New-York tribune., 1903-05-12
EMPLOYERS JOIN TO WAGE WAR
TO ISSUE CALL FOR MASS MEETING TO act ON
STRIKE And BUILDING TIEUP CRISIS.
Sub5cay Defy John McDonad UImatum and o to
Stan Out .Sir Months-Their Places To Be Filled
NO MORE SUBWAY DELAY.
Strikers Must Return T0-morrO1o or
Places WiH Be Filled.

L0CCS ~ Ill Dc 4 utCO'
An ultimatum to the subway strikers was de-
livered Yesterday by John b Mcdonald In
unmistakable terms he announced that the
strikers must return to work by to-norro"
morning or their places will be filed by other
laborers The refusal of the Italians to return
to work pending arbitration of their demand
for increased pay caused Mr.. Mcdonald anc
his sub-contractors 10 declare that If the men
refuse after tomorrow morning to work at the
wages they have been receiving, the subway
work will start again. and the workers VIII De
protected. Last night, after hearing this nhai
word the strikers reiterated their intention 10
stay out
Mr.. Mcdonald and his sub-Contractors were
not willing to disclose their plans for obtaining
aborers If the strikers should decide to stay
out They intilnated that they would employ
any men who willing to work Some said
they had many already engaged 1t is believed
that some of the sub-contractors have made ar
rangements to employ negroes. who VIII De sent
here by Southern employment agencies, because
Italians would be intinidated by their striking
countrymen.
Mr.. Mcdonald had a conference in his Office
in the Park Row Building with the committee
of the Central Federated Union which agreed
last week to arbftrate the strike with the under
standing that the men should go back pending
arbitration and the committee presented q COM
munication il had received from Paolo Capoc-
ciono, secretary of the Italian unions, that they
had decided not to go back to work on the sub
wav pending arbitration. This, however, was
not TO be considered as rejecting arbitration
Mr. Mcdonald promptly dictated his ultima
turn which hau the full approval of the sub
contractors present and a copy of it was de-
livered TO the committee It was addressed TO
the committee and their recently added as
sociates" and read as follows:
AS il is very evident that in the pledge Of your
word as committee. and by your written agree
ment you do not represent or bhd Lnf 1Dor fe
TO carry any future conferences Tor Ihe IaPiu
16fnslf mit of fuPther TGth Is delay Z PyO"'
wages for the shortest working hours in any
country under the sun, and who, aided Largely py
| your Endorsement quit work On the Rapid Transit
before Wednesday morning. May ID, | notify you
| the hands my sub-contractors. other men who
are willing work will be put in their places ana
! | say now to you most emphaticay, not as q
| threat but as q warning, that even in only one
fn e%temt of our power against Violence roting
-iasr-4,res+sRg and law-tFeakers. -----=-
The committee then went to the office of John
| J. Pallas at No. 81 Centre-st. where they held
q formal meeting, after which James ]. Hol-
| land and Mr.. Paas. accompanied by repre-
| sentatives of the Team Drivers Union, went
again TO Mr.. McDonald's Office to confer about
| the grievances of the teamsters. The PROPOSE
| ton made the Italians was made TO them
that their union should make application TO
| come in under the general agreement made two
| wears ago between the Central Federated Union
| and the Contractors Protective Association and
| go to work pending arbitration.
The committee left the Office with apparent
| good feeling but none Of the members would
saw ANYTHING except that a meeting OF the
| teamsters would be held tonight TO act on the
| proposition, in Tecumseh Hall, in East Thirty
| It was said by one of the sub-contractors that
| the hiring Of laborers to take the places OF the
| strikers had already. begun. William Bradley,
| who has the section of the SUBWAY from SIX
tieth-st to One-hundred- and-third SITS, was said
| TO have hired two hundred McMullen d McBeah.
who have the section from Gerard-ave- to Brooh-
| ave- have 260 men. and the Degnon- Mclean
| Contracting Company. having the sections in
| cluding Forty -seCond-st., CITY Han PARK, fark
| Row and Elm-st., $50 men.
| About four thousand of the Italian strikers
| met carly Yesterday at their headquarters. No.
| . 300 Ftrstave and listened for three hours TO
| harangues by their leaders They voted 10 Keep
| I'D the strike for six months, II necessary. 1hey
| launched new cry;
Eight hours work eight hours play, eight
| bours' sleep and 50 for every day we work.
| urtb-st and Tenth-ave. and voted to remain
/ out until their demands were granted
| It was quiet along the subway yesterday, but
| the police guards were strong there AT Sew
| enty-second-st. and Broadway, Bradley's sec
| tion fftv men were put at work. The strikers
| had pIckets near by. but they succeeded in get
| ting only six colored to quit. Those who
/ remained ate their luncheons in the trench
| SUBWAY contractors said last evening that
General Greene had promised full police protec-
| ton against strikers. and that Work would pe
| rarrr,ed in ga arnest tomorrow. They said they
| exnected to get workers among the Italians IN
| the citv who we're not in the union, aithouSh
! many of the men were more afraid of violence
| al their homes than at the subway.
| The Italian strikers held meeting last even
ing in their hall at No. 2,229 tfrst-aFe PacelIi'
| +bei- nresident announced the result of the con-
| ference in Mr. McDonalds office in the after
| noon The Italians voted to continue the strike
| .-sa1rt+aIv Their leaders declared that there
| 1-ouid he no violence and that they would seek
onlv nv peaceful means TO win TO their organize
| - .ata .ha+ meetings would be held daily at
| The hail 70 keep the strikers away from the
|