The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-15
BOSTON ASSUMES
AIR OF WAITING.
Union Officials Meet With Po-
lice Commissioner Curtis.
Announcement Expected.

| SeiNou 'edoers OF tno poIIcen1en's
union and other organizations, In.
cluding a representative of President
Samuel Gompers, Of the American
I Federation Of Labor, but at its con
eIusion the visitors left police head.
| quarters without making any state
mont. They said they might make
ono later in tho day.
Following the conference Commits
sioner Curtis issued a statement In
which he said it would be impossible
for him to change his position.
This statement in the form of let
ter to President Michael ]. O'Donnell
Of the Central Labor union, read:
II have heard whatever you may
have desired to say to me concern
ing the matters with whcih I have
effectually dealt and am required to
deal.
THE action which I have taken is
the only one l could take under the
law and the obligation of my office
l shall be guided in further official
action by the same requirements OF
the law in every particular It is to
be always remembered that / exer-
else only those authorities which the
| law of the commonwealth has i'm
posed on me. I could not, even If
would, permit any other conditions to
control or direct my actions"
Beats Being Assigned
Meanwhile tangible evidence OF the
commissioners refusal to reinstate
the strikers was apparent. Some
| military men were called from the
civil service list and from the Metro
| politan police force and given perma-
nent appointments on the force. 1t
is understood they will receive a
| minimum of $1,400 with uniforms
| provided, an increase over the salary
previously paid to the men who went
| on strike.
Beats were being assigned to the
men today and beginning with the
! first night shift tire officers will ring
boxes and patrol as usual.
Reorganization of the force will
, continue as rapidly as possible
through the regular channels of the
| civil service department" announced
James NJ. Devlin, secretary to the
| commissioners. None of the men
| who deserted their posts viii be ac-
cepted as members of thenew force. -
1t was thought that this was likely
to follow the meeting of union Off
| Gals and Police Commissioner Cur
| tis this forenoon. -sS
Despite the assurance that there
would be no sympathetic strike, sew
| eral Boston unions seemed to be pre-
| pairing today for that very action
Many of the locals took secret bal
lots, which were sent to the Central
Labor union without the members OF
the local organizations even knowing
the result.
Frank III. Mccarthy. New England
organizer Of the American Federation
of Labor, was called to New York to
confer with President Gompers and
! it was expected here today that Mr..
| Gompers would come to Boston to
| direct in person the fight for the po-
| lice in the event that a general strike
should be voted.
Can't Strike Against Public Safety.
A telegram from Gov. Coolidge to
President Gompers, the latest in their
series of exchanges, did not indicate
that the governor has receded the
slightest from his position in support
of Commissioner Curtis, who has
discharged the nineteen union leaders
and declared the positions of all the
strikers vacant.
He declared that the right of the
police to affiliate is prohibited and
that the suggestion of President Will
son to Washington, does not apply to
Boston, as in Washington the police
remain on duty.
There is no right to strike against
the public safety by anybody, any
where, any time" said the governor
You ask that the public safety
again be placed in the hands OF the
same policemen while they continue
in disobedience to the laws OF Mas
sachusetts and in their refusal to
obey the orders of the police depart
ment. Nineteen men have been tried
and removed. Others have abandoned
their duty, their places have, under
the law, been declared vacant in the
opinion Of the attorney general. l can
suggest no authority outside the
courts, to take further action,
II wish to join and assist in taking
broad view of every situation. A
grave responsibility rests on all of
us.
You can depend on me to support
you in every legal action and sound
policy. I am equally determined to
defend the sovereignty of Massa-
chusetts and to maintain the author
ity and jurisdiction over her public
officers where it has been placed by
the constitution and laws Of her peo-
pie"
Boston Calm Sunday.
Boston had its usual calm Sunday
and except for the patrollng of the
city streets by armed state guards
men, the day was no different from
any other Sabbath. The guardsmen
had been cautioned by their superior
officers against using their rifles too
freely and there was no shooting to
mar the serenity of the day and night
The number of arrests was below the
average.
Targets for Missiles.
Early today two state guardsmen,
members of Company H, Tenth regl-
ment were the targets for missiI s
thrown from the roof of No. 200 Dor
chester avenue, South Boston. The
guardsmen fired several shots at an
open window on the top floor of the
three story tenement house, breaking
the windows and frightening the in
mates.
Mrs. Patrick Horan, who with her
two children, occupied the third floor
apartment. said she heard footsteps
on the roof. but did not investigate,
as she was unprotected. City Coun-
cillor James T. Moriarty and fam
lily occupy the second floor of the