New-York tribune., 1920-05-29
Places Quickly Filled
and Officials Assert
Traffic on All Lines
Will Continue Normal
Hvlan Renews His
Plea to Garrison
Receiver Again Refuses
Request for Conference
Union Leaders Declare
Movement VIII Spread

The strike called by employees in the
mower houses Of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company yesterday failed to
Interrupt the service on the company's
elevated. subway or surface lines En-
cept for a short, anxious period spent
by worried public during the rush
hours last evening, following the dec
laration Of the strike. the walk-out was
accompanied by no visible changes, so
far as the regular operation of trains
and cars was concerned.
r survey of the most important
centers Of subway, elevated and sur
tsce car traffic in Brooklyn indicated
that the traffic was normal. The best
e,idence that the strike of the power
house men failed in it's purpose of
raralyzing Brooklyn's lines of COM
munication was seen in the fact that
conductors On subway. elevated and
surface lines knew nothing of the
strike two hours after 1t had been
called by members of the International
Association of Electrical Workers
Local No. 20 at q meeting in Tammany
Hall, Bridge and Willoughby streets.
BROOKLYN.
Hylan Plea Ignored
About ninety eight of the 500 men
employed IN the cOmpany's power
houses and their branches were r.,es-
ent at the meeting and voted unani-
nouSiF toi the strike. The men
ignored the plea of Mayor Hylan to
wal; until Tuesday before taking a
strike vote, IN order that he might
IraSh tfe matter cut with Receiver
@Indley NJ. Garrison, Of the B. r. T..
VINO IN letter to the Mayor had
T''ually requested him to keep cut OF
The situation.
me Mayors request to the men was
ID the form Of letter addressed ia
william J. O'Donnell, vice-president of
The union The Mayor appealed to then,
to submit their differences with the
company 10 arbitration should there be
no agreement.
Shortly after declaration of the
sIfIke II was announced at the Offices
ol the b. r. 1. that about one hundred d
men had quit and that their places had
been filled Immediately. The company
announced that, if necessary, the 1oval
employees would be kept at work in two
snnts OF twelve hours each, instead Of
IN three shifts of eight hours.
was declared that. should the serv-
ice demand It, trains on the elevated d
llnes would be reduced and passengers
transferred to trolley cars in order TO
conserve power. No indication that
such a necessity had arisen was OBJ
served last night.
At the central power house, Third
avenue and Third Street, fifteen men
VINO operate the switchboards walked
Out Their places were filled imme-
u@Ie!y by the general foreman, assist
aht general foreman and electrical en-
gneers from the B. r. T. Offices. The
station feeds power 20 all sub-stations
IN South Brooklyn and lower BROOKLYN,
Reserve Power Ready
inquiry last night revealed that in
.he event OF the strike tying up traffic
Inc Brooklyn Edison Company is in a
position to supply one-third of the
power required by the B. r. 7. The
hdison Company can make the neces-
safy connections with the B. R. T.
pg PGWer houses in very short time.
ohciaIs OF the B. r. T., however, as
serted tnat this step would not be nee
't'tN e4'eAN illtE were LnOFOQRnly
prepared to cope with the situation.
William S. Mendcn, general manager
o. the B. R. T., declared that every
Mng possible would be done to keep
fatilc moving. He said the company
mad emergency men ready who can fiji
POSITIONS Of strikers. These men, he
asserted, are members of the regular
reserve force of the company, who act
as substitutes in power houses in event
oi sickness or absence of regular en-
ployees. Mr.. Menden added that, if
necessary, the B. R. T. might obtain
power from the Interborough Rapid
1ns transit Company or the Long Island
Railroad.
As soon as word of the calling of the
Sflke reached the offices of the Public
G1ervice Commission, Commissioner
.S Lewis Nixon had inspectors sent to all
Tue principal terminals of the COM
COutiOued or next pasa)