New-York tribune., 1919-06-22

be overstated. Besides the govern
ment services. they stopped all indus
tries, the street railways, the delivery
of all food, the restaurants and the
theatres. Within two days, according
70 their own report, Hundreds Of
babies were on the verge of death
from want of milk" The papers were
struck because they refused to accept
striker censorship. Tacks and nails
were spread on the streets to tie up
automobile traffic and gasolene sta
tions were closed down. The strikers
were on the verge of starving even
themselves.
It was then that they tock control
and issued the by Permission" cards
which 50 aroused the city. Already a
committee of one hundred, which had
come to the aid of the city govern
ment during the strike a year ago, was
being reorganized. 1t was promptly
turned into a committee of one thou
sand and actually has more than six
thousand active members and as many
more are working with it. This is the
counter revolutionary body.
The strikers attack this as capital
it is on the capitalists side. But un-
less the principle that all who do not
work with their hands are capitalists
is accepted, the stigma is undeserved,
for the time being and while the soviet
community except labor, and among its
high officials can be heard as vigorous
denunciations of capital as among the
strikers.
When the sympathetic strike and
the revolutionary movement are over
many of these men are planning to
turn in and help labor as against
capital. They are already working
on plans for forcing better shop con-
ditions in the city and redressing other
matters in which they believe that
labor has a just grievance. They are
also considering plans to relieve the
distress which they expect next winter,
largely as a result of the strike. But
for the time being and while the
soviet is in the background there is
for them but the single issue
The first act of the committee wax
to supply some 450 men to take the
places of the striking fremen. These
men went into the frehouses as the
regulars walked out. Immediately
there was an epidemic of false alarms
which threatened to wear out the ANA
teurs, and patrol of fire boxes was
provided. This, since the men took
two hour shifts through the night,
called for more than 1900 more men.
No Count Taken
From then on the organization pro-
ceeded rapidly. The committee put
itself at the disposal of the Mayor
and the City Council and has made no
move except under his advice and
usually at his request. The work has
been done so hurriedly that no count
of the men enlisted has been kept,
but it is estimated that altogether not
less than 10000 are at work for it in
one capacity or another. Here are
some of the other things it has done:
Provided a staff of trained en-
gineers to take charge of the water
works when the city employees
walked out on the Mayors ordering
the pressure raised to normal, in de-
fance of the strikers.
Organized a street sweeping and
garbage collection service that has
keep the city clean.
Provided men for the gas works.
street lighting and city power plan.
and other utilities.
Furnished men who have, in .
way kept the postoffice going.
Scraped together a wireless plant
that reestablished communication
with the outside wc~ld
Drafted its wives and daughters to
handle the telephone switch boards.
Enlisted citizens army of several
thousands, drilled and armed it,
Raised 1000 special constables to
take the place of the police.
Provided a transportation system
with more than 1000 automobiles,
which is under skilful organization.
It's first duty is to get the volunteer
workers to and from their posts. It's
second to take care of returning
soldiers. It's third to provide trans
portation for workers in stores and
banks.
Published a daily paper, which,
during the first days of the strike,
was the only publication in the city
except the strike organ.
Organized commissary system,
with central dining room, for the
feeding of the volunteers
Provided guards for hundreds Of
danger spots about the city.
Provided for the delivery of milk
and bread. Other deliveries, as be-
ing involved in what the committee
considers merely labor war, it has
not aided.
Organized the usual finance, pub
licity and other committees that are
part of such a body
Raised funds for its maintenance