The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-06
Employing Transit Companies
Refuse to Recognize Union
Ia Their Contracts
ENTIRE CITY MAY
SOON BE TIED UP
Companies Declare They Do
Not Fear Effects of Strike
and Are Actively Engaged
in Hiring Strike-Breakers

Nsw York, Sept "a strtko
1ueended TO tte up every transit
Nne In tho horToughs OF Manhat-
tn and tho Bronx, including the
subway and elevated, u threaten
Cd within scvcnty-two hours
AxfAtxat1on HIS been offered BY
do employees 1t has been refused
b. the Interborough Company.
boGh Preutdens Shontx and Vice
ProMdena HeAd1y standing frm
agatnse yielding to any Of the de-
The dght u over the recognition Of
~ union. Within the past couple Of
webs the 1ntsrboro has signed about
1870 Of their employees on working
ooss<xActs- Many Of the men signed
80 Members OF the union and claim
tn, ware coAred into signing. The
oontr1Cts DO not recognize the union
and contain An anti-strfke agreement
Un3on leaders insist on tho recogni-
ton Of the union.
6trike-breakers are CHARTERED in
various parts OF the city. ready to
take over the operation Of the lines.
An estimate at midnight tonight was
that there were 1--WE thousand OF
them already under orders, and scout
ing parties for the Interborough were
canvas sing many OF the upstate
cities
Say They Don't Fear Strike.
The officers OF the company insist
that they do not fear the effects Cd
the strike. They say trains will be
run on regular schedules. There
may not be 30 many trains as on nor
NAL days. but tho public will not bc
greatly Inconvenience. The surface
car situation. they declare. wall be
ven IN hand. |
they can cripple tho entire transit SER
vice Of the city. and they predict that
It VIII be only a few days before tho
employees OF the Brooklyn Rapsd
Transit Company march out in sym
pashstlc strike. The officials OF the
BROOKLYN Rapid Transit Company be-
1--we this y IN Idle boast and insist
that shsar employees will take no part
Tn> Queens County lines which were
amDcecd hy tho recent strike, would
almost certainly have strike,
Only q se0se OF obligation to Mayor
lnAohel kept the employees OF the In
tsreoro from marching out today.
Thaer anasf organiser. William b.
Y4t1Ussaid, while admitting that the
euapauyee Of the subway and elevated
llnao wws not parties to the recent
0AS0 SAsSy W. y 0SeAsA ~ 49,
nse OF the agreement then effected.
h oppressed his willingness to await
- ecrfval Of the Mayor. VINO il in
Y1nEtaourE.
m the meantime he was pressed on
n n0ss by the members OF the union
fe1 Quick action.
Most Of the pressure came from the
suploy1s Of the New York Railways
Com car lines-who are
not involved In the present contro-
Ma Meeting Called.
A man meeting has been called
FOR tomorrow night. At this meeting
anG4her strike vote win be taken. This
vGu b moro 10 sense the sentiment OF
the men man to empower the union
a6ausru 70 act. for already they are
vssesd WIN full authority.
Tonight Mr.. Fitzgerald said:
W. arc not waiting on this mass
meeting Tor authority. But we are
Aolng 4 tAst the public may zee that
~ AZ not acting hastily. We have
TN power to call tho strike At any
uDomenA but We want the public to
know thAk the men arc behind tho
ns TScSos b. union men ,o,u Genera,
UnnA0ef Hsadley Of he rnterboro
nat fhsy would me 10 lay tho case
nefors do Public Service Commission.
Thsy were told that tho commission
lacked power to pass upon the work
mr. contracts which arc the cause Of
the present contention. The matter
OF their legality would have to DO
submitted to a court for review. they
were told. And they were told also
perfectly willing to submit the case
10 the courts and to face whatever
developments arose in the meantime
When the men protested that it was
not only q question OF the legality OF
the procedure, but also Of the ethics
OF the situation they were told that
the interview might just as we'll be
brought to a close and that II they did
not return to their jobs they might
md them unavailabl in the morning.
I. Then 1t was that the union officers
sent in their hurry call for the return
OF the Mayor.
Only Temporary Arrangement.
At best the contracts which the
mon have signed are make-shift at
fairs. They are to be in force only
until the city of New York enters
upon it's working partnership with the
Interboro in the actual operation Of
the subways. Then all contracts
which are binding for more than a
year will have to be submitted to the
public service commission for review.
Tho contracts that the men have
signed make this distinct provision in
their nrst clause.
On tho ground that the public scr
vice commission will have an active
interest in any such contracts at a
date not very far of. It Is expected
that Mr.. Straus will step into the
breach tomorrow and call upon the
Slnterboro for mediation, II not arbi-
tration.
j Mr.. Straus returned to New York
xestsrday morning and busted himself
an Day with the strtks situation