New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-24
Roads Reject
Strikers Plea
As Hypocrisy
CONTINUED from page one)

seniority rights In order to relieve
the wheels of industry"
The meeting of managers was pre-
sided over by E. M. Rine, vice-president
and general manager of the Lacka-
wanna. The position of the railroad
executives is that the men who failed
to return to work have forfeited their
seniority rights. The railroads ulti-
matum to the strikers to return on pen
atty of losing their seniority rights ex-
pired Sunday noon. Since then many
of the roads have been successful in
recruiting new yard forces. In the New
York-New Jersey district only yardmen
are out. Owing to the fact that yards
are the 'key positions in freight move
ment, the shortage Of yardmen has re-
duced the movement of freight to about
so per cent of normal. The railroads
are, however, creeping slowly above
this mark.
Appeal Called Insincere
1t was made clear at the meeting
that the railroads are. determined to
end all insurgent strikes. One manager
attending the meeting termed McHugh
letter. particularly his reference to the
interests and demands of the public, as
hypocritical and insincere. He quoted
an alleged recent statement by McHugh
that the strikers would return to work
for thirty days pending the action of
the Railway Labor Board. Comment
ing upon the intention of the strikers
to enlist the aid of the mayors of New
York, Jersey City and other towns in
bringing pressure to bear upon the rail-
roads to restore the insurgents to their
old positions, it was declared that such
action would not alter the position Of
the railroads. The railway executives
made it clear that their position is
not one of defiance. but one of en-
phasis of a moral obligation and issue
involving the sacredness Of contracts
and the law.
Less than 1000 strikers attended the
meeting in Grand View Hall, Jersey
City, yesterday. At this meeting COM
mittees were appointed to visit the
mayors of various cities affected by
the strike to intercede in their behalf
Among the mayors to be visited are
those of New York, Jersey City, Hobo
ken, Weehawken, Newark, Bayonne and
others.
Freight Moving Better
J. J. Costello, chairman Of the pub
licity committee of the insurgents de-
clared that he and a committee con-
sisting of Harvey Remsen, represent
ing the engineers, and J. L. Demott,
chairman of the local grievance COM
mittee had called on c. l. Leiper. gen.
eral superintendent of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, and informed him that
the ultimatum of the railroad to the
strikers to return to work would be
accepted provided their seniority rights
were guaranteed.
"The men will go back to-day, to.
morrow or any time" said Costello, eff
they are guaranteed their old seniority
rights. So far as the wage demands
are concerned, they have been left in
the hands Of the brotherhood chiefs"
Movements of freight over the Erie
Railroad yesterday totaled $4,000 cars.
The normal movement is approximately
10000 cars Thirty committing trains,
carrying total of $4,000 commuters,
came in over the road. For the first
time since the start of the strike a
commuters train arrived from Passalc.
The anthracite coal situation appears
no LONGER alarming. The Lehigh Val
ley unloaded eightyfve cars of anthra-
cite at Perth Amboy yesterday. At
anthracite mines tapped by the Lehigh
Valley road 44,818 tons of coal were
loaded into cars This is the normal
amount destined for points on the
road. This road also shipped out Of
it's Jersey City yards yesterday 249
carloads of New York freight. There
was good average movement of
freight over the entire Lehigh Valley
system
Unused Ticket Question
Freight movements of the Baltimore
g. Ohio on Staten Island were about
fifty per cent of normal. On the
Staten Island Rapid Transit road, a
subsidiary of the Baltimore &, Ohio,
one passenger train was run on the
north shore and one on the Totem
Vile branch in the morning.
1t was announced yesterday that the
roads have taken up the matter of un-
used communication tickets with their
legal departments. 1t was said that
the general disposition of the roads
is to make refunds to the commuters
for unused coupons, or to extend the
time limit of the unused books.
Close to normal service between
Manhattan and Summit Avenue, Jersey
City, and between Manhattan and Ho-
bokcn was claimed to be in effect on
the Hudson tubes during the day yes
terday. Overnight service was sus-
pended. A large part of the men acting
as guards and motormen in the Hud-
son tube system, 1t was declared, are
new men and it will be some time be-
fore service as far as Newark will be
attempted. Users of the Hudson tubes
appear to have resigned themselves to
paying the six cent fare and are drop
ping the extra penny in the box with
out protest.
NEW HAVEN, Conn, April 23.-Thc
/ New Haven Railroad announced to-
night that there would be full rcsto-
ration Of trains on the system on Sun
day, April 25. This will include sleep
ing and parlor car service. Trains SO
and SO, both New York Springfield ex-
1 presses, will be restored tomorrow
Strikers I'm Tnzxnch