Discussed.
Police activity came before the
meeting. Ii was charged that the
police are favoring the company in
some instances and the committee OF
Ave declared it would call tomorrow
on Police Commissioner Woods and
hn S{s,
ARRANGEMENTS also were made for
the holding of mass meetings every
day in Union Square from TO =
p. NJ so that the workers may be
appraised OF developments
"Organized labor has accepted the
challenge Of the marlborough de-
clared Secretary Boehm. Several
days ago Attorney Quackenbush de-
clared Now is the time to crush the
unions, but we are ready to show
them this can't he done"
The machinists' union, which al
ready had threatened to call strike
and whose members were voting on
the question today. was represented
At the meeting tonight
II was said that half Of the $4,000
members OF the union already had
voted for q sympathetic strike seven'
ty per cent were in favor OF walk
out With the C6ntEai r0ueIANoti
sanct!oninga general strike 1t is be-
lieved that the machinists will be
ordered to quit work tomorrow.
This strike Is aimed chiefly at the
]. p. Morgan interests which con-
trolls large blocks Of Interborough
bonds.
The vast numbers Of machinists
which would strike are now employed
in munitions factories. and were they
to leave work 1t would cause heavy
losses to j. p. Morgan & Co.. the fiscal
agents in this country of the British
government in charge of the manu-
facture of munitions for the European
war.
A strike of longshoremen. expected
for tomorrow, would cause 800 men,
bers OF the union to quit work on
steamers and barges Of the port Of
New York, which would cripple badly
all local commerce.
Information also reached Commits
sioner Woods yesterday that the coal
handlers had set tomorrow for walk
out.