The sun., 1919-09-16


warning and ignore every physical IN
dicariou Of such a possibility.
"The 149 officers Of the Boston Fire
department assured John r. Murphy
tire Commissioner, to-day that under
no consideration would they strike
Commissioner Murphy assured the
men Of his appreciation Of their 10y
atty. but he is worried. None OF these
officers is a member Of the union, and
While there is no substantiatfon Of the
story that the firemen have voted by
76 per cent. majority TO strike, the city
oificials are not too optimistic.
EWhen the labor representatives left
Police Headquarters to-day after their
conference with Commissioner Curtis
md were coming down Pemberton
Square Miss May Matthews, telephone
workers leader, rushed up to Presi-
dent Mclnness of the Policemen's
Union, took him by the hand and said !:
I'VE are with you 100 per cent, and
the telephone operators will vote to-
morrow unanimously to strike"
S'similar statements are heard nearly
every hour Of the day, but they are in
committl attitude Of the Boston Cen
nal Labor Union men.
sentiment for General Strike.
Though there is scarcely labor leader
who cares to comment on the possibility
Of a general strike, the belief prevails
among them that the sentiment In the
unions is stronger than ever before that
the police should be upheld to the limit
or labor's power. This does not mean.
strictly speaking, that a general strike
win be called. Much is involved in a
step of this kind.
u, 1t is known, however, that the votes
which are being taken support the view
~ stated. Nobody knows how unions
have voted except the committee of the
Boston Central Labor Union which has
charge of the fluctuations.
The United Hebrew Trades OF Boston,
said TO have = membership OF 10000.
has voted to 60 on a sympathetic strike
IL the Central Labor Union Is authorized
to call a general strike.
With sentiment more thoroughly crys-
tallized in the unions, as is the report,
public sentiment has apparently ap-
preached the other extreme. 1t would be
rather bold TO declare that Boston well
comes a sympathetic strike. Much more
fccurate would be the opinion that BUSH
ness, men and the plain, ordinary citizen
would rather see an upheaval than be
forced to submit to the unionization Of
the Police Department under the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor control,
1.-THE great organizations often spoken
u In connection with a sympathetic
strike are the telephone, Garments and
1femen's unions. The carmen do not
figure so persistently or SO menacingly.
leadership in their ranks is decidedly
uncertain. Yet it is a recognized fact
that, In case a strike in sympathy were
called, the Boston Central Labor Union
would exert itself to have the carmen in
line.
Police Commissioner Curtis, building
his new police force, faces new prob
lem. From the civil service eligible list
to-day he obtained eleven new men. Six
Of them at once announced their
sympathy with the union and their in
tention of affiliating themselves there
with. II they do and remain at work
their status will be analogous to that
Of the District of Columbia policemen
and the commissioner cannot well afford
10 dismiss them for merely joining a
union. .
Curtis Is in a Quandary.
.sdf he permits them to remain as men,
oArN of the union he will have to ex-
plain his refusal to take back the strik-
Ing policemen as Individual members
Of q union, the powers and ethics of
which are to be determined at the capital
aid labor conference on october-6.
Through all OF the Commissioners ana
the Governors statements runs the spirit
OF cancellation. They wish It to be known
that they are not fighting union labor
hut that their enmity toward the strikers
lies in the desertion by the union MEM
beers. Therefore Mr.. Curtis will find It
difficult TO dismiss able patrolmen simply
because they believe in organized labor.
Boston's new police departments
part OF It at least-will be sworn in on
Monday. 1t is understood that the new
men will receive a minimum wage of
400 a year and will be, in addition,
provided with uniforms gratis The
present minimum is s1.10Q and the men
have been required to equip themselves
at their own expense. Ten veterans of
the Yankee Division-the Twenty-sixth.
~ r. F.-were accepted to-day as
permanent traffic cops. At present they
are doing duty mounted,
While this was going on the 1,134
n City Hall and drew their final pay
Envelopes.
Except for the curiosity they mani
Tested. street crowds yesterday were
3ptt normal street crowds, perhaps NOV
34t with more than wonted speed. Loi-
ftfing aroused the suspicion of the rife
$fmed guards. So of lettering there was
9itfle. The guards did not have to preach
ne perpetual motion idea. II was tacitly
Understood and obeyed.
For the most part shopkeepers, per-
tuhded that the storms which wrecked
windows and swept away wares will not
feenr, hauled back their flnsry to the
Hbplay windows. Until yesterday they
ffm cautiously offered only empty spaces
~ the contemplation ~ rassershy. This
Pnicy was generally followed by all the
}efger stores. and especially by Jew
oilers
LII Idlers Prodded by Guards.
Though the guardsmen had instruc-
tttns to disperse crowds they did not at
tempt to interfere with the usual clus-
tfrs assembled to do window shopping.
Aey hastened idlers and loiterers, how
cFer, by the simple method of looking