New-York tribune., 1903-03-29
GRANT TIME EXTENSION.
HOTHEADS WANT STRIKE.
EIeUated Road Employees Not to
Press Demands Until April.

A strike On the Manhattan Railroad Com
panys lines was STAYED of yesterday by the
newly organized guards, conductors, station men
and others voting to accept recommendation
of the executive committee OF the union to give
the Interborough Rapid Transit Company.
which takes charge April !. some time to get
familiar with the train schedules. The men met
in relays during the forenoon, afternoon and
evening at sulzer's Harlem River Hall, One
hundred-and-twenty-sev and Second
ave, to record their votes and many Of them
talked of striking right away. They said time
was slipping past day by day, and the wanted
to know what the executive committee, which
had submitted their demands to the company
had been doing.
Herman Robinson, general organizer OF the
union, and George E. Pepper, its president
talked vigorously to the discontented ones.
The guards and conductors. 1t was said. were
anxious to strike, they considered them
selves insulted by an offer of advance Of
only FIVE cents a day by the company, and
there was some talk of them taking Independent
action Of their own. They were placated. how
ever, and when the last of the meetings ad-
journed, a little before II p. m. the action
Of the executive committee had been ratified
and g recommendation to give the 1nterborough
Company time to become familiar with the
running schedules after April I before the
Statements were given out by Robinson and
President Pepper after the meeting adjourned.
Robinson began by denying that there was any
division OF sentiment the part of the men
or any indication of q split in the union The
union he said, had, during the day and even
ing enrolled three hundred colored men and
trackmen who hitherto had been outside Of the
union.
Now he said, "as to the objects OF the
meeting I want it to be understood that we
were not talking strike In the first place. the
Interborough company requested and the execu-
tive committee agreed to an extension or tune
to enable the company to get acquainted WIN
the running schedules OF the roads after april l;
when it takes charge OF affairs. The so,caieo
ultirnatum, giving the company to April 10
consider the demands, was not sent In face' IL
was not an ultimatum, for that would mean
that if the demands were not granted oy Aprll
there would be strike on April 4 Inere VIII
be no strike. At these meetings to-day the eX-
ecutiVe committee explained what 1t had done.
It recommended that more time De gwen Ho
time limit to be set, and the negotiations to go
or in the mean time .,--
adopted and vote of confidence in the COM
mittee was passed The committee received
full power to continue the negotiations.
The trackmen and colored men, VINO had
been ORGANIZED. he said. would have demands
which would not be submitted for some time
President Pepper had this to say:
There has never been any danger Of strike
All the strike talk has been in the newspapers
The executive committee was received IN q
the Interborough Rapid Transit Company. He
expressed himself very nicely. and said ne mao
nothing against the unions and believed Ia
treating the men fairly. He said he wanted 10
be on good terms with the men, and that there
(youfd % no cause 6f complaint. All ne wanted
was little time to get aGSuaoea 4I tH Tlen co;1
pany had charge Of affairs It could not be IN
a position to confer on the demands.