New-York tribune., 1919-12-23
MIR. Hedley Told by EN-
ployees They Expect Full
Increase for Which They
Struck Last Summer
Contract Expires Jan. 1
No Time Limit Is Set
and Both Sides Scout
anger of Walk.Out

Comforting for almost four hours
yesterday with Frank Hedley. presl.
dent of the Interborough Rapid Transit
Company, the general committee of the
Brotherhood of 1nterborough Rapid
Transit Company Employees requested
wage advance, which would give them
the so per cent increase asked for last
August. The men went on strike at
that time but returned to work with
25 per cent increase. They were
told the question of additional advance
would be taken up later.
Headed by Patrick ). Connolly, who
was the leader of the strike last sum-
mer, with NJ. J. Mangan, secretary
j. V. La Sala, inside guard, and r. G.
Scott, the fifty-four members Of the
general committee conferred with Mr..
Hediey over working agreements,
schedules, and the wage increase. The
present contracts under which the men
are working were signed January !,
1918. The members of the general
committee represent every branch of
the employees on the subways and ele-
waited lines of the |. +. t., numbering in
all between twelve and fifteen thou
sand men.
Satisfactory Spirit
After the conference Mr. Hedley
said the discussion was very general
and that satisfactory spirit of CO.
operation was shown by the represen-
tatves of the company and of the
brotherhood.
eve are asking for permanent
settlement Of the demands made last
summer said Mr.. Connolly. eve
want the other % per cent. We are
due to come up for increases anyway
now since our contracts expire Ask
ing for increases seems to be the
watchword of the day and we do not
see why the railroad men should not
ask for them as we'll as the banker"
1--WE are not taking in enough money
now TO keep the company in solvent
condition." Mr. Hedley replied in
answer to question as to where the
l. r. T. was going to get the money
to pay the increase. The gross re-
ceipts are not sufficient to meet the
operating expenses and fixed charges as
we have them now
Mr.. Hedley was asked whether the
demands of the men yesterday were
as real as those made last August and
which led up to the strike. He an
swered this by saying that there was
no doubt in his mind that as long as
the |. r. 7. continued at all times to
make the working conditions of the
men better and to pay them equally
or more than similar businesses would
elsewhere, there should be no diff
culties.
"There was no indication of SINH
lar crisis" Mr.. Hedley said emphati-
cally, denying talk Of strike. as he
turned to the group of brothe rhood
representatives. He looked at Mr.. Con-
molly and the latter said:
GAS far as everything indicates, har-
mony exists and there is no likelihood
of crisis. We got past that and we
expect to keep past that"
No Time Limit Set
No time limit for action by the COM
pany on the increase was set and Mr.
Hedley said that another conference
with the brotherhood presentatives
would take place about the middle of
next month. All Of the requests made
by the various departments for changes
in schedules and working conditions
would be given careful cons liberation,
he said.
The first of the nine-hour day sched-
ules on the Brooklyn trolley lines, as
agreed upon by the Garments union
committee and the B. r. T. as part of
the settlement of the recent strike,
was put into effect yesterday at the
Halsey Street carbarn. Under the
agreement so per cent Of the runs must