New-York tribune., 1919-08-16

city officials to obtain an increased
rare IN order to provide for the wage
demands of the employees.
Public Must Feed Men
II will not admit that il you ask
me thousand times Connolly said
He added: ut is this way: If you wan,
the brute to work, you must feed it
The public has got to feed US"
Explain what you mean" said the
Mayor.
Connolly explained: "The INTERIOR
ough has charged five cents. The Inter
borough says that for five cents they
cannot pay US any more for the ser
vice we are rendering. We say we are
going to discontinue rendering that
service, and it is up to the public to
The Mayor did not understand. He
asked again and got practically the
| same answer.
President Moran interrupted: "That
means an increased fare"
Exactly, if there's no other way
out Of It," Connolly answered. "But
far be it from me to touch on that
Connolly suggested that the Mayor
have staff of expert accountants go
over the Interborough' books and find
out if they told the truth about tinan-
cial impoverishment.
President Moran suggested that lit
tie could be done between now and
Saturday afternoon. saturday is a
half-holiday," he said.
Post jumped up. "Ill guess they
would forget the half holiday. We
work 365 days year and twenty-four
hours a day"
81 worked until 8 o'clock last night
said the Mayor
The delegation proceeded to the
| Public Service, Commission, in La
fayette Street. Commissioner Nixon
received them in a few minutes. There
was a half-hour conference behind
closed doors. The Construction Tran
sit Commissioner, John II. Delaney,
appeared with 9 note from the Mayor.
He had asked for a meeting on Satur-
day; w, .:,, =,
Use not to insult U.s." Connolly replied
What the Men Demand
The demands of the Brotherhood
workers were presented to Mr.. Hedley
by delegation of thirteen, which
called at the company's offices at 1865
Broadway shortly before i o'clock in
the afternoon. The men asked:
1. 80 per cent increase in wages
for all branches of the service.
2. An eight hour day and a fortv-
eight hour week
8. Time and a half for all over
time.
a. An agreement for prompt set
tlement of any minor difference of
opinion which may develop in the
future"
5. "The Brotherhood also insists
that the management reud the de-
mands," will assure this committee
that IN all cases of transaction of
businesses in which the employees of
TINS company are interested, such
business will be transacted with a
regularly appointed committee. Sc
lected according to the constitution
of this organization and vouched for
by the regularly elected Brotherhood
officers"
Mr.. Hedley gave the men little hope
tor the overtime demand. The eight
hour day and forty eight-hour week
demand presented difficult operating
problem, but he said the matter could
be discussed Articles 4 and S. he
said, were quite in keeping with the
spirit OF the company toward it's en-
ployes.
Conference Most Amicable
For an hour the Interboroueh men
explained in most amicable man
ner why they could not live on the
present wage. Mr.. Hedley remained
firm At 1850 p. m. Connolly looked
at his watch and announced the time
and said he would give Mr.. Hedlev
until o'clock to reconsider.
The lnterborough publicity DEPART
ment furnished reporters with stem
ographic report of the conversation at
the conference. This record reveals
the anxiety of both the Interborough
officials and the employees to show that
no conspiracy exists in the threatened d
strike. Toward the last of the con-
ference the question of demands was
dropped completely and following a
statement by James l.. Quackenbush.
general attorney for the Interborough. /.
the 1nterborough leaders took turns
making denlals of collusion charges.
Mr.. Hedley's statement that the In
terborough has no funds with which to
meet 50 per cent wage increase was
countered by the Brotherhood leaders
with the assertion that if the company
hasn't the money it must get it.
From Pockets of Public
p. 1t was intimated several times that,
If need be, it must come from the pock-
cts OF the public. j. j. Cochrane,
speaking for the chief engineers de-
partment, exprfssed himself more
plain y than some of the others on this
point. His men will not listen to tales
OF the company's poverty.
II told them," said he, "that Mr.. He'd
ley says that the 1nterborough com
pany box is wiped clean. They told me
to go back and tell Mr. Hedley they
don't care whether 1t was clean or not,
that he would have to fill it up from
some place else, and told me if could
not 60 back to Mr.. Hedley and get 1t
hlled, that would have to take it up
with the city authorities and ask them
to help fill that box. And, as you said
that you owed the travelling public
the rapid transit-the public of the
City of New York owe the employees of
the lnterborough Rapid Transit Com
pany something too'
Mr.: Hcdley stated the company's
position on the raise as soon as he
had scanned the paper containing the
demands. He said, according to the
company's report:
II want it clearly understood that
whether 1T is the brotherhood men or
any class of men employed by the
lnterborough Rapid Transit Company,
the company owe a very sacred duty to
the pubic, to operate this property;
ana 1t is my duty, as manager, to see
that 1T is operated which | fully ex-
planned to you gentlemen.
Maximum Possible 10 Per Cent
cat your last meeting, after giving
you some OF our figures, told you that