New-York tribune., 1918-06-09
Contractors Refuse to Ad-
vance Wages and City
Offers No Relief
Mayor Declines
To See Employers
Opposes New Contracts and
Insists Tubes Be Complet-
ed Under Burr Plan

Hope Of avoiding a strike tomorrow
of the 5000 laborers on the unfinished
subways of the dual system faded yes
terday. The contractors announced
they no longer could meet the advance
in wages demanded by the men. They
so notified the labor leaders, and
Mathew A. McConville, chairman of the
allied subway labor unions, declared
the mon would go on strike tomorrow
morning unless the contractors came
across"
The crisis was reached after a fruit
less attempt on the part of the con-
tractors to see Mayor Hylan and urge
innate. The fifteen contractors, who
have the twentyeight unfinished con-
tracts on the new lines, accompanied
by their counsel, called at the Mayors
office. Mayor Hylan refused to see
them. They had an earlier futile con-
ference with Controller Craig.
Board May Seek Remedy
There was report at the City Hall
that several members of the Board Of
Estimate would endeavor to have
special meeting tomorrow to try and
reach an agreement with the con-
tractors.
The contractors and the Public
Service Commission still insist the re-
lief sought by the contractors should
by annulment of the old contracts and
the making of new agreements under
which the city would advance the
money TO meet the increased wages and
cost of materials.
Ex-Judge William l.. Ransom, coun-
sci for the Public Service Commission,
announced that despite the action of
the Board of Estimate he would pro-
ceed this week to complete and submit
to the board the papers and data re-
Guired for action under the Lockwood
law.
Commends Burr Plan
In long letter to Corporation Coun-
sci Burr yesterday Mayor Hylan COM
mended the plan he suggested and
blamed the Public Service Commission
for the present situation.
II am informed there are claims by
the contractors against the city of over
S7,O0O,O00 caused by the delay and
neglect Of the Public Service Commits
sion in not having their plans pre-
pared at the proper time and for
changes In plans and specifications
after work had been started on the
contracts" said the Mayor. "If such
delay had not been caused by the COM
mission, many of these contracts would
now be completed and the lines now
IN operation"
Referring to Corporation Counsel
Burr's plan, which entirely disregards
the Lockwood law, which was signed
by the Mayor, the letter said:
"Under YOUR plan the existing rom
tracts will not be cancelled, the sure
ties will not be released and the con-
tractors will be bound to finish the
contracts and the additional cost Of
labor and material will be taken care
of by the city; while, on the other
hand, if the Public Service Commits
sion's plan is followed, the contracts
would be cancelled. the sureties re-
leased from their obligation and the
work to be finished on cost basis: in
other words, the contractors would be
released from their obligation and
then hired to do the work at cost.
Lifts All Obligation
"The contractor, who presumably
would not make any profit on the fin
ishing Of the work, could quit work at
any time and take up a more profitable
contract from other sources, and not
be under any obligation to the city
and could not be penalized for failure
to continue work. The whole work on
the subways could then be held up In
definitely, as the contractors would be
free to do as they like. Or if the con-
tractors found q profitable way to do
the work on cost basis, which fire.
quently occurs, the work could be pro-
longed because of no time limit to
complete the contracts, and the addi-
tional cost of finishing the subway
work may be indefinitely increased
thereby costing the people from TWEEN
ty-hve. to fifty million dollars more
than the plan suggested by you"
The Mayor declared any default O,
failure on the part Of the contractors
or the Public Service Commission te
cooperate with the Board of Estimate
IN the plan suggested would place the
blame on their shoulders. The Bur,
plan calls upon the contractors to re-
lea lease their claims for delays agains
will advance the money sufficient to
meet the increase IN wages and most OF