The Great Brooklyn Strike
February 2, 1895
Summary
The Brooklyn Street-Car Strike comes to an end, but at a significant cost to the company.
Transcription
The great Brooklyn Street-Car Strike is about ended, and the company won, as must have been apparent from the first that it would do.
Its victory, however has been costly, and the lesson taught on both sides should tend to show all parties the necessity for conservatism and the settlement of affairs of this kind by arbitration.
The company was unwilling to do this, and as a result lost thousands of dollars, which will aggregate more money than the increase of wages in question amounted to. The strikers are heavy losers. Besides the consequent loss of life, they in common with the people of New York state must bear the expense entailed in the transportation and maintenance of troops in the riotous district.
The decision of Judge Gaynor that the companies owe a duty to the public first and the stockholders afterwards and accordingly must operate their lines and furnish service required under their charters is good law. He asserted that these companies must secure the labor necessary for the fulfilling of their contracts with the city, even though they have to pay more for it.
If they saw fit to get cheaper labor, they could do so, but not to the detriment of the service guaranteed the public. On the other hand, the city and state are under obligations to afford protection and see to it that the companies are not prevented from carrying out the stipulations in their charters by lawless parties.
We cannot understand how the striking motor –men and conductors could hope to win in the face of the financial depression and universal poverty existing throughout the country. Able-bodied men in other sections were on the verge of starvation and the companies knew it.
The terms offered were so much in excess of the nothing which they were receiving that they were ready to risk life and limb in order to secure it. It will be a long time in the future before the line between capital and labor will be properly defined.
One of the leaders of the strike declared that the government ownership of the railway lines would be the only proper solution of the problem. The doctrine is to an extent socialistic and yet we doubt not, but what during the next generation some such plan may be put on foot which will lead to the operation of the roads upon the same principle that the post-office department is handled.
This can only come, however, by legislation of such a character as to make the operation of the many lines unprofitable to capitalists who will hasten to sell out to the government rather than suffer further loss.
Its victory, however has been costly, and the lesson taught on both sides should tend to show all parties the necessity for conservatism and the settlement of affairs of this kind by arbitration.
The company was unwilling to do this, and as a result lost thousands of dollars, which will aggregate more money than the increase of wages in question amounted to. The strikers are heavy losers. Besides the consequent loss of life, they in common with the people of New York state must bear the expense entailed in the transportation and maintenance of troops in the riotous district.
The decision of Judge Gaynor that the companies owe a duty to the public first and the stockholders afterwards and accordingly must operate their lines and furnish service required under their charters is good law. He asserted that these companies must secure the labor necessary for the fulfilling of their contracts with the city, even though they have to pay more for it.
If they saw fit to get cheaper labor, they could do so, but not to the detriment of the service guaranteed the public. On the other hand, the city and state are under obligations to afford protection and see to it that the companies are not prevented from carrying out the stipulations in their charters by lawless parties.
We cannot understand how the striking motor –men and conductors could hope to win in the face of the financial depression and universal poverty existing throughout the country. Able-bodied men in other sections were on the verge of starvation and the companies knew it.
The terms offered were so much in excess of the nothing which they were receiving that they were ready to risk life and limb in order to secure it. It will be a long time in the future before the line between capital and labor will be properly defined.
One of the leaders of the strike declared that the government ownership of the railway lines would be the only proper solution of the problem. The doctrine is to an extent socialistic and yet we doubt not, but what during the next generation some such plan may be put on foot which will lead to the operation of the roads upon the same principle that the post-office department is handled.
This can only come, however, by legislation of such a character as to make the operation of the many lines unprofitable to capitalists who will hasten to sell out to the government rather than suffer further loss.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Cord Fox
Citation
“The Great Brooklyn Strike,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed January 18, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/213.