New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-03

in ~ great numbers as they ala YES
terday." said George J. Murphy. super
ntendent Of the Third Avenue DIVISION
1--WE will have the strike broken IN
eight days. NY August ID. at the latest
we believe we will resume our regular
schedule and the men will he earning
on an avragc OF $2l week. Severai
of the men came back to-day WIN
tears in their ewes and said they were
disguised with conditions at STRIKE
Headquarters. and were particularly
wrought up over the class OF me"
chosen to head their organization com
mittee"
P.S. &. Working for Future.
The investigation begun yesterday by
/ the Public Service Commission Whne
/ II is not likely to have any immeu,".e
/ effect on the situation, rs eNpecVeu W
/ have results of great value IN hahuilns
such situations in the future chat
man Oscar S. Straus presided AT tne
4 opening session of the lnVest'ga.'om,
/ At the big table were COMMISSIONERS
Trovcrs II Whitney. William Hayward
and Charles s. Hcrvey. The lhlru
Avenue system was represented py hu
word 4. Maher. jr.. assistant genera
manager md Alfred A. Cook as at'0r-
nov The union was represented pS
William u. Mahon, president oil thS
Amalgamated Association of Street ana
Electric Railway employees; william D.
Fitzcorald. executive board member
and Inv Louis Fridiger and Charies
Rrcblcr. attorneys. Julius Henry 90
hon anneared as counsel for the com
mission and conducted the lnVesVs"-
ton. ,-.;o.t;o, -
said Mr. Straus, us TO ascertain wy
facts in reference to the conditions OF
TRANSFORMATION in New YORK Clty' anu
the reasons why these conditions are
being interfered with. rms 10 III NV
sense an investigation having II,,
tionship to arbitration, Dut Is sn"t'S
to bring out the facts ana lhi1I" ~
commission as well as the pubic VINO
ore deenlv concerned. We propose 10
do nothing but conduct an lmpaI''H
investigation Of the facts.
eve are in sympathy with what tne
commission is trying to do remarheu
Mr.. Cook. "and will cooperate
Want Peace, Say Labor Men.
"Tbe union is anxious to reach an
ar,icable adjustment of the penang
amenities" said MIR. Fridiger, and Is
willing TO aid the commission IN any
,ra,, Sossihle. We have endeavoreo
sinca the outbreak of the trouble TO
obtain a peaceable settlement
I'll is not my purpose TO 60 ih'o
what has been done" said Mr.. Cooh.
Mir Cohen declared that the com
mission would make no attempt VIA
ever TO mediate or arDltraIe uui.s
the propress Of the investigations d"
Naher was the first witness. he s say
ne was for seven years IN Ihe 'es"'
department Of the Third avenue sES
tenn. and had been connected win p Tne
operating end Of the road since D
cember. 1913. N,arr
said Meher. "a request was made by
oTonloves of the Yonkers Railway COM
many and the Westchester Electrlc
poiiwav Company for conference
vi.b Frederick W. Whitridge' receiver
for tbe Third Avenue system. on tne
question of wages on these lines. MS
,ioouest was signed by the Amalga-
mated Association officials. and MI
Whitrid~e replied that he would CON
for with his employees, but that ne ala
not emplov the AmalGamated assoc.
alton. Later another request was Sent
him. riened by the same ten men as
cohen then read the minutes OF
conference held shortly afterward, VI
which il was said that the men. theh
Receiving % cents an hour for the i!rsl
wear and % cents an hour Thereafter,
wanted 80 cents for the first year ana
93 cents thereafter. These minutes, as
we'll as those of subsequent confer,
ences. showed that the union men h9u
repeatedly urged the railroad 70 ST.
nit the various demands 70 arp IRA
ton, and that the road had refused
Offer by whitridge.
"tr Wbtridee offered to put the
men on q scale paying 20 cents an
-FOUR for the frst year, ~ cents toI
the second, third, fourth and hith
Years and 30 cents an hour there
. fterb sax Mr.. Maher. This was re-
fpsed. w considered that everything
we could do had been done, inasmu'h
&c these two companies lost iast year
$4,000. 49,, pou.ror
/ Cor,oenv an the Westminster Electro
/ Railway Company were concerned. /
would have been willing to arbitrate
any question, because the men there
we're organized and had union, ana
in view of the agreement made Dy hr'
Whitridge in 1913, that all questions
should be arbitrated.
"Did YOU know of that agreement at
this time?" asked Mr.. Cohen.
81 did not" replied Mr.. Maher. i
believe my father knew Of it.
"Are you opposed to arbitration as
matter Of principle
"No+ if il is confined to ourselves
~afI Mr. MqhQr
$50 far as the other lines OF the sys-
tom we're concerned, was always will
ing to take up any question. / wanted
TO settle all questions without submit
ting them TO outsiders
ain view of Mr.. Whitridge's agree
ment, were you not under obligation to
arbitrate?"
Agreement Over Roads.
81 should say we were. But the mat
ter had been gone over at the confer
once in Mr.. Whitrdge's Office, and our
proposition was the best we could DO.
it was absolutely impossible to pay
more. and, that being so, there was
nothing to arbitrate."
"Why didn't you follow Mr.. Whit
ridges agreement"
at was no real agreement After
the 1913 strike the matter was taken
UP by the Public Service Commission.
Mr.. Maher also testified that follow
ing the receipt Of another letter from
the men urging arbitration, another
conference was held on July H. At
that time still another letter was handed
to Mr.. Whitridge, again asking for
arbitration Mr.. Whitridge told the
men he could give no further IN
creases, and added that he wished he
could get rid Of the Yonkers and
Lo+ 81