New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-08

days and the same police .protectlon-
two men 10 n car-normal service on
the green car lines would be affected
despite the detection Of nearly l'ooo
ex employees.
President Shonts, supported by some
members Of the board. fought hrmiy
for the adoption Of the terms agreed
upon through the Mayor and Chairman
Straus. He had pledged mis- word that
he would recommend the settlement
and he did.
The discussion grew warmer at times
II was n bitter pill for these men TO
swallow, and they tried every sugges-
tion and expedicnt their resourceful
minds could think OF to avoid accept
! ing the terms proposed Finally 1t was
apparent that the original agreement
| could not be ratified at the meeting and
the committee was appointed to pro-
test 70 the Mayor and try to affect an
agreement which would let the com
pany out easy.
No Settlement at $3.50.
At $3.50 the session adjourned and
! Mr. Pepperman announced for Presl-
/ dent Shonts:
There has been no settlement be-
tween the New York Railways Com
pany and the striking employees: The
matter had been under discussion by
the board all day, and committee oil
| the board is now waiting upon the
Mayor and Chairman Straus. II set
Element should be effected it Will be
announced promptly"
Meanwhile the committee had gone
to City Hall. Not an inklng of what
went on in the meeting could be OBJ
] toip
| Hedley left the room mad as a March
/ hare. He would make no comment, but
/ his feelings were apparent. He had
( not even had time TO know how the
service on the green car lines had been
maintained during the morning. lie
carried his coat on his arm and went
/ to his own Office until the committee
came back.
Mayor Receives Word.
! Mayor Mitchell received word Of the
strikers ratification at noon. but not
word had come to him of what the di-
rectors were doing Fearing complica-
| tions, he went 70 luncheon with Chair
man Straus. Then both returned TO
| City Hall to await developments. They
had scarcely sat down when the COM
nlittee from the board arrived, and ne
gotiations continued. Police Commits
sioner Woods sat in Theodore Rous-
seau's room, adjoining the Mayors
Office, while they talked.
Mr. Belmont and the other members
of the committee, all conversative lot
raised every conceivable objection. They
wriggled and squirmed. They talked OF
adequate police protection. That was
the Mayors trump card and he played
il well. lie called in Commissioner
Woods, who told the directors point
blank that the road had received all the
police protection il had asked and still
il had been unable to do anything 10
restore normal service.
This point, too, was emphasized TO
this committee in no uncertain terms.
The green car lines had two men to
every car they operated. Suppose the
agreement was rejected and the city
was hurled into a city-wide strike on
all transportation lines? How long
would the police force last if two men
were assigned to every car in the city
that the various roads would run
! That was a question none of the direc-
tors could answer
Talk of Picketing.
Then they talked OF picketing. The
| Mayor read them the law. He had a
marker in a page of law volume on
his desk. A picket was permitted to
talk to a motorman or conductor. AS
long as he confined his objections to
plain talk, without threats, the police
could not interfere. II conductor or
motorman objected and charged that
the picket was annoying him, the police
could step in. That was all.
/ Next came quibbling over minor de-
tails. phraseology of the agreement.
7 How was this committee Of employees
TO be selected Would there be inspec-
tors of the election How would the
company know that the committee rep
resented the employees? Who would be
the third man? Suppose two commit
tees showed up, one representing the
union men, the other representing the
nOn-union men!
Even So" retorted the Mayor. you
agree to treat with your employees
They would all be a committee, would
they not?"
Fight for Delay.
The directors fought for delay.
They wanted such fine technical
points incorporated into the agree
ment and returned to both the board
an dthe men for second ratification.
The Mayor would not stand for that.
The men had already ratified the
terms. II all these points were made
the men would think they were hay
ing something nut over on them"
Then, when the directors raised the
, question about interpreting certain
parts Of the agreement. the Mayor sent
for Mahon and Fitzgerald and talked
to them in an anteroom. Never did
both sides meet. The Mayor and Oscar
Straus did the mediating. Finally the
Interpretation was satisfactory, and the
directors left at sos to get the APP
proval of their fellows.
"You have my word Of honor. Mr.
Mayor said Mr.. Belmont when ne left
"This will be approved"
Terms Agreed Upon.
Mayor Mitchell met the reporters and
: announced:
"The terms have been agreed upon
/ by both sides. They are the same as
those originally proposed and the same
! basis Will be applied to the Third Ave
nue. situation by Chairman Straus
The only questions raised here were
upon the Interpretation of certain pas
sages. All have been clarified"
But 1T was long wait. When an
hour had passed the Mayor telephonec
to the company's Offices to find out
about the delay. He was told the d.
rectors were still discussing the prop
osition. Two hours passed with no
definite word Shortly after s O'Clock
the Mayor got Mr. Shonts on the wire.
Third Avenue Matter Held Up.
"The men are waiting in meeting up.
town." he said, "and the Third Avenue
situation is held up in the Public Ser
vice Commission. Chairman Straus is
delaying his conference with the Third
Avenue people until your decision is
reached. | am afraid if we wait much