New-York tribune., 1910-11-12
Union Leaders to Ask Jersey City
Men to Accept Terms Agreed
to at Mayors Conference.
TRUCE I'M EFFECT MONDAY
Decision Reached After Midnight
To Be Ratified This Afternoon
-Gaynor Angry When He
Hears Men Have Baked.

rejected the proposal made by the COM
panies and adopted by the men on strike
in this city. The agreement needed the
ratification of the Jersey strikers to
carry IT through
Following this meeting. eight men
from each Of the three local unions were
appointed committee to draw UP a
new set of terms to be submitted 70 the
companies. After a prOtracted discuss
sion this committee adjourned early this
morning, announcement being made that
the committee would recommend at the
meeting this afternoon that the men re-
turn to work Monday morning.
Though the strike is not over. II is be-
lieved that it is much nearer a settle
ment than it was last evening. The
recommendation of the committee. il
was reported. would probably be adopted
by the strikers this afternoon.
The Jersey contingent at the after
noon meeting would stand for nOth-
ing less than an absolute concession
of the closed shop by the employers
which the armistice signed by the repre-
sentatfves of the strikers in Mayor Gay
nor's office did not provide. In the pro-
pOsal which appeared to be satisfactory
20 the strikers committee on Thursday,
the companies agreed TO take the men
back without discrimination against
union men and leave the matter OF hours
and wages for adjustment after the re-
sumption of work.
The Jersey City strikers Of the Wells
Fargo. Adams and United States express
companies held their meetings in sepa-
rate halls The meetings were called
early i'm the afternoon and lasted until
10 o'clock last night
Leaders Urge Argument.
/ The labor leaders who had stood for
| the New York agreement argued long
and loud for it's adoption at the differ
ent meetings, but the strikers were deaf
to their entreaties. They interrupted the
/ speakers and fairly howled for full rec
OgnitiOn Of the union or nothing. A fac
ton developed at the Wells Fargo meet
ing in favor Of the proposal. and the
meeting broke up in row late in the
afternoon. and reconvened again at
O'Clock Mayor Gaynor was clearly In
censed when he heard of the rejection OF
I the agreement. He evidently considered
that the labor men had not kept faith
with him. The Mayor issued a pointed
| statement in which he declared that h9
would show the strikers that the express
\ wagons could be run without their help
! If they rejected the agreement their rep
resentatives had signed.
Mayor Gayuor said:
They can reject it if they want to.
/ but l beg To say that a committee OF
their own selection came to me volun-
tarilv. with no request of mine. and
made an honorable agreement. II the
men reject that honorable agreement [
shall teach them that the express wagons
can run without their help. even if We
have to man every one of them with Pc
Iicemen"
The Mavor added that he believed the
New York strikers meant TO do what
was right. Most of them were back on
their wagons yesterday. he said. and
were running them without police escort
Told about Mayor Gaynor's reported
threat to put policemen on the express
wagons in case the strike should con-
tinue, Mr.. Ashton said:
IF Mayor GaynOr puts policemen on
the wagons that will tend more TO incite
riots in the streets of our city than any
act that has yet been committed. and
it may cause further TOuble for mer-
chants and other citizens. can't see
why Mayor GaynOr at this late hour
,t this eleventh hOur-is with the eX-
press companies. If Mayor GayuOr
wants to go on record as being in favor
cf a sixteen or seventeen hour working
dav and encourage corporations To I'M
mort outsiders to come Co this city and
aid in the lowering OF wages. and II he
wants his Board of Health 70 allow these
irnported men To- sleep in the express
stations in unhealthy and unsanitdry
quarters. / am very much surprised
Ashton said that the express strikers
were very grateful To Mr. Towne. Ot
the Merchants Association, for his kind
" interference and his efforts to bring
about peace.
James c. Ackerman, one or the men
who signed the agreement in Mayor
Cavnor's office. as "a representative OF
the Jersey city strikers. called upon
Mayor Wittpenn of Jersey city before
the meetings yesterday, and assured him
that there was no reasonable doubt that
the strikers in Jersey City would agree
To- the conditions set forth in the agree
ment reached I'm this city.
Reasons for Refusal
The auimus of the meetings was ap-
parent In the afternoon. when many OF
the speakers expressed dissatisfaction
with the proposal of the companies to
defer the adjustment OF wages until De-
cember 1. BY that time the accumu-
lated freight will be well out OF the way.
they said. and with some men trained
bv two weeks work during the strike
the companies would be In more inde-
pendent position.
Dominick Jennings. agent of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor in Hudson
County. who took part in the meetings.
said that the agreement offered by the
companies was an attempt 10 bring the
strikers To their knees To- the companies.
The agreement must be read between
the lines. he said other leaders present
agreed with him.
Jennings and other leaders said that IL
should be understood that Ackerman
and the rest of the committeeman who