The sun., 1916-11-19
DR.. James II. Ecob, in Open
Letter, Condemns Third Ave.
Railway Strike.
EVERYBODY IS SUFFERING
Company, He Says, Is Social
Service Institution-Men
Have Rights.

~ 49,
the Third Avenue Railways Company.
addressed an open letter yesterday to F.
w. whitridge and the board Of directors
Of that corporation asserting that the
stockholders. the public and the carmen
are suffering from the obdurate policy
Of the management in dealing with the
strikers.
The policy. Or. Ecob believed. II based
mot 80 much IN the principles Of eco
nomic development as on the personal
p%rejudices Of the executive officers" He
does not believe the public will tolerate
the service It Ia getting from the Third
Avenue system much longer. DR.. Ecob
II lecturer for the American Institute of
Social Service. which has Its h%eadquar-
ters In Bible House. Aston place. His
letter implies that other stockholders are
in sympathy with his views.
The letter in part follows:
AS n stakeholder In the Third Ave-
u Railway Company I was present at
the annual meeting last week.
II was particularly struck with you
attitude toward trade unionism. I have
thought OF this matter a great deal OF
late In connection with the strike OF the
Third Avenue employees. and I have
come to the conclusion that your atti-
tude and that of Mr.. Shonts Is a mistake.
II not an altogether disastrous one.
Business Presentation Of Case.
81. Assuming that the recent figures
OF h e Public Service Commission are
correct. this company In giving about 81
per cent. OF normal service. This means
a loss OF about 40 per cent. OF business
and income. This does not include the
much heavier losses In the early weeks
of the strike. The stockholders must
either take c~ognizance OF the methods
pursued by you in this strike or be ready
to sufer the consequences of this bust
ness policy. with its probable suspension
Of dividends for In indefinite period. In
view Of the fact that the ompany has
not paid dividends for several years, and
has paid only three OF the quarterly |
per cent. dividends which 1t began to
pay In January. 1916. after repeated de-
mands from its stockholders, IL seems
all the more Imperative that the man.
agement abandon a labor policy main
tanned at the expense Of its stockholders.
Social Service W. Proat.
80. Roth. stockholders and manage
ment OF a public utility corporation must
utility ia n social s.r,.ic. ,n,,i.n.tan ,s
much as II ia n pron. makIny cornor,.
ton. A hubble utility ob,aits 10 rights
10 do business for nroat from fra,chisss
voted TO 1t by the people. ! feel there
fore that the stockholders. remote as we
are from the actual management. have
moral ard civic responsibilities. and must
not let the business investment side of
our public utility dominate and over
-
..ProbIems be, tween emn,overs md ann
nloyees which ipyolye c,i,ec,Iya h,ryair-
ing and the rlgh, IN ory,pi,. canno, no
solved entirely from .he noin, ~ v,ev.
~ business inyes,mep, ~ Ga iarga,, ~.
cause cornora,Ions hava sys,ema,t,aI, N.
tried n go solve them ma, The w,go
united. in the form ~ tho ,rads mrion
A. TO "Outside Int~erference."
-, a,octbo,ders who noo, ,h.tr ,,,.r
cs,s ory,nize ,he,r cani.aI ar5 an,hor-
i,e n n,,,,emen 90 r.n-asa,, ,ha...
mus, in reos,n no willing 10 ner,ri, ,ha
work.rs 70 moo, their ,n,cres,s anJ ~
,borI,. napayaron IN
,h.m Won do no, cons,asr 4, rruar,
ro,,.a r~for.,caH- vo, v,o,,a ,st,L a,
,haurd ., c~ri,,ciee cnmn,rv ,ar 80
,tr, -, m,na,ar ~, ,an,ar - crst
! cage or san Francisco WV ,her
should Won resen, q, q, ,hs wan x.rois.
tho same rIyh. IN vet n r.nr.s.n,a,iva
,rou pa,roi,o
From n,rch thu, u,o anita =, .,.,
ma, rnoo,t,. :, soams o,aar ~,
w. c,wn,r~ "a h,s,ry ,,s nras, -,
ro, 40 mnc, an ,h. n,a. -
no,rin as,o,onw.,, osnn ~. ,ano
nro,ndic.s y, &c .xsc,tIw. np,ors IT,
n,sos -, ,,,s IT,, snch .tna,.as
NJ n,,ca o., no oe,c,a, has H. rI,h, :,
hasa ~ cnrd,,c, a. ,ham 10 ~