The sun., 1919-09-16
Most Of Union Workers in
Boston Said to Favor a
General Strike.
HIRE NEW POLICEMEN
Commissioner Expects to
Swear in Many More Men
on Monday.
FIREMEN'S HEADS Loyal
Writ of Mandamus to Compel
Reinstatement of Cops
May Be Sought.
HEADS Loyal
By a stor Correspondent Of THx Sun.

BIZ q Sta1 Correspondent Of THE Sun.
Boston, Sept. 15.-The Policemen's
Union says that the fight has just
begun. Police Commissioner Curtis
says that the fight is all over.
A hundred unions-from the city
fremen down to the hardwood floor
finishers-are now voting on the ques-'
ton of a general strike. The city Of
Boston refuses to believe that there
will be one.
1t is hard to convince folks down
East here, but they insist that no
matter how the several unions vote
on the strike question the public Ia
secured by what 1t chooses to believe
is the decision of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor to sanction and rec
ognize no general strike in Boston
until after October 6 anyway.
The Central Labor Union of Boston
cannot call strike unless walkOut
is voted by 81 per cent. Of the unions of
which 1t Is the parent body. Even then
the G. L. U. must get the acquiescence
OF the American Federation of Labor
If the strike is to be regular. @he
G. L. U. as body is strongly in favor
Of the wholesale walkout; but 1t Is a
serious question whether it could af-
ford to ignore it's mother organization,
the American Federation of Labor,
and try 10 force Boston to accept q
unionized police force by strike of
wildcat nature.
Boston Normal on Surface.
Neither threats, bricks nor harsh
words were being hurled in Boston to-
night. Frank Mccarthy, the A. Il.
of l.. representative in New Eng
land, made lengthy appeal to the
public. Therein he set forth the
police side of the controversy their
admittedly insufficient pay, the dis
comforts attending their working con-
ditions and the inflexibility of Gov.
Coolidge and Commissioner Curtis.
The day was beatific. The stern
decorum that the Puritan loves per-
meated the city from South Boston
to Back Bay. There was but one shot
fired. Sergeant William A. Newcomb.
Company C, Fourteenth Infantry, NJ.
S. G., shot himself in the leg while
doing police duty in Dorchester. A
large crowd of citizens watched the
sergeant go through this interesting
performance and saw him off to the
hospital, hoping that the wound was
nothing trivial.
Samuel Gompcrs did not come to
Boston to-day. Instead he sent his
secretary, Guy Oyster, who started
tonight TO compile a detailed report
for his chiefs benefit. With Michael
O'Donnell, president Of the Central
Labor Union; John McInness, presi-
dent of the Pollcemen's Union, and
Mccarthy, Oyster went to Commits
sIoner Curtis's office soon after noon
to-day.
They went there with the Gompers
terms of armstice TO offer as their
olive branch and were told quietly but,
firmly that there was nothing doing.
The Commissioner told them the same
old story-that the policemen were
deserters; that as deserters they had
forfeited their rights to be taken
back; that the courts had decided
that the policemen could not be taken
back, and that no matter what the
courts or Individual said the city of
Boston was not going to accept q
unlonized police force.
Comm missioner Answers Envoys.
In parting the Commissioner told
his callers:
II have heard whatever you may
have wished to say TO me concerning
the matters with which l have Of
ficially dealt and am required to deal.
: The action which have taken is the
only one could take under the law
and the obligations OF my office. /
! shall be guided in further official
action by the same requirements OF
, the law in every particular.
, 1T is 10 ice always remembered
=, that l exercise only that authority
, which the law of the Commonwealth
, has imposed upon me. could not.
even IL would, permit any other
consideration to control or direct my
; action"
And right there the matter ends.
But to uphold the State and city ofi-
cials in their cocksureness that thers
will be no general strike as result
would be to contradict every surface