The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-28
Organize the Traction Workers
THE 1916 STRIKE; WHY 1T FAILED

His testimony was so contradictory
and manifestly false that Cohen, the
attorney of the public service COM
mission, proved that Hedley had lied
repeatedly on the stand. Mr.. Shonts
made o much better witness. He
ioked continuously at their success
in putting it over on" the Amalga-
mated. The Company Union, he re-
ferred to as the "entente cordiale"
between the company and the men.
Nothing, of course, came of the
hearing. Another evidence that the
courts and investigating agencies of
the capitalist class are but DISCUSSES
for concealing the true nature of its
power! The Interborough merely de-
fled its decision to arbitrate the
strike.
All Labor Interested.
The extrome interest aroused by
the strike forced organized labor to
take a stand on the issues involved.
Agitation began for general SYM
pathetic strike on the part Of the
whole labor movement of New York.
The labor officials Of the city did
not take this agitation So ously and
at first went along with
To their surprise the movement
gained unexpected momentum. One
after another of the unions, forced by
the pressure of the rank and file
voted to join the sympathetic strike.
For a time it seemed as if such a
general walkout would take place.
Mayor Mitchell showed his true
colors by threatening to call the
militia.
General Strike Betrayed.
Then the forces behind the scenes
began their deadly operations. One
after another of the labor officials
began to advise against such drastic
"Hesitant" Hugh Frayne
openly stated that "a general strike
may not be necessary after all'. Sam
Gompers came on from Washington
to deliver an address to the machin-
lists. In the course of his speech he
said: "No doubt, you would like to
have me speak about the traction
strike, but at this time it would be
better to stick to my subject. AS
result, the sympathetic strike which
could still have saved the situation
was likewise sabotaged.
Battle Ends.
The struggle of the traction work.
ers continued with declining vigor;
the combined forces against the men,
the lack of an adequate leadership
which would fight the battle along
the correct class lines, the increasing
needs Of the men all proved too much
for them. Besides the failure of
organized labor to support the strike
and especially its failure
to carry out the plans Of the general
strike after it had raised the hopes
of the traction woEkers, actually
broke the back Of the strike.
All through the summer the con-
test continued, the men fighting stub
bornly and the company gradually
raising It's degree of service with the
AID OF the strike breakers under po-
lice protection. Christmas of that
year still found the men holding out
1T it was clear that the battle was
lok.
Victory for the workers is not won
in day. Most frequently there are
trying defeats along the way. The
lessons of defeat are not learned as
quickly and as thoroughly as one
might hope. The Interborough trac-
tion workers had still another defeat
to sustain before they could begin
to build on a solid foundation. Such
an event was the last 1926 strike.
But no strikes are ever lost as we
shall see. Each battle takes it's place
in the struggle leading to final vic
tory!