New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-22
State of New-York,
Board of Mediation and Arbitration


Board of Mediation and Arbitration.
Brooklyn. January IL. 1895
Zion. Chas. A. schieren' Mayor of the city OF
"Dsar Sir: Your letter of this date requesting
, the state Board Of Mediation and Arbitration in
the natter of the strike OF the electric railway
imitation imitation Of the same. is received.
During he past four days this s. board has had
Of District Assembly No. Is. X. of L., who act
MIA Hs O that commtee and President wieker OF the
queens County and Suburban Railroad Company.
Brooklyn City and Newtown Railroad Company;
PrSsideni Lewis, Of the Brooklyn Heights Rail
iSmtic Avenue Railroad Company, separately.
In the OF the Brooklyn City and Newtown
ION ir eftect.ng settlement o'clock yesterday
THURSDAY morning between presi i'd Partridge
ulatons satisfactory to both parties and duly exc
Cmed by the president and the executive committee
and the lines Of the system resumed traffic yesterday
morning at o'clock and have since been and are
nH% q i"S'S Of any O Rnd "''u'
in the case of the Queens County, and Suburban
road negotiations in progress all day yesterday
ana up 10 10 O'Clock last night. with the result OF
substantial agreement upon all points IN dispute ex
on strike. The executive committee made the CON
body. President Wicker declined TO accede to this
for the reason that, ne stated he had advertised
Der OF men for their services which he was morally
and legally bound to observe and hst he could not
receive back all his old employees, while willing other
wise 70 do SO As counter proposition ne onered d
to make places i9r az the oa o b
contracted with ana to distribute the latter,one-
Quarter qua on the waiting list This was declined by
the committee President Wicker then. az the re-
siion by reducing the number Of new employees 10
nifty placing onehalf on fun runs oneqnar'err b Gn
also rejected by the committee who insisted
res a az to- to- t heT places This exhausted the effort
at settlement by wedson Of the strike TN the OF ses
Il the Brooklyn Heights and Atlantic Avenue system
Presidents Lewis and Norton respeck nd aed no
progress toward a settlement could be maze win
The presidents Of all the lines declined to accept
the proposition Of the executive committee OF OF ,bss
board for arbitration OF all the differences IN con-
troyersy .,ora,o,a ., termination o, the
strike now pe by 1 or is
favorable Respectfully K% SGiTrsL fsfM PuRcELL
Chairman of State Board of Mediation and Ar0tra-
Investigation of the causes Of the strike was made
and It was IT Inc thas II 0 of p
,G Assembly % n Of the t so esSt for M
Principally an advance Of wages from 81 to 81
Bulk Of the employees: an establishment Of the pro
portion Of permanent; regular runs 70 Specla TIPS
certain times OF day. and an Observance OF the
statute which prescrbes ten hours labor
as days work The demand for an increase OF
Soss Of TA5 naS
ramained in the cases OF the Brooklyn Heights
and Atlantic Avenue companies. while the Queens
County and Suburban Company was wiling 10
Weld them. but could not effect settlement pc
men which would prevent the return Of a number
OF the old men. and TO this the Executive Board
~ District Assembly No. Is would not assent.
However, the existing troubles the Brooklyn
street railroads may be settled. the statute with
regard to the hours OF labor will. unless amended
80 as TO explicitly state and settle what shall con-
stitute ten hours labor remain constant irritant
and source OF dissatisfaction and contention on the
part OF the employees The companies construe ana
enforce the words ten hours labor TO mean labor
while the moving upon the rail- without
taking into account waiting tin at either end OF
the routes Thus by the evidence taken II was
shown that upon one line where there were eight
minutes at each end. making forty-eight minutes
per day, during which the conductors and motor
men were on duty and IN charge OF their cars, but
for which they received no compensation How
ever this method Of computation OF time or labor
came to be established, IL is clearly not within the
terms or intent of the law and Is not just as the
employees contend With view therefore. 70 re-
vention Of its agency in working further trouble
on lines OF street railroad. II Is suggested that
Chapter 500 OF the Laws of 1887 be amended so as
10 prescribe that the ten hours labor 10 be per-
formed within twelve consecutive hours. with rea-
sonab,e time for meals" provided for as a days
service az required by the rules OF the employer
and cease when the empoye upon their expira-
ton. is relieved from duty for the day.
All of which Is respectfully submitted.
WILLIAM PURCELL.
GILBERT ROBERTSON Jr.
EDWARD FEENY.
State Board Of Mediation and Arbitration.