New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Copeland Says Unions
Have Made Additional
Demands w alkout Nav
; Be Ordered Tomorrow
Final Conference
TO Be Held To-day
New Cases Only 2,673, a
Decrease ofl,3l8;Mor-
tality Shows Decline


its attendant effect upon the influenza
epidemic, is by no means settled. At
ter preliminary conference yesterday
with representatives of engineers and
tremen's unions and later with men
representing the Hotel Association, the
Real Estate Board and other realty in
terestS Health Commissiot otner Royal
S. Copeland, who on Sunday undertook
the task Of arbitrating the dispute
said late in the afternoon that the
The two groups will confer at DR.
Copeland's Office at o'clock this af-
ternoon, and if an agreement is not
reached there is apparently little like
lihood that the union men will furthe,
postpone their strike call. which is
set for 8 o'clock tomorrow morning
The men will hold meeting tonight
at the Central Opera House, Sixty
seventh Street and Third Avenue.
While these developments were caus-
ing concern to Health Department. of
ficials it was noted with gratitude and
relief that the epidemic was lessenine
in violence
Strike Would Spread Epidemic
"lf the strike starts Wednesday,
Dr. Copeland said, "and if it succeeds
it will mean cold houses, broker
plumbing and property damage that
will interfere with the comfort of the
community for weeks. If it were te
last three or four days and be only
partly successful, from the strikers
point Of view, it would cause a loss OF
hundreds of thousands of dollars and
what is worse, an imme diate increase
in the death rate. The cold and ex
endure would mean marked increase
in pneumonia and a multitude of new
influenza patients"
81 tremble to think what might
happen if we should fail tomorrow tt
bring about an adjustment. We must
find way to bring these groups to-
gether and | shall bend every effor,
to do this"
involved, the International Brotherho Cd
of Stationary Firemen. Oilers anc
Helpers and the international Unior
of Steam and Operating Engineers
who attended the conference, pre-
sented their dema Ads in writing What
took place at the meeting or what
these demands were DR.. Copeland
would not say. 1t is understood that
the situation has been made more
difficult to handle by the inclusion OF
new and added demands by the unions
DR.. Copeland admitted the unions hat
"chucked on more demands" Neithe,
the union representatives nor the EN-
ployers interested would discuss the
situation
The strike, should one be called will
affect office buildings, hotels, apart.
ment houses, loft buildings, factories
lishments and public institutions. Hos.
pitfalls were included in the original
list, but at Sundays meeting the unions
agreed to leave sufficient men at work
there to keep up the heat, and Dr.
Copeland said yesterday that whatevel
happened hospitals would be kept
warm.
Sharp Decline in New Cases
The latest figures collected by the
Health Department on influenza and
pneumonia are considered most en-.
couraging. There was falling off YES
terday in new influenza cases of 1918
and drop IN new pneumonia cases OF
l41. Deaths fell also, there being q
decrease of ten from influenza and
eleven from pneumonia over the figures
of the day preceding. The statistics
compiled by the department for the
chart day ended at 10 o'clock yester-
day morning are: