New-York tribune., 1919-05-10
New Order Prevents Mer-
chants Here From Ship
ping Packages at Stations
in Suburban Districts
Demands Sent to Capital
Men Are Asked to Return
Pending Action by Bureau
of Rail Administration

The express embargo against New
York was made complete last night
when Robert E. M. Cowie, vice-presi
dent of the American Railway Express
Company, issued notice to shipper:
that express matter originating in New
York City could not be handled at sub
urban points. At the same time orders
were issued to the offices in Paterson
Newark, Mount Vernon, Yonkers anc
New Rochelle not to accept any busi
ness not originating in their territory
The necessity for the order arose
from the fact that large New Yorl
shippers were flooding these Offices
with consignments sent hither by mo-
tor truck. So great was the crush il
some of the Offices that the operating
staffs were overwhelmed.
In making this order Mr.. Cowie ad
mltted the completeness of the tie-ur
in New York City, but declared thai
no effort would be made to break the
strike pending action by the Burea,
of Wages and Labor Standards of the
railroad administration. William S
Carter, head of the Locomotive Fire
mems Union, is the head of this bu.
reau. To him Mr.. Cowie yesterday
sent the demands Of the men for $2t
month increase for all express EN-.
ployes, the eight-hour day, annual
vacations with pay and double time
for holiday work.
A. M. Banks and William Blackman
Of the labor bureau of the railroad ad-
minlstration, conferred with the strike
leaders yesterday. After the confer
ence Mr.. Banks said they would report
their findings to Washington.
~ am not here to settle the strike,
said he. 81 am here to get at the facts
| have not even advised the men to re-
turn"
He added that he expected to hold
other conferences and that some state
ment might be forthcoming to-day.
Mr.. Cowie, after receiving the de-
mands of the men from a committee
headed by Michael ]. Cashin and Ben
Union, advised that the men return to
work pending action by the Washing
ton officials. This advice the leaders
promised to consider.
:. Muldrew after the meeting said he
did not know what action the men
might take on the advice to return
pending an adjustment.
They may go back, they may not,'
he said. "We don't know ourselves
yet"
Muldrew explained that in his con-
terence with Messrs. Banks and Black
man emphasis had been laid on the op-
position of the men to being compelled
to hold membership in the American
Railway Express Brotherhood.
"This," said he, "is a company or
ganization formed after the EXPIRE S.
companies were taken over by the gov
ernment. Previous to that each com.
pany had its own club, with which it
pretended to deal with the EMPLOYEES
All had to belong to it and pay Is cents
a month"
There was considerable disorder re-
ported during the day in Paterson and
Newark, where committees of strikers
were seeking to prevent the local en-
ployes of the company from handling
express matter carted from New York,
In all, according to Muldrew, about
5000 men are out. The management
places the number at about 5000.
Some inconvenience in the matter of
food supplies was reported from the
smaller towns in Westchester and on
Long Island which get their perishable
goods by express.