The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-19
BOSTON CAR STRIKE
WAITS ON ARBITER
Trustees Of Elevated Refuse
to Accept Acting Mayor
+. j. w. Ford.
NOT NAMED BY COOLIDGE
Transportation by Trucks Is
Feature-Rain Drenches
Travelling Public.

BOSTON, July 1s.-Fepresentatives OF
the striking carmen and the trustees of
the Boston Elevated Railway Company
were unable to reach an agreement to-
day upon a third member Of a local ar
bitration board to settle their contro-
versy.
The officers Of the Garments union is
sued a statement tonight to the effect
that Acting Mayor Francis ]. w. Ford
would be acceptable aa the neutral
member Of the board, but as he had not
been named by Gov. Coolidge the trus-
tees would not agree to his serving. The
trustees insist that the third member
must be named by the Governor.
Union officials spent many hours of
the day going over the names Of twenty
men who were proposed by Gov. Cool
idge, but would not accept any OF the
number. In their statement the union
officials reviewed the history of the
dispute, including the reference OF their
grievances to the Federal War Labor
Board and the calling of the strike
when three weeks had passed without
the board announcing an award.
Hoped to Avert strike.
They said that they called the union
meeting Wednesday night at which final
strike action was taken with the ex-
pectation and hope that a strike could
be averted" With reference to acting
Mayor Ford the statement said:
This committee does not know Mr..
Ford except as a public official Of the
city of Boston, which city is very
largely interested in the matter Of fares
for the patrons of this company"
The statement added that the trustees
and the union were agreed upon II. Ware
Barnum, general counsel for the elevated
company, and James II. Varey, counsel
for the carmen, as two members of a
board of arbitration. For the neutral
member, the statement continued, I'VE
can very well agree that the best man
would be a Boston man, and we have
therefore suggested to the Governor and
the trustees that we would accept the
man who is the present Chief Executive
of the city In the absence of the Mayor"
The union officers added that they
wanted the people Ito have the earliest
resumption of street car service and
that they had done everything in their
power to- prevent the strike.
Crush in tho Streets.
A stranger in the city, unaware that a
street car strike was In progress. would
have marvelled at the appearance of the
| streets to-day Probably he would have
inquired what kind of celebration mad
brought into Boston the throngs which
damned the downtown thoroughfares
and particularly the arteries of pedes-
trian travel from the railroad stations t.
the heart OF the city.
Although thousands of workers com.
mute daily by train in normal times
their numbers were swollen to-day by
| tens of thousands who are in the habit
of getting from home to office, store
or factory by surface. subway and ele-
waited lines. Extra trains In the rush
| hours helped to care for the crowd.
! somewhat moro expeditiously than or
the first day OF the strike; but the con,
gestion in the north and south stations
was tremendous.
The sidewalk crush was made still
worse by the addition of large numbers
OF people who ordinarily come up towr
from the stations in the tunnels. Every
few minutes the massed lines came to q
standstill to wait for a crossing to clear
The number OF motor vehicles in the
city never has been closely estimated
but the outpouring to-day was a reve-
| scription appeared. many of them OF an.
Client vintage. But II was most emphnt
ically the day of the motor truck Fitted
| with chairs, settees and in at least one
instance with pews obtained from ar
abandoned church, they chugged noisily
! through the city with capacity loads OF
people whose homes are far from rail.
road stations.
Hundreds of these trucks were useI
by manufacturing and mercantile estab
lishments to carry their employees t
and from work without charge. Hun
| dreds OF others produced better thar
war time profits for their owners by
| running as buses" over regular routes
| with charges in many instances con
| siderably above even the recently es
tablished ten cent street car fare.
Caught by Showers.
Heavy showers late in the day caugh
the crowds unawares. Unprotected from
| the downpour. G2ls in filmy gown
suited to the su'try weather and mel
in suits OF crash and mohair sat help
less, huddled together on top Of hug,
| trucks and were soaked to the skin
The narrow streets were so filled will
vehicles that rapid progress was i'm
possible and the discomfort was pro
| longed.
| James w. Jackson. one of the trustees
said tonight that the strike could no
be settled until a board of arbitration
made an award, as the trustees were no
in a position to make any compromis
offer to the union.
! I'VE have no money with which Il
raise the mems pay" he said. "If thi
IL done 1t will be a matter between tn
board of arbitration which makes al
award and the public.
mo effort will be made TO operate tn
oars with non-union workers. II woult
! Onf ha an Pc IN attapont