The sun., 1919-08-17
GREEN CAR MEN
MAY ALSO QUIT
Tell Swami So, but Assert
They Are Not in Any AL
lance With I. r. T.
STRIKE Is BEING DEBATED
District Attorney to Examine
Hedley About Rumors of
Alleged Conspiracy.

A strike by the employees of the
New York Railways. commonly called
the green car line, was threatened yes
terday by Thomas M. Fazakerley
president Of the brotherhood of that
line, and action may follow on short
notice.
In reply to questions put to him by
District Attorney Swami he made II
known that his men, organized along
lines similar to the Interborough
brotherhood. were in sympathy with
their strike. He said that like the
Interborough men they were dissat-
isfied with the 10 per cent. wage in
crease granted to them last wednes-
day and that they intend to frame de-
mands of their own in the very near
/ future.
Such action undoubtedly would re-
suit in stopping the green surface
cars. for the company is in the hands
Of receiver and Is said to be strain
ing its financial resources to the limit
in allowing the recent 10 per cent. in
crease.
Fazakerley was one of three car men
questioned by the District Attorney rel
ative to the charges made by the Mayor
that the strike Of the employees Is being
promoted by officials interested In OBJ
taining an increase of fare. While
Frank Hedley. vice-president of the In
terborough. also was to have appeared
at the District Attorneys Office his pres
ence was more urgently required at
City Hall. and he talked with the Dis
trict Attorney there.
Connolly Tells His Story.
The men questioned by Mr.. Swami
denied emphatically that any one higher
up had encouraged them to make strike
threats. Patrick ]. Connolly, head of
the Interborough Brotherhood, explained
that NJ. ]. Mangan. secretary OF the or
ganization, who accompanied him to the
District Attorneys office. had got him
of a RocKaway boat last Tuesday
night, telling him that the men were
saying that they would work no longer
without a substantial increase of pay.
Connolly told how he went at once to
see Mr.. Hedley. who asked:
What is the trouble with our men?"
Il told Mr.. Hedley the men needed
more money. and had to have 1t quick"
me OF the financial conditions of the
Interborough, and that the INTERIOR
ough would be 35,000,0O0 In a hole by
next January. / told him I would talk
to delegates OF the brotherhood.
II recommended to them to take 10
per cent. as a temporary measure, but
they disagreed. Some demanded 80
per cent, others 60 per cent, others
35 per cent"
Connolly told how they finally agreed
to ask a 20 per cent increase as a
temporary measure, and how Mr.. Hedley
informed him that he had already
temporary 10 per cent increase was then
granted as compromise.
Not spurred On by Omciala.
Fazakerley told the District Attorney
that there had been absolutely no men
ton to him of a fare increase by any
official OF the company. He said that
there was no connection between his
organization and Connolly's except ''the
natural sympathy existing between rail-
road men,"
He referred to the demand made by
his own men for 10 per cent. raise
which they received as "A temporary de-
mand." He insisted that neither Job E.
Hedges, receiver for the New York Rail-
ways, nor any one connected with him,
had made any suggestion to him in re-
gard to resolutions which his men
adopted.
District Attorney Swami announced a
further pursuance Of his inquiry and
stated that he aims to question Mr.. He'd
ley at his ONCE early In the week. He
pointed out that under the conspiracy
law circumstantial evidence is sufficient
TO warrant a prosecution.