The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-12
BUY GUNS and
GAS TO CRUSH
CAR STRIKE
Mayor Declares War
On Pittsburgh Workers
lspeeIaI % The oaIIy worksrl

Especial to The Daily Workerl
PITTSBURGH, May IL First
rounds Of strike ammunition were
served out to the police yesterday
when scores Of modern riot guns,
more than 10000 rounds Of ammuni-
ton and hundreds of revolvers ar
rived at detective headquarters.
More riot guns, tanks and gas gren-
AIDES are being rushed in
PITTSBURGH, Pa, May IL
Tear gas grenades, riot guns
and tanks are the weapons with
which Mayor MCGEE and the
Pittsburgh Railways company
intends to fight the strike of
5000 motormen and conductors
which has paralyzed street car
service in this city.
The strike for better working
conditions which began Satur-
day morning has thrown bust
ness interests into a state of
panic and resulted in the inn
mediate passage by the city
council of an appropriations
bill for the death dealing weap-
ons against labor.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars
is the amount provided, at Nc
Gees request, by the "emergen-
cy" ordinance which will be
used in purchasing the gas,
guns and tanks to protect scabs
and to attack the strikers.
Demands Just, Mayor Admitted.
Mayor McGee's declaration of war
on the strikers, before they have
been even accused of any acts of vio-
lence, comes just two days after his
admission that there was much JUS
tice to their demands.
The demands of the strikers are the
slightest possible. They demand that
the company pay half the cost of
their $2S company uniforms; they de-
mand that they be given thirty
minutes instead of fifteen for making
out accident reports. A demand for
a small wage increase followed.
Plan to Crush Union.
The company's purpose is to crush
the street carmen's union. Their pro-
gram is part of the great open shop
drive in the Pittsburgh district, long
noted for the greed of its employing
class.
John N. Nelson, business agent OF
the street carmen, has notified the
public that the workers are going to
insist on their rights in spite of OPP
position
Scabs Endanger Life.
Warning the public of the danger
from reckless and unframed scabs--
as well as from the riot guns-he says
in part:
at may conserve human life from
accidents if the public which uses
street cars going to and from their
homes would bear in mind that the
men to be put in charge of the
street cars by the Pittsburgh Rail-
ways Co. are men of little or no ex-
perience in managing cars.
pittsburgh grades are steep and
many short turns are experienced
by motormen on every line running
thru, into and out of the city. Only
trained men, used to these dangers,
have been in charge Of the cars.
Regretful and very great accidents
are liable to occur.
40 Overcome In easy Tunnel.
Danger to human life from auto
mobiles carrying passengers, came in
an unexpected way Saturday when
nearly 40 automobile passengers we're
overcome with gas in the new Liberty
tunnel running from Brownsville to
Carson streets.
Mayor McGee's police. in their
eagerness to break the carmen's
strike, allowed the autos to crowd
into the tunnel recklessly with total
disregard OF traffic laws.
What was worse no inspection Of
gas conditions had been made.
Fearful Auto Jam.
Gas was seeping into the tunnel.
Had there been no traffic jam no one
might have been injured, but as the
ears caught into each other and the
line of scores of machines became
blocked, men and women began to fan
Police Responsible for Injuries.
Twenty-four persons were more or
less seriously injured and about 40
IN all were overcome by the gas.
These first injuries indirectly traced
to the strike are directly at the door
Of Mayor McGee's police.