Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-01-04
SERVICE
HEAD ASSA|LS
UNION OFFICIAL
President McCarter Denies Men
Are Dissatisfied and Will
Ignore Conference Demand.

President Thomas n. McCarter, Of
the Public Service Corporation, gave
out a statement today in reply to let
ter sent him from New York by Rein
Orr, treasurer of the Amalgamated AS
sociation of Street and Electric Rail-
way Employees. in which the latter de-
manded that conference be arranged
between himself and representatives Of
the coruoration looking toward an in
crease in wages to % cents an hour for
all motormen and conductors employed
on the New Jersey lines. Orr claims
that 200 of the 1000 men employed by
the corporation We're already members
of the union.
Mr.. McCarter gives denial to the
statement that the employees of the
company are dissatisfied with the re-
cent increase in the wage scale. as
claimed by Mr.. Orr. Mr.. McCarter
said today
Ever since Public Service has been
operating street railways the employees
have been given to understand that
they were perfectly free to call upon
any of the officers of the company
whenever they felt it was to their in
terest to do so. This fact has been so
impressed upon them that the men all
know the way is open to them at all
times to present any complaints or
grievances they may have. and they
have frequently availed themselves of
this privilege, to their benefit
The company has not had a single
complaint of any of it's employees in
reference to the wage scale; on the con-
trary. all our information is to the ef-
feet that the men felt highly pleased
with the action of the company in
voluntarily raising wages, as announced
last week, and the only words we have
heard have been expressions of salts
faction.
II have received a letter, written from
New York hotel, purporting to be
signed by two gentlemen who are not.
nor have they ever been, employees of
this company saying that the
wage scale is unsatisfactory to our en-
ployees. and asking for a conference
between the subscribers to the letter
and myself on this subject. l shall. of
course, take no notice of this letter.
When the men are aggrieved they can
come to me themselves.
Il have no knowledge of the existence
of any such organization on the prop
erty as is described in a morning paper.
On the other hand, 1 have the best of
reasons for believing that nothing of
the kind exists.
The claim that 2, 700 of the 1000
motormen and conductors employed
by the Public Service Corporation
throughout the State of New Jersey
are already members of the Amalga-
mated Association Of Street and Elec-
trio Railway Employees came as more
OF less of d shock to the officials of the
corporation.
1t was known that agents of the as
sociation We're at work among the men,
but that the movement had made such
headway had not even been guessed
Last week the company gave the men
a new scale of wages providing for an
increase of one cent per hour during
each of the next three years, making
the minimum rate at the end of three
years rs cents for all men.
This did not meet the approval of
Orr, though 1t apparently pleased the
men. Orr responded with a letter to
|, Mr. McCarter, in which he stated that
two-thirds of the employees of the
company were already enrolled In the
association and demanding that con-
ference looking toward an increase in
wages be held.
According to Orr's claims, unions have
already been formed in Camden and
Newark. which includes Elizabeth, Ho-
boken. Jersey City. Paterson and Tren-
ton. To prove that the unions were in
existene, Orr displayed documents from
the different locals. with the imprint of
the union seals thereon.
IAN the preliminary work of organi-
zatior has been secret" says Mr.. Orr,
''but now we are well enough prepared
to announce our organization in the
State of New Jersey, and ~the Public
Service Corporation must recognize u.s.,