New-York tribune., 1920-05-28
b. II. I. Tie-Up
Threatened by
Strike To-day
Committee Warns Mayor
of Walk-Out at 4 P. Nj.
of the Power House and
Sub Station Employees
Demand Wage Hearing
Hylan Pleads With Garrison
Who Asserts Conference
Solicited Is Impossible

A strike which may tie up the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit system /,
scheduled to begin at o'clock this
afternoon, when the power house and
sub-station employees threaten to quit
their posts. Notice of the threat
ened strike was served on Mayor Hv-
Ian yesterday by committee of five,
representing tho men,
The committee informed the Mavor
that the strike had been scheduled for
O'Clock Thursday afternoon, but
after conference it was decided to
hold over twenty four hours to give
the Mayor an opportunity to com
munlcate with Receiver Lindley NJ
Garrison
The committee told the Mayor the
walk-out was being called as a result
of the refusal of Receiver Garrison
and General Manager W. N. Menden to
confer with them concerning an ad-
Justment of working conditions and
an increase in pay
Hylan Writes Garrison
agreed to postpone the strike call until
this afternoon, Mayor Hylan dispatched
a letter to Receiver Garrison informing
him of the conference and demands of
the men, adding: "I am satisfied that
their grievances can be amcably ad-
justcd, thereby preventing a tie-up of
the system. which will be great incon-
venlence to thousands of people AS
Mayor Of the city, | most urgently ap-
pela to you to grant this conference"
The committee which called upon the
Mayor consisted of j. w. O'Donnell, in
ternat!onal representative; P. l.. Reeves,
E. l.. Smith, Paul Monally and f. A.
Reynolds, representing the powerhouse
and sub-statlon oVeratiVes of the Brook
I'm Rapid Transit and subsidiary sys-
TENS.
In his reply to the Mayor, Receiver
Garrison declared that Of these five men
only Smith was an employee of the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit, and that he
was engaged in the way and structure
department, not the powerhouse or sub
station department.
Concerning the Mayors letter, Re-
cclver Garrison wrote: at would be
an excellent thing and very beneficial
TO the public interests if, when these
alleged committees come to see YOU,
YOU would inquire and ascertain the
facts before you encourage them by
seeming to sympathize with what they
want, thus confusing a situation which
is difficult enough as it is and which
your action tends TO make more diff
cult
Tells of Controversy
Regarding the controversy, Receiver
Garrison said: "On May a communi
cation was addressed TO re IN which
| was informed that there was a COM
mlttee representing the power and
sub-statlon departm ents of the B. F.
T. system, and to that communication
there was signed as members OF that
committee the following employees:
Messrs. Jordan, Pfeiffer and Doremus.
Il already have an agreement with
the hourly rated employees in the
power stations. and, of course, can
only properly deal with the other party
to the agreement, which is the commit
tee representing such employees
could not, therefore, properly deal with
the new committee during the time of
the existing agreement
81 therefore informed Messrs Jor-
dan, Pfeitfcr and Doremus of the facts,
and stated that if the substation en-
ployees, with whom | have no present
(ContInued en- paue threel