The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-17
VOTE IS FOR ELEVATED STRIKE
1883 TO 2I; NATIONAL OFFICERS
MUST NOW SANCTION 1T.
Mahon, National President Of the Union.
says He's for Peace-IIas ReOpeneti
Negotiations with the Company, which
Has offered Better Wases-Meantime
Union Says. Conditions Remain as They
Were-Motormen Unlikely to Strike

Union Says. Conditions Remain as They
Were-Motormen Unlikely to Strike
The employees OF the Manhattan Ele-
vs,ed Railway lines. exclusive Of the motor
men, voted last night in favor Of strike
for nine-hour day. In all. according to
an unofficial statement, 2.974 votes were
cast, and only twenty-one we're recorded
against the strike. The union which took
the vote has not been organized many
weeks.
When the polls closed at 1890 o'clock
last night there were about four hundred
men in Colonial Hall, Columbus avenue
and lOlst street. They were called to order,
and speeches were made by President
Mahon Of the International Association
Of Street Railway Employees, Of which the
new union is branch; Herman Robinson,
the American Federation Of Labor agent
who organized the men, and President
George Z. Pepper Of the new union.
At midnight the result OF the vote was
announced and the meeting broke up with
cheers. Mahon. Robinson. Pepper and
vice-Presidents Pickett and Rafferty, OF the
union then began a conference.
This statement was given out early this
morning:
The vote just closed by our organization
has by overwhelming numbers sustained the
contention OF the organization and indorsed
the committees actions. Under the laws
Of our association the entire contention now
comes under the jurisdiction OF the inter-
national president. who. in connection with
our committee. will take up the matter
President Mahon has succeeded in re-
opening negotiations with the company this
afternoon These negotiations will be taken
Mp again tomorrow and continued with the
hope Of reaching a satisfactory settlement.
Pending these negotiations, the present
relations will continue and as soon as the
committee Is ready to report general meet
ing OF the body will be called.
Mahon, after learning the result Of the
vote. disappeared. He couldn't be found
by reporters. When asked II the result OF
the vote would be given out officially, Preei-
dent Pepper and Organizer Robinson said
the committee had unanimously decided
not to make public the vote cast.
Our statement" said Robinson that il
was by an overwhelming majority. we
deem perfectly sufficient. and if the COM
pany challenges this statement we can
easily prove it,
Robinson said Mahon would meet Mr..
Bryan to-day at the company's office. He
refused to discuss the situation any further.
II was said by the men that National
President Mahon was much put out by the
sentiment expressed by the men and that
hs had done everything In his power to
make them declare against strike.
There were many hotheads at the night
meeting, II was eaid. and a great deal OF
feeling was shown.
Many Of the men were In favor Of calling
an immediate strike and decla red they
wouldn't work to-day. Mahon told them
10 wait because he was negotiating with
the company and thought he could do some
thing to get what they wanted. He is re-
ported as having said to some Of the men:
This strike is all foolishness.'
Even though q strike has been voted for
by the men. there is still a possibility OF a
compromise. The strike, to be regular,
must be sanctioned by the executive COM
mittee OF the national organization, and
that will cause some delay. Meantime
General Manager f. p. Bryan OF the Inter
borough Rapid Transit Company wrote yes
terday stating that though the company
wouldn't grant q nine-hour day 1t would
stick by its offer to increase wages some
what II the men decided not TO strike. VI
his letter Mr.. Bryan said:
Il learned to-day that a great many OF
the men were apparently under the inn
preston that the company had withdrawn
the last offer that was turned down by the
union. This was a mistaken impression.
To correct it l simply sent to the head OF
The executive committee Of their organiza-
ton At 4 o'clock this afternoon a letter
informing them Of the particulars Of that
offer and stating that the company was
still ready to stand by the schedule made
in that offer Assurance was also made
that the door would always be open for
the acceptance of that offer by the men.
The offer did not include the nine-hour
day that the men demand and. as the action
81 the directors Of the company yester-
day showed. we will not grant nine-hour
day
Asked IL he thought there was going to
be a strike, Mr.. Bryan said emphatically:
In my opinion there will no be trike.
| know that there are q great many Id
men who have been long In the employ
Of the company and have always been
loyal to tho company and they are loyal
yet.
If the mon STRIKE he added. they will
have TO strike for the whole business. The
offer of increased wages stands good only
Il the men don't strike
The offer to which Mr.. Bryan referred
was made by the company last week 1t
would increase the wages Of all the CON-
pany's employees from S TO 20 cents day
This offer was sent to the executive CON-
mittee OF the union in the form OF circular
and " was stipulated by the company that
its going into effect was dependent upon
ito formal acceptance by the union.
II the men had accepted the new schedule
il would have gone into effect last Sunday.
The union took no action on the oher
and the men had regarded 1t as having
lapsed.
All that President Pepper would say
about Mr.. Bryan's communication to him
was that he was very much pleased witt
it,
The voting on the strike began at
o'clock yesterday morning.
Five or six who first arrived looked very
slum. The voting was by ballot and the
ballot boz was presided over by President
George Z. Pepper and the unions Grievance
Committee. After while the motormen on
thu trsins n. thsv uaasad by l0let ptreet