The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-07

Warlike Preparations All Went for
Nausht-Inion headers Delighted
Estimate That the Men Get D Ia
Hour Day, TOo-''Wc Ought to Have
Seen Belmont First" Says Jencks
Stockholders Not Yet Heard From.
To the utter amazement Of those who
have been following developments in the
elevated railway dispute August Belmont,
with all the trump cards in his possession.
suddenly threw up his hand yesterday
and made what amounts to a complete
surrender to the labor unions which for
fortnight have been threatening to stop
traffic on the elevated railway lines in Man.
haitian and The Bronx because men to be
employed in the subway service were not
to be paid so cents a day more than
they were willing to accept. At con-
ference in Mr.. Bemont's Office, which occu-
pied from PAS o'clock yesterday afternoonto
1880 last evening, Mr. Belmont agreed 10 give
the motormen on the subway trains $3.50
a day instead of the SO a day which, in
prior conferences he has said was the abso-
lutte limit the marlborough would pay.
Apparently to save the company's face,
and give Mr.. Belmont something to say
to the st ocliholders in explanation OF his
! change of mind the union leaders con-
sented to leave the settlement in such
shape that the marlborough can say that
/ il has won in the matter of the hours which
! are TO consttu DAVIS work The original
/ demand of the labor unions was n wage
! rate of $3.50 for nine hour day. Mr.. Bel
| mont up to Yesterday had stood firm for
| 50 rate for Il ten hour day The labor lead
ers Yesterday let Mr.. Belmont have his
| ten hour day in consideration of his giving
! them all they wanted in pretty much every
| thing else. Under the terms which Mr.. Bel
| mont agreed to on Saturday, however, the
train schedule is to give the subway motor.
| men such easy runs that an hour more or
less in the time they must be on duty is OF
no particular consequence either one way
| or the other
| 1t was generally remarked among those
to whom the result was announced that
the stockholders in Mr.. Belmont's COM
pany had suffered a heavy loss by the intro
duction of politics into its management
STRIKE BEATEN IN ADVANCE.
While Mr.. Belmont's sudden change OF
attitude was nominally the result OF yester-
| days long conference with the men s leaders,
it was the general opinion last night that
back of this sudden change Of heart there
was something more potent than the argu-
| ments of the labor leaders.
On Saturday Mr.. Belmont was ve-
! hement in his insstence on 81 pay Tor
ten hour day. When on Sunday the union
leaders reiterated their demand for $3.50
rate for nine hour day, this was regarded
as an ultimatum. 1t WAS believed up to
the very hour when Yesterdays conference
broke up that there was nothing left for
the labor leaders to do save abandon this
demand or call a strike, which nobody be-
lieved then that they would venture to do.
The marlborough company has spent In
the last two weeks fully 900 or $4,000
In preparing for a strike. 1t had yesterday
on its roster between 5000 and 5000 men
to take strikers places, and every elevated
train all day carried full crew OF these
men ready to run the train the moment the
regular employees stepped out. In ADDITION,
all the car barns of the company we're
equipped with cots, cooks and commissary
supplies LAWYERS had been retained in
every police court in the city to take charge
Of any strike cases which might come up as
the result of disturbances, and Police Com
missioner McAdoo had assured the COM
! pany that it would have the city's full force
Of policemen if necessary to protect the
Commissioner remained at his Office yes
terday hours beyond his usual time, to
be present in case OF trouble.
All this was perfectly well known 10 the
rank and file OF the elevated employers.
Among observers of the situation il wits
notorious that the strike, if declared, was
foreordained to failure from the outset.
| 1t was even doubtful II SO per cent. of the
elevated men would have tuhen the risk OF
losing their jobs by obrying strike order,
POLITICAL VISITOR TO BELMONT
1t was reported on Saturday that Gov.
W s. Jennings Of Florida, who had been
spending several days al Esopus with Judge
Parker, was in town irving 10 get in touch
with Mr.. Belmont. 1t came out Yesterday
that on Sunday Gov. Jennings was with
Mr. Belmont at his summer home near
| Mineola, l.. |.
When Mr.. Belmont left the city on
Saturday the general understanding among
the marlborough officials was that he was
resolute in his insistence on the 81 rate
for ten hour day. During all Sunday
and Monday the work Of preparing to
fight n strike on the elevated railway was
pushed forward with remarkable vigor
The entire change in Mr.. Belmont's attitude
occurred during the Sunday Monday in
terval during which he was in touch with
Gov Jennings, who had just come from an
extended visit to the Democratic candidate
for the Presidency.
1t ia not at all unlikely" said Warren 8.
Stone. chief of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers. soon after his arrival
here, that Mr.. Belmont would not at all
object to appearing just now as having
settled a great labor controversy
QUITE AN AMICABLE AGREEMENT.
Yesterdays conference was entirely
amicable. II was held in Mr.. Belmont's
private Office at 90 Nassau street, and 1t
was evident from the peals OF laughter
coming from tho room. in which all seemed
to be joining, that the twenty-nne labor
representatives present were in high good
| humor.
] he lnterboroggh company was repre-
scented by MIR Belmont, General Manager
T.. y. BRYAN and Supt Hedley. / he brother