The sun., 1919-04-15
APPEAL SENT WILSON
Sentiment Against Going
Out Seems Stronger
Among Employees.
WOMEN FORM BIG FACTOR
Few COnductOrettes Join the
Union and All Oppose Leav-
ing Good Jobs.

A strike on the B. r. T. has been
postponed for twenty-four hours at
least. and, though the union leaders
and Lindley NJ. Garrison, receiver in
charge of the road. are no nearer
agreement than they were yesterday.
there were many indications during
the day that IL a strike Is called II will
not meet with anything like unani-
nous. support among the employees.
The officials Of the road announced
they were ready to continue operation
and full police plans were made to
give protection to the cars and pas
sengers.
A mass meeting Of unionized en-
ployees in Arcadia Hall last night
voted to send a special committee Of
sixteen TO call on the receiver of the
road at 10 o'clock this morning in a
ANAL effort to reach an agreement.
But the meeting Of last night was an
executive meeting Of the union, the
committee Of sixteen Is a union COM
mittee, and Mr.. Garrison persists in
his attitude that he win not meet q
union committee but only one repre-
senting all the employees of the road.
A strike was averted last night, ac-
oording to P. j. OBrien. vice president
of the Amalgamated Association of
Street and Electric Railway EN-
ployees. only by the receipt Of a letter
from Mayor Hylan in which the
Mayor said that Mr.. Garrison would
receive a committee Of employees and
in which he urged the men to make
this further effort.
Those who attended the meeting IN
Arcadia Hail represented the radical
element among the employees. The meet
ing was frequently interrupted with
shouts Of I'VE want action!' One man
beloved so that he could be heard out
side the doors:
I'VE have delayed long enough! We
must strike now!"
Letter From Mayor Ia Read.
Chairman O'Brien jumped into the
breach. however with the Mayors letter.
We have letter from the executive
head OF our great city," he said we
cannot afford to ignore It. In fact, we
must not ignore It. We want the peo-
Pile with US, and IL we cali strike to-
night We will not be keeping faith with
the public"
He then moved for the selection OF
the committee 70 wait upon Mr.. Garri-
SON. 1t was at hrst decided to appoint
two persons from each OF the depart.
ments affected on this committee. Later
IL was made a committee Of sixteen. The
committee Is endowed with power itself
to call a strike II 1t fails to reach a
method OF agreement with Mr.. Garrison
to-day. but has decided that It will take
no such action without reference TO an.
other mass meeting tonight. 1t will
not call a strike unless II has the union
employees solidly back Of It
The letter from Mayor Hylan was M
follows:
GENTLEMEN: am enclosing here
with letter received from Lindley NJ
Garrison, receiver Of the b. r. t. In
answer to the letter of mine, dated
April ., requesting Mr. Garrison as Fed.
Brooklyn Rapid Transit lines. to meet
with you, as q committee representing
the employees OF that system.
You will no doubt note that In Mr.
0arrfson'S letter he states you never
requested conference with him, alsc
that he never refused to see you.
From Mr.. Garrison's letter 1t would
appear he Is willing to meet with any
employees Of the system. and therefore
4 - hot
mittee Of employees to see Mr.. Garri
son and 1 am quite sure that 1t woult
be agreeable to him to discuss the work
ing conditions OF the employees of thai
system. Very truly yours
JOHN F. HYLAE, Mayor"
Wilson'S Intervention Asked.
II was also revealed at last night,
meeting that the national officials oi
the Amalgamated had appealed to Presi
dent Wilson to intervene against 9
strike through the War Labor Board OF
some other federal agency. p. ]
O'Brien. read to the meeting n cabl,
sent yesterday to President Wilson by
James vahey. general counsel of III,
Amalgamated. 1t was in part as fol
lows:
There are 10000 railroad men ant
close to 100. 900 persons who are wiillI,i
TO have the matter adjusted by tn,
President or by the War Labor Board
He added In the cablegram that "a
strike seems inevitable" ....
At the end OF the meeting Mr.. O'Htier
gave credit to the letter from the Mayor
for stopping the strike last night.
EVERY person at the meeting wanted
to strike" he said. 'and the committe,
ana had hell Of time holding then
back. have just been informed tina
- signal men voted one hundred PEI
6ent. TO sSrske IL necessary. II a stris,
r called tie Amalgamated and the sig
nal men will unite and no settlemen
wfIi be agreed upon unless satisfactor,
% bith."
II was riose to 0 o'clock when th'
nssting was convened and the unioi