New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-12
Tell Public Service Com
mission They Are Abused
by Employers.
"ABSOLUTE LIES"
WADDELL REPLIES
Declares Men Are SO Well
Fed Indigestion Makes
Them Useless.

If the subway ticket chopper frowns
and seems unfriendly, or If the u
guard wears a sombre scowl. be lenient.
Hand him a pepsin tablet. He is prob
ably a strkebreaker and a victim Of
dyspepsia. Most of the Interborough
strikebreakers are, according TO James
A. Waddell and he should know. His
firm, Bergoff Brothers G. Waddell, re-
cruited most of the men who are work
ing to prevent a transit tie-up, having
brought them here from the West and
quartering them in the various car
barns of the Interborough.
Some recipients of lnterborough hos
pitality appeared before the Public Ser
vice Commission yesterday and com
plained that the food at the 179th
Street barns was unfit for consumption:
In sworn statement, Merton Wyatt, OF
Chicago. asserted the Bergof agency
hired him there at SIS a day. brought
him TO New York with 1873 other
strikebreakers, held him prisoner IN the
barn. which he described as filthy and
unsanitary." denied him proper food.
failed 20 pay his wages and threatened
him with death if he tried TO escape.
Six other strikebreakers swore to SINH
lar declarations.
Lies" Waddell Declares.
absolute liesl" exclaimed Mr.. Wad-
dell. when the complaint was read to
him. "These men have had such good
food that many of them are suffering
from indigestion and are useless as
workers. They get specially selected
chicken. homeless ham and the finest
cuts of beef and lamb. They live like
fighting cocks.
"They sleep on new army cots under
new woollen blankets. Their quarters
are large and airy and absolutely sanl-
tary. They are free TO walk out if they
want to. despite the fact that they have
all signed contracts 10 work while the
strike lasts. Many have done so. Fouc
hundred and odd have deserted out OF
3 300 imported into New York from Oh
cago. St. Louis, Kansas City and other
places in the West.
"Motormen are paid 81 day and
guards So There are pay days every
day. Most of the men are better OF
than ever before in their lives
Eight Hundred More Arrive.
Eight hundred strikebreakers arrived
Yesterday from the West. They VIII be
nut 10 work on the marlborough lines,
which are overtaxed with traffic on ac-
count of the curtailment OF surface
transit facilities.
Several score more strikebreakers
were drafted into service on the lines
of the Third Avenue Railway Company:
Officials of the Second Avenue line said
that only loyal employees were beng
used to operate cars. Clerks ana other
Office employees were pressed INTO SER
vice as conductors on several INES.
At the strikebreaking agencies Il was
said that the marlborough was prac-
tically the only employer of strike
breakers.
To prevent the desertion Of strike
breakers on the lines Of the INTERIOR
ouch the company announced yesterday
morning that bonus of 81 would be
maid TO every man who completed his
DAYS run yesterday and reported Tor
service this morning. Officials of the
company said last night that the ofer
had resulted in keeping practically
every man at his work curing the day.
Shonts Fixes the Blame.
Il was temporary lack Of pastries
and delicate ices that prompted the
charge Of the strikebreakers that they
were receiving insufficient food, ac-
cording to Theodore Shonts, president
of the Interborough Company Mr..
Shonts based this statement, he SAID,
on his observation Of one food con
suming motorman in action.
This man had eaten thirteen eggs,
ham to match, large quantities of
vegetables and two cups OF coffee
when the dessert was passed to him.
said Mr. Shonts. "He rounded out his
dinner with four plates of ice cream
when he suddenly discovered that that
particular favor Of cream did not agree
with him.
"T don't care much about ice cream,
haven't you got some other kind OF
dessert ?? he asked"