The sun., 1916-09-09
OPPOSING LAWYERS
"EXPLAIN" STRIKE
InterborO and Garments Union
COunsellOrs Dilate Before
p. s, Board.
USE 10000 WORDS
Traction Company willing to
Arbitratc-Men Charge
Bad Faith.

Two lawyers. James l.. Cuackenbush
Of the marlborough and the New York
Railways. and Louis Fridiger. counsel
to the Amalgamated Carmen's Union.
both Of whom have uuasi-executive pow
era in the direction OF their Individual
interests, dilated on the underlying.
causes Of the traction strikes yesterday
before tho Public Service Commission
md Mayor Mitchell to the extent OF some
10000 words.
A careful sitting OF these thousands
of words failed last night TO reveal n
single new light on the true motives
back of the strike. Nothing Was con-
tribu,ed that had not been offered on
the first hearing. Thursday. when Theo-
dore +. Shonts. Frank Hedley n Will
lam Il. Fitzgerald testified before the
commission.
ouackenbush for three hours recited
the traction operators side. the gist OF
which was az follows:
The PETERBOROUGH is willing to ar
bitrate differences with the union along
the same lines that were laid down for
the guidance Of the New York Railways
In the agreement underwritten BY the
Mayor and the Public Service Commits
sion or August Z. This programme.
framed through cal kindlineke on the
part OF the marlborough. was rejected
by the union on August 30. when they
refused to let their scale OF wages be
determined by arbitration. On the pre-
sumption then formed--that one side
zA,,t -tkct.t- HrD-. --ltrAn -haN IL
desired--the lnterhorough refused to ar
bitrate the withdrawal Of the working
contracts that had been obtained from
$500 OF the marlborough workers.
Unionists ChaPge Bad Faith.
Fridiger. in his brief for the union
side. put the stress Of his argument on
the alleged bad faith that had been dis
played by Shonts and Hedley in their
dual Identities as executives Of the In
terborough and the New York Railways
Company. He recited instance after in
stance, each OF which. he said. further
confirmed the men OF he Amalgamated
In the belief hat instead Of trying tC
deal fairly with their men the two trac.
ton systems were bent solely on the de.
s,ruction OF the union.
No secret was made by Q~uackenbush
OF his hostility to the union idea.
I'VE refused to arbitrate the master
and servant agreement" he esaid
frankly. because our lines cannot b.
half union and half ron-union."
All through his discussion OF the hun.
dreds OF phases in the negotiations be.
tween the union n the companies
Quackenbush contended for the consti.
t~utional right OF the PETERBOROUGH &c
make what contracts 1t could with II.
men. This working agreement was Of
his own devising. he admitted. not with
out pride.
when those agreements were drawn
he said. II had in mind that II the mer
were successful In getting a wage in
crease through arbitration the men who
signed our agreements were to get tn,
benefit OF the increase as well as tn,
union men.
Sees Mistake Of the Uaions.
THAT IL where the representatives o.
the union made their mistake" ne said
Had they been successful In getting
wage increase through arbitration the,
would have received the credit for II ant
the Interborough NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
who had signed our con,racts-woult
have fiocked to the union. But instea,
of that they proceeded on n tangent an,
demanded that we withdraw our indi
vidual contracts with the men,
did the company offer to arbitrat
the fairness OF these contracts? aske,
Cohen.
They did not. On August 81, whe
Mr.. Fitzgerald told me the union woul
take action II the working contract
were not revoked ! did not think II wa
incumbent on me to talk arbitration.
never for a moment thought OF arbitrat
ing our right TO enter into n contract"
On this subject. too. he said that h
had rejected the proposal OF Fitzgeral
and Fridiger to have the justice of thes
contracts passed Upon by the Publ
Service Commission The only revie,
OF the merits Of these agreements h
would consider was one in n court.
. Don't you think we have authority?
inquired Straus.
, II do not"
Il believe in arbitration" he summe
up. but | also believe there
time when talk OF arbitration only pro
longs "A thing. ! knew we could operat
the marlborough Rapid Transit and "
have done il, ! think II is time that "
, get away from a government by me
and return to a government by laws
, Fridiger Presents Mems Side.
o'io'N uib Hdu HIS lOT
3 awaited opportunity TO set the who
: case Of the union on the record.
D 1.-THE employees and their represents
y tives claim this strike was brougi
: about by fraud on the part OF the con
l pany. its officials, by intimidation on Il
: part OF the employers. by coercion, /
using unfair methods which are n,
c~ountenanced and should not be count
nanced between employer and employee
eliminating In the fraud which We clai
was practised by the company upon !
employees first by the issuance of Il
contract OF employment which they ha'
designated AS a working agreement NJ
a second. by the methods they employ,
In obtaining Signatures to IL"
Mr.. Quackenbush, he said. had a
I tempted 10 show the blame for the sit
k alton was n desire on the part OF Fit
gerald to insist on a recognition of Il
& Amalgamated.
y 1T l. just such statements an Il
one made here this morning by
Q~uackenbush which has brought abo,
In a measure, this present situation
Attempting to mislead not only the pu
r. lie but also this commission and
i employees"
- DismissaI Of - started II.
The first act OF bad faith on the pa
h of the New York Railways was it's .
fort to discharge fourteen men who n