The New York herald., 1920-01-17
NEW |. R. 7. STRIKE
QUICKLY AvERTED
BY FRANK HED[EY
Employees, After Conference
with Head of Company, Post
pone Wage Demands.

Another threatened strike on the Inter-
borough Rapid Transit system was averted
yesterday at conference between Frank
Hedley. president OF the Interborough, and
a committee representing the sixteen thou
sand employees in the Brotherhood OF In
tel borough Employees. p. j. Connolly,
president of the brotherhood, and other
members OF the employees committee en-
tered the conference in Mr.. Hedley's Of
fice in the afternoon in defiant mood. Mr..
Connolly said they would have to have the
twenty-five per cent increase in wages
demanded OF there would be trouble. The
men left the conference in an entirely diff
ferent frame of mind and announced that
their demands would not be pressed at
this time.
The conference lasted about two hours
There were fifty-four members of the
brotherhood committee present. Much ap-
plause could be heard emanating from Mr..
Hedley's office at intervals during the
time the Interborough president talked to
the men. When the conference adjourned
Mr.. Hedley invited the newspaper men in
and before a score of the representatives
of the brotherhood said
Il have asked the Executive Committee
or the brotherhood to stay and talk to You
and have a clear understanding of what
happened today in this office This meet
ing was a meeting which was adjourned
from two weeks ago. Since the last meet
ing the various locals in the brotherhood
have met and have discussed the condi-
tons of living. rates OF wages, &c. The
meeting today resulted in nothing but a
complete spirit of cooperation between the
men and the company
The men, Of course, want to get more
pay. The company for the moment is in
such a financial condition it cannot see
now 1t possibly can pay out more money
than it is taking in and still keep the
company solvent. Obligations are coming
Que and the company is not taking ir
enough money to meet those obligations
Notwithstanding the enormous passenger
traffic it is doing. 1 hope some way will
be found to continue the satisfactory re.
lations between the company and the men
L also hope a way will be found to OBJ.
tain the public authority necessary tc
empower the company to act so as to keer
the company solvent.
"A separation of these properties would
be most Instantaneous to the public OF
New York. Failure to meet our payments
TO the Manhattan Company will result ir
the disintegration of both companies ant
| "il ieSuil III Two IdTeS, Il cndnSe OF cars
from one system to the other and the dis
continuance, in places. of through service
IT would be an awful blow to the people
/ have asked the men to cooperate with III
and help us along until we can determine
definitely IL we can take in enough money
to hold these properties together. Their,
are sixteen thousand men in our employ
My belief is they have confidence in wha
| have said here today to their representa-
] tives and they will cooperate and hell
US"
Mr.. Hedley asked Mr. Connolly IL he hat
anything to add to what he had said
The brotherhood leader declared that Mr.
Hedley had stated the situation carrectly
and that he had every reason to believe
that The members OF the brotherhood
would do what the committee told them
stay on the job and do the best they
can in the circumstances" Mr. Con
molly said the various locals would hold
meetings at which the report Of the com.
mittee would be made to them.
The Interborough employees struck last
summer for a fifty percent increase ir
wages. The strike was settled after 9
twenty-five per cent increase had beer
granted, and they had been promised tha,
the demand for the additional twenty-five
per cent would be arbitrated. No action
however. was taken regarding the addi.
tional demand.