New Britain herald., 1919-07-17
5000 Workers, De- m handing Shorter Hours and Wage h. crease, Quit Work Today.
THOUSANDS WALK TO
 CITY FROM SUBURBS
Former President Taft An
 nounces That Decision
 Will Soon Be Rendered . By Joint Chairmen.

" Boston, July 17.--Car service on the street, subway and elevated lines here and in F : adjacent cities and towns was tied up today by strike q Of 5000 union employees of the Boston Elevated railway system.
 s Thousands Of workers walked from suburban homes, while scores = of extra shuttle trains and added <. coaches on the regular trains on the Boston and Maine, Boston and AL 9bany and New Haven railroads were Drought into service. Commercial ]. and industrial concerns were handi- capped by depleted forces, as thou .&ands-o of employees were forced to re- main away during the early hours for . Jack & transportation.
 Strike Called as Protest. The strike was called as a protest against alleged delay on the part of the War Labor Board in announcing an award in the wage dispute between thea company and the car men. The strikers demand an eight-hour < day and> a wage of 731a cents an Ahour. These demands were rejected -.by the public trustees of the railway Taft to Arbitrate.
 4a,I.ast night former President Taft one of the joint chairmen of the War Labor Board, who is in P6int-a-Pic, Quebec, telegraphed Governor Coo- #1idge and also telephoned Samuel L. < Powers, a member of the board of trustees that'S a decision would be rendered soon by the joint chairmen and that he and Chairman Basil Manly who is in California, planned to meet in Chicago on August 1 for this purpose. He also informed Gov ernor Coolidge that unless the men 44eturned to work, the chairmen would have no authority under the rules of the board to render a de- scision.
 7 Must Await Decision.
 The trustees, after learning that the car men would not accept an offer to submit the case to local ar- bitraters if the War Board chairmen failed to render a decision before August 2, announced they would make no attempt to operate the sys- fem under strike conditions and that also the public and car men must await the War Labor Boards dec- sion.
 
 vote taken on Monday, became effec- tive at a. m. At that time car men on the early morning runs took their cars to the barns and left them. Car house men and men on duty also stopped work The regular force of uniformed men, ticket agents and others did not report for work.
 Patrons Have to Walk Patrons n lines which serve the city including the Bay State and Middlesex and Boston roads were left in the su- ,. burbs, as. the union car men operating < on those lines were notified not to .. run their cars over the Boston Ele- vated tracks while the strike was in progress
 Has Faith in Board
 James H. Vahcy counsel for the employees, said he believed the board would be able to act, as it had given a.decision to the Kansas City carmen while a strike was in progress. Unless the war labor board give a decision these in touch with the situation today said the only prospect of settlement lay in the reference of the mems de- .e mands to a nv arbitration board to be agreed upon between the union and ; she trustees.
 These demads call for an eight hour day with pay at the rates of 73 1-2 cents an hour as compared with 3 hours in eleven at maximum of AS cents an hour at present
 Swarm of People Afoot. - Swarms of people poured into the city afoot, the throngs being especial : ly noticeable as they crossed the Bridges from South Boston and Cam bridge. Automobiles, with passengers sridfng on the mud guards, had diff Fffeulty in some eases in working their way through the crowds.
 Offers to Act As Arbitrator. 4 Washington T11lu + 7-Pnprasopt,