The sun., 1919-09-17
Gompers's Trip to Washing
ton Said to Be to Sound
Rail Men on Plan.
HIS AID WILL REPORT
Secretary Says A. f. of l..
Will Not Sanction Big
WalkOut in Hub.
MORE UNIONS BALLOTING
City Relieved by Firemen's
Official Statement of
Their Loyalty.
MORE UNIONS BALLOTING
By s.or Correspondent o, The Sun.

bp star Correspondents OF IHE sun.
BosToN, Sept. t6.-+While Boston
was as serene to-day as any time be-
fore the policemen's strike, the Bos-
ton firemen we're deciding against
sympathetically striking with the
police, the telephone operators were
taking a vote that is said to favor
Overwhelmingly a general strike, Gov.
Coolidge was receiving more tele-
grams of encouragement, the Mas
sachusetts State Guard was listlessly
pacing streets that were calmly
quiet, South Boston business men
whose shops were raided by last
weeks mobs began instituting damage
suits against the city, Gen. Nelson A.
Miles, hero of the Chicago Hay
market riot in 1886, was paying his
respects in person to Police Commits
sioner Curtis and almost everybody
that could get an audience was issu-
ing statement of some kind or other.
Boston may have a general strike.
Guy Oyster, Samuel Gompers's secre-
tary, is not saying much. The few
monosyllables that have escaped him
indicate that there1l be no general
strike with the American Federation
of Labor's consent. Yet the unions
are going right ahead, in obedience
to the dictum of the Central Labor
Union, and balloting upon the prop
osition.
Unity, peace and concord have not
been reestablished in their, wonted
prominence in this city by any means.
Yet the spirit of the strike epidemic
seems to have lost its martial bearing.
Police Lose Their High Hopes.
The police themselves are discour-
aged They are losing faith in the
efficacy of the proposed walkout and
Individual members of the police
union are yearning for the feel of
their old blue coats, their capacious
gray helmets and their locust night
sticks.
1t was declared to-day that the
local building trades union had re-
ceived peremptory orders from its in
ternational headquarters to take no
steps toward nor part in any SYM
pathetic strike until sanction was
received from international head
quarters.
The brewery workers and the bar
tenders have already voted YEA" to
the proposition of striking, but as they
have no jobs to- leave the general i'm
preston is that they are spoofing folks
and merely trying to get their names
into print. On Thursday night the ma
chinists and elevated railway shop
men will take a ballot and may follow
the lead of the United Hebrew Trades,
whose 10000 men and women have de-
eided to quit work If it will do the po-
lice any good. The marine machinists
union will also vote on Thursday night
and the News Writers Union, which is
the professional name for Boston's
newspaper reporters. will vote to-mor-
row.
The telephone operators union is
composed Of 1000 girls, most of them
good looking. Each girl as she ap-
proaches the ballot box receives a
neatly printed ballot which reads:
hEhan ha al
participate in a general strike of all
unions affiliated with the Boston Gen.
trail Labor Union, IL such action is neces-
sary by reason of the continued refusal
OF the authorities to permit the Boston
police to hold membership in the Ameri-
can Federation OF Labor?"
whether the adoption of that resolu-
uon will culminate In a strike or not
must be decided individually by all who
read it,
Gompers VIII Not Go to Boston.
Mr.. Oyster. who was due to leave
Boston tonight, said this afternoon:
President Gompers will not come to
Soston His presence here would only
aecentuate the existing situation. Mr..
pompers realizes the seriousness Of the
present situation and will not complicate
.N'Iels oy appearing mere at present.
me situation is sufficiently delicate
without further complicating matters
viii return to Washington tonight
on the Federal Express. shall make
my report in person TO Mr.. Gompers
20 not think things will be permitted
70 go so far as a sympathetic strike in
Boston"
Meanwhile Commissioner Curtis was
gong about recruiting his new police
.oHce' The most optimistic person in
the world could not say that he was
meeting with unprecedented success.
.nst four citizens applied for patrol
men Jobs to-day.
But a list of 161 names has been
sent the Commissioner by the Police
board. All are alleged to be eligible fof
emergency work. Another list of sew
enty names will be forwarded to the
commissioner as soon as the men who
haa preliminary examinations on Sep
uCns
But .et come what may. the people of
-. Nnsa.a