The sun., 1919-08-22
CENSURE HYLAN
FOR VIOLENCE
TN CAR STRIKE
Brooklyn Merchants Hold
Him Responsible for Po-
lice Neutrality.
MAYER BLOCKS UNIONS
Injunction Prevents Agitators
From Organizing Green
and Red Lines.

Mayor Hylan is held directly respon-
sible, in a repor. made yesterday by
the local Ea-sft committee of the
Hrookl,E chamt,r af Commerce, for
No mob disorder N.,s>S accompanied
eho recent strike on the q. r. T. sys-
tom. He is accused of having taken a
neutral position instead of compelling
tho police to suppress violence.
The same, committee, whose chair
man is Herman A. Metz, Democrat and
formerly City Comptroller, says there
would have been no strike if Receiver
Garrison had taken a vote of the en-
pIoyees instead Of arbitrarily refusing
tD have any dealings with the Anal
gamated Association of Street and
Electric Railway Employees.
Leaders Of the Amalgamated, which,
having got long sought footing in
Brooklyn as a result of the strike, is
now trying to swallow the employees Of
all the lines in Manhattan ana The
bronx, were elated by the Metz report,
the day in Manhattan.
The Third Avenue Railway system got
temporary injunction, the effect OF
which. IL made permanent, is to prevent
the big labor organization from trying to
induce Third Avenue employees to join
II, the roads contention being that this
would amount to an attempt to have the
men break a contract.
Court Rebuffs Amalgamated.
In an order approving of the acts Of
lob Hedges as receiver of the New
York Railways Company, and affirming
the contracts made between the receiver
and the Green car men, julius Mayer,
Judge of the United States District Court,
also puts legal embarrassment in the
way of further unonizing of the New
3 York Railways surface lines by the
Amalgamated. Louis Fridiger, Amalga-
mated counsel. said he welcomed both
the Third avenue injunction and Judge
Mayors order as they gave his clients
an opportunity to prove that there Is no
law prohibiting a union from trying TO
Increase its membership.
The members of the Brooklyn Cham
her of Commerce committee signing the
report on strike responsibility and rap
ping their fellow townsman, Mayor Hy-
Ian are in addition to Mr.. Metz, George
w. Baker, Herbert l.. Carpenter, Freder-
lex L. Crawford, Edward w. Mcmahon,
Robert Alfred Shaw. William e. Taylor,
James Sherlock Davis and Mayo Fesler,
secretary. They say that Receiver Gar
rison's letter OF August 5. declining to
deal with the Amalgamated, was Ill ad-
vised.
''It is the opinion OF the committee
says the report. that the attempt by
an officer of the court to deny the right
OF collective bargaining or the right OF
these men of association with the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor was OF itself a
challenge from which the strike was
natural and to be expected.
"If Receiver Garrison had taken a
vote as to the membership in this union
OF employees of the system before the
strike occurred 1t would have been set
tied without a strike. He took an arbi-
trary stand, and on August entirely
reversed his position, thereby admitting
unless other and more important con.
siderations moved him, his first position
untenable."
Quotes Mayor Against Himself.
AS to the Police Department. the com
mittee finds that 1t made no attempt tC
end the organized use of mobs of dis
orderly, threatening and determined
men by the strikers until Saturday
night, when the strike stopped. Tn,
COnlHltlcc liltil iuOlSS hdgOl Ilgldu
statement of August g.:
I'VE are determined to preserve Law
and order in this strike and we will
carry out this determination withou
showing the slightest favoritism I,
either side of this controversy. Polio,
Commissioner Enright tells me it will
be hardly possible to place a policeman
on each car, because the size of tn
police force will not permit. However
a striEerS and the ms
assured that ample and proper polio
protection Will be afforded"
The committee adds: TT is the opin
ion of this committee that this state
ment was i'll advised. 1t is a fact tina
the police permitted disorder For tn
Chief Magistrate of the city to take
position which could be interpreted b.
any chance as neutral to disorder place
directly the responsibility for the dis
order which followed"
The report also says: For the EN-
ployees of our transit lines to take a
unfair advantage of the present financis
and Industrial situation brings them di
rectly within the class the Presiden
brands as un-American and as profit
eers."
In his letter asking Judge Mayer I
confirm his dealings with employees G
the New York Railways Receive
Hedges maintained his policy Of nc
mentioning the Amalgamated by nam,
He spoke Of an organization "unassc
eiated with and inimical to- the Me-
York Railways Brotherhood which wa
trying. in order to destroy the brother
hood to persuade the employees t
strike in violation of their contract
He submitted to Judge Mayer a COP
of the working agreement between tn
company and the individual members {
the brotherhood dated August IL. 1911
and running to August 81, 1920.
Injunction CUrbs UniOnism.
Judge Mayors order affirming thes
contracts is construed as indicating this
any "outsider' who tries to induce III
car men to go on strike will be erin
inally prosecuted. although the me
themselves have a legal right to strih
voluntarily to better their conditions VI
less they break contract, in whic
case they are subject to civil suit.
The Injunction suit started by II
Third Avenue Railroad system is again
President William d, Mahon, Vice-Pre
ident Patrick j. Shea, Louis FridIe,
and others OF the Almalgamated. an
Hugh Frayne, William r. Collins an
other organizers OF the American Fe,
Grafton OF Labor.
The complaint says these men are
combination to induce Third Avenue en-
ployees to break their contracts vii
the company, in which they agreed.
. condition of employment, not to 10