New-York tribune., 1902-08-06
P.RRAND EIGHTHOURLAW
AGREEMENT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE,
SAYS VICE-PRESIDENT GREEN.
COMPANY NOT MAKING PROMISES IT CAN
NOT FULFIL-DEMoLIsHEs THE MON
TAUK POINT DREAM-AMEND-
MENTS TO CONTRACT.

The proposition insert in the Pennsylvania
Railroad tunnel franchise a clause calling for
the prevailing hours and rate Of wages was dis
cussed at length at the joint meeting OF the
committee of the Rapid Transit Commission and
Board of Aldermen and representatives of the
railway company at the rooms Of the commission
Yesterday afternoon. No agreement was reached,
though President Cantor. who was the most
ardent advocate of such a provision, expressed
himself as thoroughly satisfied when clause
was agreed to whereby the railroad company
will be obliged to apply to him for permits Tor
street openings MI Cantor said afterward that
no permit would be granted unless the elght
hour law was made part of il 1t was SAID
that this did not worry the railroad people IN
the least If a permit is denied 10 them altef
they get their franchise they will have only to
apply 10 the courts for a mandamus ana MI
Cantor will be obliged to issue the permit
Deputy Controller Stevenson, acting for Con-
troIIer Grout. submitted a suggestion that ap-
pealed to most Of those present and was nct
otiectiona BILE to the railroad officials MT stew
enson's suggestion was as follows;
The railroad company TO agree in case 9f a
DELAY in the construction Of the iuhhei ous % so a
strike of its employees to arbtrate the ulISs
ences al issue and abide by the result OF TINS
arbitration If the company refuses IN any IA
Ta+ei+ Commission is authorized TO refuse to
grant any extension of time IN the coHS'i O''oii
Of the tunnel
Mr. Stevenson said that such Il provision Wouio
he legal for the reason that the city was ma
+erfa1Iv interested in having the tunne4 con
structed as quickly as possible, because while
the tunnel is being constructed the CITY - u
prived of the use of the streets
Those nresent az the meeting were Alexander
= Orr Woodbury. Langdon and Deputy Coli
troller Stevenson, representing Cohtrolle' -
Edward NJ Shepard, counsel and Nl'llallI Do!
CLAW Parsons chief engineer; Borough fie9
dent Cantor, President Fornes OF the Boar" u
Aldermen, and Aldermen Walhley. SulllVah anu
lanes John P Green, first vice-presloeh'' Gam
uel Rea, fourth vice-president; George v Mas
sev. assistant general solicitor, and Joseph l.
Richards. engineer Of maintenance % way "
the Pennsylvania Railroad
Mr. Green made an interesting statement IN
renlyy to a remark by Alderman Walkley thaI
the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad might use the tuhfel
70 carry freight to Montauk Point, making inns
roint a great transatlantic steamship tFrilli al'
This looks to US like the widest dream
said Mr. Green No sane man ever thought VI
dreamed of taking commerce out to MohlaoN
pint You could no more take commerce away
from New-York than you could take the Dloou
ont Of YOUR body and live. Montauk Point
e,,ar will he a terminus. It is absurd even TO
d,ecuss II Ny Corbin too sound and sane
q man ever 20 have dreamed of IT. There is no
moro chance Of the Pennsylvania Railroad 90
ing that than there is Of my flying over a mouse
II has taken thirty years TO build up Ne"PoI'
News and make port out of it, and 1t Wouid
take three thousand years to build terminal
at Montauk Point
Mr. Green said that It was cheaper to carry
freight from New-Jersey TO Long Island by
water than by rail. He said his company was
building large piers in Newark from which
freight would be lightered to Bay Ridge by an
ARRANGEMENT with the Long Island Railroad
Mr. Cantor made argument in favor OF
labor clause To this Mr.. Green replied as fol-
lows:
understand that Mr.. Cantor asks the com
pany 10 agree to do a thing which your courts
have decided corporation can agree TO 60
We have asked you for franchise in return
for which agree to pay you large sum OF
money. II is hardly to be expected nor would
ii be proper for us TO make q bargain Whlch
we could not carry out. We have come here
with clean hands and asked for franchise
which IL Will be to your advantage to grant
We believe that in agreeing to the compensation
decided upon have done what other cor
poration has ever done in the world before. In
London we know that the tunnel franchise was
granted for nothing, practically, because it was
believed that the prosperity OF that city would
tween $40 900 600 and $50.000.000 and propose
observe the law We do not propose to do a
thing which we know would be violation OF
the law
Our companys position the subject OF
labor is known everywhere. We have no oppo-
sition from organized labor, have we any
from non-organzed labor. We employ both
classes. and never ask whether or not ne
belongs a union. We always pay him
we'll We don't believe the city has any right TO
put in our franchise requirement that shall
employ a certain kind of labor, people of a
certain religion or people having a certain
color of eyes or hair. We believe that en-
trance into New-York will benefit the working
people We will help to build up this city. But
the company that builds this tunnel will not do
Il
The Day Line has special trains 70 and from the
CatskiIIs and Saratoga alongside the boat. New
lcnding West l2sth-st., 9:lo a. m.-Advt.