The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-09
5000 Employees Empower
Committee to Call for
WalkOut Of Men.
ACTION is UNANIMOUS
Receiver Garrison Refuses
to Deal With Agents
of Union. !
LETTER SENT TO HYLAN
Effort Is Being Made to In
duce Mayor to Prevent
Great Tieup.
ACTION is UNANIMOUS
LETTER SENT TO HYLAN

Light thousand employees of the B.
Il. T. system voted last night to em-
power committee of employees to
declare strike as a result Of the sec
ond refusal to recognize their union
end grant them increased wages.
Lindley NJ. Garrison, receiver for
that system. wrote the union that he
would not deal with any representa-
tives of the employees unless they dis
claimed their Identification with the
Amalgamated Association OF Stree,
and Electric Railway Employees OF
America.
His letter outlining his position or
this issue, in addition to denying the
justice of the employees demand fol
higher pay, was read to two mass
meetings OF the men, which were held
at s o'clock. last night and 40 O'Clock
this morning in Arcadia Hall. Halsey
street and Broadway, Brooklyn.
strike Vote Unanimous.
The Committee of Sixteen, repre-
senting the employees on all the
branches of the system in New York
was authorized to declare q strike
after all efforts for an amicable sec
tlefnent Of the controversy had failed y
The strike vote was passed unaRi-
mously. William Collins, National
Organizer OF the Amalgamated Asso-
citation, made this announcement at
the close Of the session.
The committee. Of which James
Sheridan is president, Is empowered
TO declare the strike after seeing Mr
Garrison and Mayor Hylan. The lead
ors are instructed to place their case
before Mr.. Garrison to-day and call
his attention to the great inconveni-
ence a strike will cause the travelling
public, In addition to the loss to busi-
ness. A letter was addressed to Mayor
Hylan last night emphasizing the i'm
portance OF his immediate interces'
sion"
The employees meeting was called fol-
lhe purpose OF hearing the reply of Mr.
Garrison. Organizers jumped on trolley
cars yesterday and told the crews the,
had better be present. Several motor
men. employees who had been in thu
service for years. told these organizer
10 90 TO another place.
Receiver Garrtson's Reply.
The reply OF Mr. Garrison was no
made without careful discussion OF th'
situation with Col. T. S. Williams, presi
dent of the B. r. T.: J. j. Dempsey
,lce-president, and Frederick Royce
general manager 1t was addressed 4
James Sheridan of l7lS Gates avenue
one OF the new union men, and read a
follows.
i duly received yours OF April.b. Il
reply to mine Of April I.
II note that in your letter yod stat
that the Committee of which you ar
chairman, was selected by the employee
of the various branches OF the system
at mass meetings OF the employees, an,
that the members of the committee ar
also employees of the railway system
81 am informed that the committee o
which you are chairman. is the execu
tive committee OF Division SCI Of III
Amalgamated Association of Street an
Electric Railway Employees Of America
and that the mass meetings referred t
by you were meetings of the members O
your association.
1T is the fact therefore. that you
committee directly represents the Anna
samated Assocfst ton and indirectly reI
Iesentg only some OF the employees c
The system.
THE matter Of wages, working cond
tions. &c, are matters which drectl
affect the employees OF the system an
the managers OF the system. They d
not concern outsiders and ! will not des
with outsiders concerning them.
Nothing is to be gained by eithe
side by an evasion or pretence. You an
those who are advising you In this ma
ter, desire to obtain a recognition by III
managers of the system OF the ANA
gamated Association and the demand
for increased wages and decrease
working hours. &c, put forward by yo
are obviously used as a means OF attaiI
ing the end you desire.
Oueside Interference IntoIera bl e
1T is hardly conceivable that our en-
ployees In any great number do not al
preciate the present conditions. and tn,
unaffected by any outside agitation the
would think at this time of formulatin
any presenting demands for generi
wage increases or other things 'whic
increase operating expenses. They al
fully aware that within a year wag,
have been increased In sum totallir
A.000.000 annually, and that as a ru
our men receive as high or high,
wages than those received by those
similar employment throughout Il
United States.
They know that their wages hay
been increased in larger proportic
than the increase OF living COST.
They know that twenty millions
collars must be borrowed by. the maj
agement to finish the construction al
equipment necessary for Che proper o