The sun., 1917-07-03
TEN HOUR DAY IN
RAISE TO CARMEN
Union Leaders Allegc Trick
and Will Present New
Schedule Of Demands.
THEY APPEAL TO POLICE
Are Confident Of Victory as
War Draft Will Call Out
Many Now Employed.

Formal demands for an increa sed
wage and shorter working day are to
be presented 20 the officials OF the Third
Avenue Railway Company by the Anal
samated Association OF Street and Elec-
trio Railway Employees between now and
next Monday This agreement was
reached yesterday following a series Of
conferences in which william B. Fitz-
gerald, general organizer for the ear
men, took a leading part.
At a meeting OF employees last night
In al East Forty-fifth street a commit
tee OF Ave men was named to take the
demands to Edward Maher, general
manager OF the road. According to
Fitzgerald, the meeting was attended by
The action Of the Third Avenue Rail-
way Company. however. in increasing
the pay of Its men in way spiked the
guns OF the union leaders. although the
latter assert such a course was but a
tacit admission that the demands OF the
men were juse Around the car barns
OF this company yesterday scores of mo-
tormen and conductors said they had no
grievances and that the increase in pay,
effective July 1, was all they asked for.
On the other hand. Fitzgerald asserts
the Increase in pay is boomerang
which the men will learn in few days.
While an increase in hourly wage Is
given he said, the men are compelled to
work ten hours before they can receive
time and a half as overtime pay. Here
tofore, he said, all time over nine hours
day was paid for at the rate Of time
and a half.
Men subject TO Draft.
THE street railway officials OF New
York city are in the most desperate
plight OF their careers" said Fitzgerald.
THE war has put them in a hole. and II
is one they can't squirm out Of. All
men who went on strike last year upon
reinstatement lost their seniority rank.
Many OF these old and seasoned en-
ployees were compelled to accept night
runs, or runs in which long swings were
injected.
I'm the last few days The representa-
tives OF the companies have been ap-
preaching these old employees, offering
them the advantages OF the seniority
clauses All the soft runs went to the
new men employed at the time OF the
strike. These men are now subject TO
the draft, for nearly all of them are
men in their twenties. The companies
are moving heaven and earth to get
their old men-men above the draft ago
back into the service. But we will
block them there and will be in POSI-
ton to dictate terms
The street railway officials expressed
themselves yesterday as satisfied with
the situation. At the offices of the
lipA Ava oil
was said that since the new wage scale
went into effect their employees were
contented and that they had been as
sured OF their loyalty. These officials
are in close touch with every move OF
the organizers and contend that none of
their car men is attending the meetings
the unions call.
Fitzgerald Appeals to Police.
Fitzgerald bitterly resents the activities
Of the secret services OF the railway COM
panies and so expressed himself yester-
day to Police Commissioner Woods. He
said private detectives were intimidating
the car men and in consequence these
men were afraid to attend the meetings.
He asked that their activities be curbed.
The Police Commissioner told him the
unions could be sure of a square deal.
James p. Holland, president of the
New York State Federation OF Labor,
after a conference with Fitzgerald, said
last night that the demands of the car
men will be in the hands of the railway
officials between now and Monday.
"If l had my way would call a gem
eral strike on all the surface lines with
out the formality Of submitting de-
mands," Holland said. IL feel positive
that the companies will be compelled to
grant the demands. because working
men of all classes are getting better
wages to-day than ever. An election is
rapidly approaching and don't believe
either the politicians or the financiers
will permit tieup OF the street railways
lunA