New-York tribune., 1919-08-06
Receivers Letter Causes
Tumult in Meeting of
Workers, Who Cry for
an Immediate WaIk-Out
Police Reserves to
Guard Car Barns
Power House Operatives
Reported Planning TO
Quit in Sympathy; Cars
to Run, Says Official

Brooklyn Rapid Transit employees
met last night in Labor Lyceum, Will
ouehby and Myrtle avenues, and voted
unanimously to go on strike at 5 o'clock
this morning. They boast that all the
surface. elevated and subway lines of
the borough will be tied up.
Late last night it was ~umored that
Eli Of the power house men had prom
1sed to go out with the strikers If
this should happen, not a wheel will
turn on the B. R. T. lines to-day. No
confirmation of this report could be
obtained at the Offices of the company.
The men will return to the hall for
enother meeting a A this morning, and
then will he~ assigned 70 car barns,
where they will endeavor to persuade
all motormen. conductors and guards
not to take out cars.
All police reserves in Brooklyn will
be held in readiness throughout the
day. Leaves have been cancelled and
men on vacation are being recalled.
All car barns will be protected and re-
serves in the car barn districts will be
doubled.
i
of the B. R. T.; John j. Dempsey.
e-presldent, and William Siebert,
superintendent of the department of
service and transportation, conferred d
until late last night at the company's
Offices, Clinton and Montague streets.
To Use Reserve Forces
All refused to make formal state
+ Colonel Williams said he did not know
how many men would go out. When
( asked If he would be able to replace
the 5000 men who voted to 20 on
strike, he said, Eve will cross that
'bridge when we come to it,"
Asked if the company had engaged
any special guards to protect its barns
and equipment, Colonel Williams said :
All necessary precautions have been
taken. All arrangements have been
made
Mr. Dempsey said there was on hand
q force of reserves equal to 90 per
cent of the working force of the B. R.
T., and that this would be called upon
TO mi any gaps left In the organization
by the strikers.
He said there were $4,000 employed
by the company, but deducting signal
men, switchmen and train dispatchers,
who are not affected by the strike,
only 10000 would be directly con-
cerned
Superintendent Siebert insisted that
trains would be run to-day.
I'VE are going to operate our lines
as usual" he said. 1--WE will run as
many cars as we can-the more the
better. We have arranged for police
protcction''
Refusal Provokes Tumult
The letter from Receiver William L..
harrison refusing to grant the unions
demands for increase in pay, an eight
hour day and recognition of the union,
vas the direct inspiration of the strike.
NO sooner had it been read to the
meeting than men from all parts of
the hall jumped up and began to
shout:
Strike! Strike! Strike!"
When the tumult had been quieted
by Edward j. Smith, leader of the local
union, some one made a motion that
the strike be declared immediately. A
dozen voices seconded it, and the en-
IRE meeting of 5000 men and women
rose when the motion was put to a
standing vote.
For several moments thereafter the
hall was filed with noise. Men shout
eu ana overturned chairs, and there
we're cries of "To hell with the B. F..
~ ITO Aell with Garrison!"
Orderly Conduct Urged
When the noise subsidized somewhat
r j. Shea, vice president of the Anal
gamated Association of Street aud
Electric Railway Employees, leaped
on the platform and said:
Men, | want to congratulate you.
mink you mean business. Your ac-
ton tonight will convince Mr.. Gar
rison that you are not fooling. You
men have been paid poor wages for
your work, and it has been almost
impossible for many Of you to &c.
siong. To earn a decent living wage
some of you have had to work twelve
hours day
Don't operate the cars. Act order
~ and show the people you are law
abiding citizens. Keep away from the
eompany's property. You'll win this
tlme Tae organization will back you
Man. of Brooklyn's large business
concerns, which were clipped OFF,
Yesterday that the strike would be
Cont;,sasd on .as9t pGgs