New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07

IA ID
wv own again through the settle
ment Of a strike which will be
remembered as one Of the most extra
ordinary labor troubles that the cleo
trio railway industry ever witnessed.
The fight, which lasted for four
teen months, was marked by acts
Of violence and the sort of hard
ships which are usually encountered
in busy city whose transporta-
ton service is out Of business
Although the railway company achieved
a virtual victory months ago so far as
the failure Of the strike itself was con-
cerned, the interference was prolonged
through the observance of a boycott
against the trolley company, which was
easily made effective in this highly
unionized community. 1t was pursued
ruthlessly for many months, with a
loss to the company of many hundred
dollars a day. The men finally became
obstinate, and since many of them were
receiving 50 benefits from the unions
and at the same time getting large pay
from the munition plants, many were
not at all DESTROYS of having the strike
settled. With the advent Of cold
weather, however, the situation became
dangerous, so that the miners them
selves forced the men TO end the strike
forthwith. This was one of the most
interesting developments in the Curl
Gus situation, where one branch Of an
organization forced another branch Of
organized labor to do the square thing
The cruX of the matter was that the
men in striking violated an agreement
which they had previously accepted
and under the terms Of which the troll
ley company had granted several thou
sand dollars back pay. Had not this
valuable railroad property been owned
by seven shareholders, the probability
is that the trolley company would have
been forced to give in long ago. But
the few men associated with F. NJ
Kirby in the ownership of this great
property determined 10 win their point.
not for their own good alone nor for
the good of this community, but for the
good of all communities where union.
i7ed labor is firmly established. For
these reasons the trolley company
maintained an excellent service on 10
miles Of railway, often operating empty
cars so as 10 carry out its part Of the
contract to give the public proper troll
ley service. Sometimes the motormen
and conductors were stoned. sometimes
valuable property was injured, and at
all times the patronage of the cars was
interfered with. But the situation
finally became so intolerable for the
public itself that the miners organiza-
ton took action toward ending the
struggle.
The twenty-six policemen who re-
fused to protect passengers in cars
handled by non-union labor are still
out OF job. The Mayor forthwith dis
missed them, and although they have
resorted 20 every eXpedient TO get
back on the force they have not sue
ceeded in doing So The car men tried
TO make the Unemployment of these
policemen a condition Of the strike
settlement. But this did not work.
snd the Mayor has refused 10 give
them back their old jobs on the broad
ground that they failed him in a crisis.
and had sought to imperil his admin
istration at time when it needed all
the support il could have
This was one of the interesting SIDE
lights in controversy which mas shift
ed from day to day, rejecting the vicis-
situdes of mob rule, street brawls.
riots and attacks upon lines and prop
erty. The disturbance as a whole has
had few, in any, parallels in the his
tory of American labor, and while il Is
too early TO predict what the Ultimate
effect will be. there is little doubt that
the satisfactory adjustment Of this
strike has done more than any occur
renee Of the past year to support and
enllghten public opinion in its lust de-
mand upon labor to keep an honest
agreement