New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-12
Shonts Challenges LabOr's
Figures on MOtormen
Who Quit.
COMPANY DENIES
WAR AGAINST UNION
PlaCard Declares Contract
Plan Was to Help
Employees.

According TO President Shonts. Of the
PETERBOROUGH. the subway and elevated
service had been restored to normal at
$40 o'clock last night normal for that
time being, Of course, a partial ser
vice
At that hour figures compiled at me
company's headquarters in the Hotol
Belmont showed every scheduled train
was not only in operation, but was run
ming on time. While these figures were
fatty denied By officials of labor un-
ions. Mr.. Shonts insisted he would
stake his official position on their &C
curacy. The police figures showed that
during the day the service had been
below normal
At the same time. the traction official
said not single subway motorman
was on strike. Moreover, he denied
there had been any doubling up OF
motormen. the working of long hours,
or other makeshifts in order to keep
the normal number Of trains in opera
ton. When told more tnan two hum
dred men had stood up at an afternoon
meeting and announced themselves to
be striking motormen, Mr.. Shonts ex-
pressed great surprise.
Says They Are Posers.
"Whv. if they keep on they'll be say
ing more men are out on strike thah
we had in the service originally, ne
said. Those men had no means OF
identifying themselves, and simply
called themselves motormen for the
purposes of that meeting. The answer
that the public can see at any hour OF
the dav or night is that we are run
ming trains as usual We couldn't DO
hat II we didn't have trained men to
handle them
Other figures produced by Mr.. Shonts's
accountsnts at the Belmont headquar-
tors were put forward TO prove that
,iqht more surface cars were IN opera
ton during the day than on saturday
Representatives of the surface lines
said they had attempted only 10 main
tain the same number OF cars as on
SATURDAY,. and the slight increase had
come about without any change OF
plans.
Charges made by strikebreakers, as
witnesses at the Public Service Com
mission investigation in the afternoon,
were passed on by Mr. Shonts as en-
tirelv beyond the jurisdiction OF ms
con Danv. He said he knew nothing OF
the accusation that blackjacks and clubs
were used TO keep unwilling men at
their posts.
"rhese men are hired through an out
side concern. and that is a matter that
is entirely up to them" he SAID. III
this company does not properly pay or
handle its men, the men may proceed
against II in the courts, and ! nope
they do However, that IS not an al
fair for US 70 settle"
Printed hand bills will be distributed
to-day By representatives OF the Inter
borough Company IN an EFFORT TO prove
that the company is not fghtlng the
union or endeavoring 70 crush IT,. Inc
document. which went to the printers
last night, reads as follows:
Let no one be misled by the charge
that the Interborough Is trying to
crush out unionism.
THE feet is that the company act
ually encouraged the formation of a
union. 10 be entirely controlled by the
men themselves. and 20 include every
cmpoye on the payrolls not having
disciplinary power over other en-
ployes.
Reason for Organization.
The fundamental ideas OF the com
pany in encouraging the formation OF
such an organization were:
"l-That the men in their dealings
with the company should enjoy the
benefits Of collective action without ex-
pensc.
"2-That the public should be pro-
tected against sympathetic strikes aris-
ing out Of disputes in which this COM
pany and its employees are not con-
cerned.
"3-That more efficient service TO
the public would result IL the relations
between this company and its men col
lectively were conducted within the
company's ranks and without the inter
ference Of third parties.
"4-That the interests Of this COM
psny. its employees and the public they
serve would be fostered if all relations
between this company and its employees
were conducted solely in the light OF
their common interests rather than with
reference 10 the interests OF outside
parties.
"Some 300 men out Of II 300 eligi-
bic 20 vote embraced the opportunity
10 ballot Tor representatives 70 form
general committee of this union. A
working agreement was arrived at be-
tween the company and this union pro-
yiding increased wages and improved
working conditions for the next two
years.
"Ths was a collective bargain just
as much as any union agreement is.
Contracts for All.
"BUt the company went one step fur
thcr; .: not only agreed 10 q contract
with the men collectively, but il asked