New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-07
A STRIKE NOW POSSIBLE.
~ n MAHON MEETS THE STREET RAIL-
WAY MEN
GAYS THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE DONE THAT
c.xRE TO AVOID TEOUBLE-RESULT OF THE
CONFERENCE BETWEEN PRESIDENT
yREEIAND AND TIE EMPLOYEES.

rha relations between the metropolitan street
o.uwav Company and its employees became
20 strained yesterday than at any time since
n trouble began, according to the leaders of
Wv ,s,.s organization. and up to q late hour
Wv ,,uaton looked extremely serious and as
ro,eral strike OF the company's employees
,sbt be ordered.
T.u,,aro D. Mahon. president of the Amalga-
..a Association Of Street Railway Employees
,rsrica. who had been expected by the men
". two days arrived in this city yesterday.
.s.r conference with several committees Of
.sa mon he made the following statement
shortly after midnight last night:
We ne, tonight AMI organized our Executive
Committee and have Left 1hs matter in & itst hands
80 ,be several railway lines of the company. The
various matters ana m G mye AcGOrdns to the uP pr p
~ our constitution We VIII first try concilaton.
VIII III hatg pTy TO see President Vreeland tomorrow
en,,tee that called on him to-day We have tried
outside arbitrators In Philadelphia during the late
,eu whether there viii be strike not. think
thrre should be any trouble for employers and
EMPLOYEES to come 10 an agreement.
Several meetings Of the men will be held in differ
ent parts OF the city tomorrow.
CAUSE OF THE CHANGE.
The apparent cause Of the unfortunate turn
Of affairs yesterday was the failure Of an at
tempt made by the Central Labor Union. the
New-York State branch Of the Americsn Federa-
ton OF Labor. and the officers of the employees
organization TO bring about conference with
President Vreeland of the company.
According 70 the story Of the Executive Com
rttee Of the employees organization. a commit
tee called on President Vreeland at his office in
the Gable Building. Broadway and Hcuston-st..
yesterday afternoon. The committee was join:
ore. and consisted Of Daniel Harris, president Of
the New-York State branch Of the American
Federation Of Labor several members CT the
Central Labor Union. and several of the employees
OF the company. The committee esked for
interview with President Nrceland. but he
fused 10 grant IL. He sent out a message say
Ing that while he was willing to see a committee
o. the company's employees. he would lot see the
other men.
As the Central Labor Union had given the
company's employees good advice Sunday.
and had told them II was better "to go slow in
the matter and do everything possible to avert
strike its representatives felt much displeased
at President Vreeland's action in refusing to
grant them an audience. The men conferred to-
gether and the employees y the company finally
sew President Vreeland. lie told them that he
had not changed his determination to stand by
what he said Friday. and that he would not
charged from the cOmQanys employ.
The committee then told Mr.. Vreeland that
John D. Crimrnins had already promised TO take
four Of the men back. They said that Frank
Kane. the boss gripinan Of the company, had
called on James OHaon. one OF the discharged
men. and told him that Mr.. Crimmins wished 10
See him. OHaon had called on Mr.. Crimmins
and said that the latter had told him that he was
willing 10 take back four Of the men at once. and
the others In few days. Mr.. Crimmins had de-
clared that he would take all the men back at
once only he afraid that 1t might cause the
men TO act rashly. and. thinking they had wen
an easy victory. make other and unreasonable
demands.
President VreeIand 1t said. replied that he
could not help what Mr.. Cr:mmins had promised
that he was president Of the company and that
he stood by his decision Of Friday in relation to
the discharged men.
STATEMENT OF MIR. VREELAND
Before the men went away. Mr.. Vreeand said:
want to say before you go that last Friday six
were) came TO me and asked an audience. gave II
70 them as employees Of the coInpany as my do9r
me that they represented the employees Of this com,
the company-over 80 per cent Of thesn-repudiate
that representation entirely. ! have the assurance
poli,an Traction Company that that committee did
not represent them in any sense OF the WORD ana
them. a committee cannot represent body Of
ton Of the men and is selected by the men 10 rep
resent them Listened to you &C co1Fteonsyi hsvd a.
hsyer waited since have been here TO be asked iOr
advance Of wages. | have recom,mende1 10 the
euT from the men. that the wages should be ad,,
AND hasf 1Ga TN men Hfm here OF h tn evey
ey. YOU know. and | have a ways been ia.r
Nth them the result of an exner nee and educa-
ton gained H. the ranks with the men,. as a
hboring man myself and stand here TO-DAY on on
ny record that have never been unfair or nnust
ny treatment Of men "a ana G,, TINS companyy rlcapy
o. having paid the highest wages for the same c.ass
81 labor that are paid anywhere In the eastern sec
ton of ths country.
Mr.. MahOn on his arrival yesterday after
noon. sad tina. he desired 10 contradict the
statement that Eugene V. Debs had anything
10 do with the present trouble in any way.
While he and Mr. Debs personal friends,
ne had differed from him in the steam rail-
road employees strike in Chicago two years ago
lie mad not seen Mr. Debs since then. He also
saia 'hat in the four years that he has been
president OF the Street Railway Employees AS
sociauon there had never been a strike or
oered until company reused TO arbitrate.
Last night President Mahon addressed a meet
'ns % the railway men in a hall In Fortieth-st,
"ea' broadway. After that he met delegations
VI 'ne men OF the various lines of the Metropoli-
~" street Railway Company in Clarendon Han.
Committee was appointed OF those present and
s'. sxter me general meeting ended they went into
executive session.
Nm, dhe metropolitan Club. Of the company's en-
c. heId meeting in the clubrooms, In the
'CCuseS al FIftieth-st., and NUMBER oi
t. rI.es were made by Michael Spaulding, VIII
nei Dioohs' starter. and others James y Don
na ellpmon, presided. Resolutions were
'"ssed indorsng the company.