New-York tribune., 1921-11-05

OIL Il nlllk SIatIOH tO-udy IN tHc TaldCe
Theater Annex, 174th Street and ST.
Nicholas Avenue, where all grades of
milk will be sold at cost. A fund was
secured to hire a truck to cart the
milk to the station. Similar stations
will be opened in other parts of Wash
ington Heights as soon as possible.
magnitude that the city ever has had.
In any event, these trucks would not be
used to make family deliveries but de-
liverics to stores and stations. Now let
me say one thing right here with re-
gard to these questions you're asking
me: 4 don't give damn about the
politics of this thing. If The Tribune
wants to play politics I'm not Il
"Was it Mayor Hylan's suggestion
that you wait until Saturday, seventy
two hours before Election Day, before
making any move to take over the
milk plants -
Mayor Hylan suggested to me on
the day before yesterday that take
full charge of this strike from the
city's end of it, and have had no fur
ther suggestions from the Mayor"
"Would such a move, in your opin-
ion, coming at so short a time before
the voters go to the polls, have any
influence on N,e election %
II am not interested in the election
one way or the other. | am interested
in having the babies of this common
wealth served with milk"
"Has the delay In making such
move been due to a desire on the part
of Mayor Hylan or yourself to time it
for election purposes, and is not the
delay deliberate 2"
II have full power to act when an
gency comes, whether Mayor Hylan be
Emergency Is Awaited
"Why did you not take over the milk
plants on Thursday when you said that
the city had full powers to act?"
Because there was no emergency.
But if this arises I'll take it,"
"Have you failed to keep your pledge
for a settlement to the strikers that
they go fishing, and leave it to the
Mayor and me'.?"
"The Mayor left it to me-"
"And have you failed?"
"Therc has been no actual accom-
pishment, no."
just before these questions were
asked him, Commissioner Copeland said
that he had stationed inspectors in
every milk plant in the city, and that
in addition to finding a greatly in
creased supply they had reported that
the milk distributed was of good quail
ity. He then issued typewriter state
ment. requesting. that it be published
in full. The statement is as follows:
"It is probable that the amount Of
milk received in the city to-day is
about SO per cent of the minimum nor
NAL supply, and the flow is increasing:
Great Inconvenience is being suffered
by the individual householder, but
grocery stores and milk stations have
an abundant supply of milk, and by
going after it, except in the outlying
districts of the city, one can get the
necessary milk. There can be no
denying the fact, however, that there
is tremendous inconvenience and hard
ship placed on our citizens. My mail
is full of letters from mothers, who
state they have to stand in line for as
much as half g day to get the necessary
milk. This is great pity. in view of
the splendid service ordinarily rem
dered by the milk companies.
Atmosphere Urged as Cure.
at is to be regretted that the milk
distributors as a body did not attend
the conference held in my office by di-
rection Of the Mayor on Tuesday
morning. Had they been here and alb
sorbed the atmosphere of that gather
ing we would not be in this difficulty
to-day
"The advertising and interviews Of
the milk distributors indicate that even
rcw they do not know the extent of
the concessions offered by their en-
ployees. Emphasis is laid by the deal
ers upon the original demands Of the
men that they should have an increase
Of wages and upon their insistence eff
the acceptance, by the dealers, of many
other vexatious and irritating condi-
ticns. 1t seems impossible to make the
dealers understand that the men have
receded absolutely from their original
demands.
at was agreed by the employees of
the milk industry that they would re-
turn to work on Thursday morning at
the old wage scale, and all they asked
was that the representatives of the
employees should be permitted to meet
the employers to discuss their needs
and to bring about an agreement for a
new contract covering every phase Of
employment and wages. 1t was further
ccrned, that should it be lower or
higher than the present scale, it's ef-
fects should be retroactive as of No
vember l. 1921.
ut is not fair to the men to con-
tinue to advertise the original demand
of SIS increase. Everybody appreciates
that these are times when wages are
being cut and not increased. The men
themselves recognize that they made
mistake in their first proposal and by
unanimous vote Of 600 men at the
conference held Wednesday night at
the Madison Square Garden they de-
cided to wipe out their earlier demands
and to place themselves wholly in the
hands of their employers.
Naturally, | feeI that the present
situation is needless inconvenience
OF the great New York public. Had
the dealers recognized that the men
went the whole route in the way of
concessions, and put them back at
work, we would not be in this predica-
ment and the employers themselves
would have the final word as to what
should be the conditions of employ
ment in the future.
However, it is the business of the
Health Commi ssioner Ito see that the
milk furnished isesyf r ka&uftable ouaN<,,