New-York tribune., 1921-11-01

Snanissioncr Whalen. who alreads
rad 'ahored unavaiiingly with the
union leaders. tried to rush to the
platform when the result of the vote
Idea OF trying to make himseif heard
ana winning q delay in the strike. He
psor Within een fsse ,ss ss hss ngogre,s Of the
was checked. He staggered from the
lostling on all sides, was almost sweut
rom his feet by the unheedinr throng
pout HIM and finally regarded himself
as lucky to get out of the, place with
cut broken bones
: The conference with the milk con
terence board. which lasted all dav and
All night Sunday, was taken up again
m the morning at the Hotel Marti-
nique, although when It broke nm after
az aii-nlght session union leaders said
that strike was inevitable.
1t was still on at / D. m. when the
drivers began to surge into Madison
square Garden waving their flags which
nrociaimeds Tonight Is the Night"
The hopeless conference. indeed. lasted
unsfl we'll on in the afternoon. while
me cheering, singing. howiing mob in
the Garden was listening to orators
who preached the doctrine of the "sure
shing" strike.
AS soon as the conference broke up
tor good the union representative
ooited to the Garden and took up the
cause With even more fiery ardor than
their predecessors. They were received
with tremendous enthusiasm. 1t was
evident that the crowd was out for a
strike and intended to have one. 1t
would have been vastly disappointed
from all the indications, if the leaders
had returned from the conference with
the So week raise which the union
demands and the two weeks vacation
with pay.
In the midst OF such hystericaI ex-
element Commissioner Whalen had
not the slightest chance to make
himself heard. He said later that he
had hoped to gain the ear of the audi
ence long enough to persuade them to
delay their action for twenty-four
hours.
This, as ne explained later to some
of the leaders, was at the express re-
quest of Mayor Hylan. He persuaded
a delegation of three union leaders.
headed by George w. Briggs, to ac.
company him to Mayor Hylans home,
at $50 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn,
and there talk things over with the
Mayor.
The Mayor, it is said. repeated his his
hours. at least, until some agreement
could be reached which would permit
the delivery of milk to go on while
the points in dispute were being
settled
"The Mayor asked them if they
would go back and request suspension
If the strike order for twenty-four
hours" said Commissioner Whalen,
and thus give him an opportunity to
confer with both sides. The union
delegates informed Mayor Hylan that
the temper of the men was such that
they could not stop the strike now.
They promised, however, to go back
and put the proposition to a vote. This
was done and the meeting voted
against it. They did, however, agree
to Mayor Hylan's plea to take care of
the hospitals"
Health Commissioner Copeland's first
thought was of the hospitals when he
heard that the strike had been declared,
and he said that steps would be taken
to assure the hospitals supply OF milk
today
Hospitals to Get Milk
"You just take it from me-" said the
Commissioner, "that the hospitals, the
sick and the babies of this city are 60
ing to be supplied with all the milk
they need
"We will see just what amount of
milk is furnished the hospitals to-mor-
row morning, and if it is not enough
we will proceed at once to insure the
delivery of milk in sufficient quantities
to all whose needs must be supplied"
The Police Department took imme-
diate steps to see to it that protection
was afforded for such trucks as the
companies managed to run to their dis
tributing stations and to stores, in
accordance with their announced plans.
AS soon as the strike order was
issued, Chief Inspector Lahey sent out
orders that the emergency chart sys
tenn which increases the force on
duty tremendously, should 10 into ef-
feet at midnight There would he
policemen to ride on wagons II neces-
sary, Inspector Lahey said, and plenty
of police for any emergency.
The companies,'in pursuance of their
plan TO make it fight for the open
shops, prepared advertisements at once
for men seeking permanent" employ
mcnt. 1t was said that ex-service men
were preferred and those between
twenty-one and thirty five years Of age
who were married.
Delivery Plans Made
AS soon as enough men were OBJ
talned. it was said, family deliveries
would be resumed with police protec-
tion. Representative of the company
said that they expected violence.
4 |. Elkins Nathan, secretary of the
Milk Conference Board, the employ
aers' organization, stated that negoti-
atoms had proceeded smoothly up till
tho time of the break. The matter Of
working conditions had been settled
and the questions regarding a yearly
vacation and wages had come up. Then
it was that friction was manifested.
The employers demanded that both
the vacation and wage questions be
considered together and the union DEL
cgates demanded that they be consid-
cred separately. AS a compromise
! measure. the employers offered to set
tie all differences by allowing the old
wage scale to stand as it is. The
union delegates. who had been demand
lug an increase, refused to accept, al
though this meant the withdrawal Of
the empl yers' demand that wages be
cNt.
As a last resort Charles Dundheim,
consolation commissioner OF the United
States Department Of Labor pleaded
with the union delegates to resume
negotiations with the employers, but
fxiled to get then, to reconsider.
81 think the union men left in too
rreat haste" he said. "They should
have left open chance TO reopen
negotiations
Asked what raise the drivers wanted.
one of the employers said: Eve didn't
get that far"