New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-20
MAYORS Committee of 7
Make No Progress To-
ward Arbitration.
TRADES STILL WAIVER
OVER STRIKE THREAT
Straus Hopes Conflict VIII
Be Averted for Sake
of Men

1t looked last night. at the close o.
the first Of the three grace days al
lowed by the labor chiefs in thei"
latest ultimatum, as if nothing but
adverse sentiment in the unionc
themselves lay between New York
and the threatened industrial strike
in sympathy with the car men.
However. the promised walk-out Of
100000 union workers-or 100000,
as the figure is sometimes quoted
is by no means a certainty. Conf
dent though the strike leaders pro-
fess themselves, they have yet To
hear the final answer Of the men
upon whom they are relying. Thai
answer is not to come until Friday
afternoon, but in the meantime the
actual vote which will decide the
question of strike or no strike is be-
ing taken in tens of thousands Of
homes.
Right now, with the prospect Of
payless paydays and empty cup
boards before them, the wives AM
mothers are having their say. The
arguments they make may be de-
pended upon to count heavily against
any advanced from car strike head
quarters in the Continental Hotel
Fitzgerald Is Confident
. William b. Fitzgerald, general or
b ganizer of the car mems union,
. nevertheless contends full power to
call the walk-out rests with the COM
mittees.
A series Of conferences. begun in
Mayor Mitchers office and concluding
in the Office of Theodore p Shonts.
president Of the PETERBOROUGH, had en-
gagged the attention Of Il su0-commit-
tee Of seven. representing the citizens
committee appointed by the Merchants
Association. the Chamber of Commerce
and other business and civic bodies.
The citizens subcommittee Of seven
started its improbable day with a
conference in Mayor Mitchel's Office.
, which opened shortly before noon. The
subcommittee was headed by Michael
Friedsam, president of B. Altman &
Co. With him were Alfred +. Marling,
real estate expert; Douglas L. Dunbar,
merchant; Benjamin Greenhut, of
Greenhu. & Co.; Robert Z. Dow
ling, president of the City Invest
ing Company; Charles L. Bernheimer,
treasurer Of the committee Of 107, and
Edward T. Darrell, representing the
jeopardized shipping interests. The
Mayor had called Police Commissioner
Woods downtown to sit with him at
the conference. Oscar $ Straus, chair
man Of the Public Service Commission
and the second underwater of the
abrogated traction peace agreement,
brought Julius Henry Cohen, special
counsel OF the commission.
After an hour and half had been
spent I'm discussion. with the pro-
eramme still TO be decided upon, the
subcommittee had a session by itself
in the Mayors reception room. When
that was over the seven peace makers
went 70 the Office Of Mr.. Shonts, at l65
Broadway.
Sub Committee Visits Shonts.
There. as they had in the City Hall.
they parleyed behind closed doors. Two
versions Of what happened were given
out afterward The one which came
from Mr. Shonts was more in detail
than that given by the committee.
Mr.. Bowling. who had been selected
as spokesman. said Nr Shouts had
merely expressed himself as satisfied
with the present conditions on Inter
borough lines-so satisfied that he
would not swerve in his decision 10
treat no further with representatives,
of the AmaiRamated union.
But we didn't present any plan Of
settlement 20 Mr.. ShOnts," he added.
I'VE just wanted 20 feel him out. /
can't say that We expected 10 accom-
plish any more than we did"
What was accomplished Chairman
Friedsam covered in one word-"N Moth
ingl"
Mr. Shonts. describing his own atti-
tude during the conference, sand that
although he had found the talk Of the
Subcommittee interesting" they had
been able 20 tell him nothing he had
not already known.
]. X. T. Head Merely Interested.
"Mr Bowling told me" he said. that
the committee had been in conference
earlier with Mayor Mitchell and Mr.
Straus and desired % lay the facts
before me as they knew them-in the
hope Of arriving at some arrangement