New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-02
Cancel Individual Con-
tracts or Face Tie-up,
the Terms.
5000 MEN REGISTER
UNANIMOUS VOTE
Ask Surface Car Men to
Help Them Enforce
Demands.

Union employees OF the lnterborough
instructed their officers last night TO
demand the cancellation Of all indi-
vidual contracts the company had OBJ
tanned from its employees, and empow-
cred them to call a strike If necessary
to enforce the demand. The union en-
ployes of the New York Railways Com
pany were asked to assist in enforcing
the demands, which will be presented
Tuesday.
The effect of the vote, according 10
William B. Fitzgerald, organizer Of
the Amalgamated Association Of Street
Railway Employees, would probably be
the tying up of all surface. subway and
"Lo traffic in the city if the demands
Of the men were not complied with.
The men on the green cars. which
are operated and owned by the men
who own and control the subway and
T. lines" said he, "can be depended
unon 10 assist the men on the Inter
borough. If it is necessary for them
10 90 out it will be difficult 70 hold the
men on the Third Avenue lines IN.
Strike Vote Unanimous.
The vote to strike was made unani-
NOUS bv the 5000 men who we're
damned into the Lyceum at Eighty
sixth Street. There followed speeches
bv Fitzgerald and Louis p. Fridiger'
counsel for the union, denouncing as
an invasion OF constitutional and moral
rights the contracts whlch the "ne"
were recently asked 20 sign.
of" said Fitzgerald in his speecn'
"we have come 20 the point wnete
n,i,h;n tho law men can have their
lights taken away from them by the
wiles Of a brilliant corporation iaWyeii,
n is time We took action. II u i
necessary to paralyze the roads OF New
York in order 20 retain nose I's"'''
then VIC will paralyze them ,,e
Called for o'clock, II was nan AT
hour later when ?. j.. U Brlen, secVnu
,;ce-nresident OF the Anna gamsted AS
.o,istion. called the 500, then present
" order. Admission TO the hall was
limited 70 those with the button OF tne
Interborough Union. or the employees
pass Of that company
Purpose of Meeting Explained
O'Brien explained that the meeting
had been called 10 near the report OF
the committee which had presented Vhe
demands of the men 20 the otncers ol
~ Interboro and 70 take action upon
tho so-called working agreement
which bound for two years all VINO
,,;e,ht sign il. As the first speaker, ne
presented Mr.. Fitzgerald.
fitzgerald pegan his speech ny re-
nindinc the Interborough men 'hat
.hev had received three increases oil
WAGES in wear because OF the threat
of organization. and that the company
had found that such raises had not
stopped organization.
80" said he. they decided to de,
wise some way by which they wouId
not have 20 give another raise ana
thcv devised this contract.
II the contract were permitted 70
stand. he went on 70 say, me men
would have no right TO ask for better
uapes or conditions. or 10 join IN any
movement looking toward better condi-
lions under penalty of discharge. Such
contract. he declared, was un-Amer-
ican and against its enforcement men
had the moral right to protest.
Interview with Hedley
Mr.. Fridiger, following Fitzgerald
explained that on Wednesday, wnen tne
Continued on page 2. column