The sun., 1917-02-21
300. Many With Babies. Cry
"Wp Want Bread! I'VE
Are Starving"
POLICE SCRATCHED
AND UNIFORMS TORN
"Swcct Marie" CAM Ar
rcstcd-Mass Meetings All
Over City Planned.

Distress OF mothers OF the tenements
over high price, demanded for food
SUITS. especially potatoes. onions, cab
tage and other vegetable standbys. was
responsible yesterday for day OF riot
ing attacks on food ped.ers, destruction
OF foodstufrs exposed in the streets for
sale and demonstrations designed to at
tract the attention OF municipal authori-
ties 10 an exasperating situation.
The motive that actuatcd most OF the
women 10 show their resentment over
existing conditions was belief that
starvation actually confronts themselves
and their families unless something Is
done to lower prices within reach OF
purses already strained to the utmost
by other greatly increased costs OF lv-
ing These incidents stood out In the
days happenings:
More than 800 East Side women. many
OF whom carried babies. stormed the
City Hall. crying out: I'VE want bread!
We are starving They demanded to
Gee Mayor Mitcnei. and when told the
Mayor wasn't I'm they refused to 60. The
police gently but firmly banished them
from City Hall Park. and many pa
trolman had mis- uniform torn in the
rush. Sweet Marie CAM. the an
archist, was arrested for her part In the
demonstration.
To Sec Mayor To-day.
Later the Mayor announced he would
see Mrs. Ida Harris, president of the
Mothers Vigilance League. the spokes-
man, and a committee of ten others at
htu at
clear he didn't .ant another demonstra-
ton.
While the unusual scene was being
enacted in front Of the City Hall l00
women. maddened by the high price OF
potatoes. attacked pushcart men in Riv-
iryton street, In the heart Of the Ghetto,
tumbled their stocks into the street and
even charged into vegetable stores. a
mother and daughter were arrested
In Bathgate avenue. In the thickly
settled Jewish section OF The Bronx,
women who had declared a boycott on
pushcart men because of high prices en-
gagged in rioting. They upset carts,
spoiled the wares and vigorously fought
policemen who tried to restore order.
Six women we're taken into custody.
At a housewives meeting at 17b East
Broadway last night resolutions were
adopted calling on President Wilson to
recommend to Congress measures for re-
LIEF in the food crisis.
Determined to force the issue OF COM
pellng the city authorities to establish
municipal markets in all tenement house
districts. a general movement was started
In Manhattan. Brooklyn and The Bronx
to call a strike Of all school children liv-
Ing in tenements. Other plans to stir up
housewives to do something contem-
plated indoor and open air mass meet
ings all over the greater city. with more
parades to the City Hall and demands
for action to reduce the cost OF living.
Few Potatoes On Sale
There was scarcely a potato pushcart
10 be seen on the East Side at sundown
Onion pedlers. too. were scarce. The
street merchants exposed for sale In.
stead vast quantities of apples. oranges
grapes and other fruit. They were ap'
larently afraid to attempt to sell the
garden variety Of vegetables for fear OF
the consequences
None of the $50 pushcart men at
tackled by women in Williamsburg Mon
day afternoon appeared at their usual
stands In Havemeyer street and adjacent
horoughfares yesterday. There was nc
further disorder in that section.
The movement for a general strike oi
school children OF the tenements as q
means to show the mothers mean busi'
hess in their demand that prices mus'
come down--just how It Is to be done
none OF them knows-was inaugurated
al an open air meeting In Rutgers
Square, A delegation Of housewives an
nounced that the children are not being
properly fed because OF the exorbitan'
prices. and as a result they are not In g
condition to continue their studies.
East Side labor representatives ISSUED
general appeal to the women In tn,
afternoon not to attack pushcart men, a.
the pedlers were not to blame for high
prices. They were urged instead tt
bring pressure to bear on the city ad
mnstration and the wholesalers o.
foodstuffs.
Commotion At City Hail.
Just before noon an unusual commo
Won even for City Hall Park. occurred
as the advance guard OF 800 womer
Charged up the City Hall steps ant
banged on the iron gates for admittance
Word had preceded them that they were
coming and the gates were closed. The
great majority Of the women had chill
dTen with them. Some were in arms
while others tagged behind their mothers
or clung to their skirts. IT was such 6
crowd az can be seen any time some
unusual incident occurs In Rivington Of
iester street to drag be-shawled ant
hcd looking women from the tenements
While those in the advance banged
WIN their fists or kicked their toei
against the entrance gates. others tool
up tho cry. shr!ll and sharp. I'VE wan
''ead!' I'VE are starving!" Man,
?eI'd IN English. but the majority spok,
In f'ddsh
Lieut., Kennel ran from his desk neal