New-York tribune., 1921-11-03
Let the Conference Board
Stew Says DIR. Copeland
as Companies Refuse
Armistice With Union
Wagons Fired On, .
Raided by Gangs
Companies Pledge Fight
to Finish for Open Shop
to Lower Price of Milk

The City of New York last night,
for the first time in its history, came
out openly in support Of strike and
the men engaged in 1.-THE strike
which for two days has seriously
curtailed the milk supply of the 1o,-
100000 persons in the metropolitan
area and left trail of suffering and
violence in its wake.
This support was pledged to the
strikers by Health Commissioner
Royal S. Copeland, one of the chief
officials of the city, while he was act
ing under full authorization of
Mayor John F. Hylan to deal with
the strike and in the Mayors name.
Hylan Ukase Given Out
It was given by Commissioner
Copeland when, infuriated because
the New York Milk Conference
Board rejected his plan fpr set
tlement and declared for the open
shop and fight to the finish against
the strikers, he appeared on a plat
form before the IL 800 wildly cheer
ing members of the Milk Drivers
Union in Madison Square Garden
and said:
Let your conduct during the re-
mainder of this strike be of the best.
Just leave the Milk Conference
Board to stew in its own juice. So
long as you take that position and
maintain that attitude toward soci-
ETY. the Mayor, the police, the Health
Department and all the public
authorities will put all their power
behind you and will help end this
thing right"
Copeland Springs Surprise
:, IN another portion of his address to
the strikers. which provoked one of
the loudest and most vociferous demon
stratlonS ever staged In the great Gar
den structure, Commissioner Copeland,
raising clenched fist high above his
head by way of emphasis, declared:
!, Il want the public TO know. through
the men of the press assembled here,
patient goes without milk in New York
to-morrow-that milk which is neces-
sary to preserve life--it will be because
the Milk Conference Board has refused
TO let you men go to work"
Commissioner Copeland's speech
came as the most astonishing "high-
light in day filled with important
developments in the strike
compromise, or, at least, an arnis-
but later in the evening the New York
Milk Conference Board rejected an Of
fer of mediation coming from repre-
sentatives of the milk workers. A let
ter given in person to Commissioner
Copeland said:
We deem it inadvisable and unwise
for the public interest merely to defer
a problem where conditions call for a
solution. To temporize at this time
will do no good"
Workers Jeer Rejection
The letter from the board was trans.
mitted by DR.. Copeland in person at
Madison Square Garden at 10:30
o'clock, and was received with a Iouo
chorus of booing from the thousands
Of drivers assembled at the Garden.
After he had received the decision
of the employers DR.. Copeland de-
nounced their action in rejecting the
proposal for mediation. He said that
the employing companies had taken a
stand against the public interests and
are Sacrificing human life in an effort
to break the union"
In the mean time the companies an
nounced that, despite the commits
sioner's threats, attacks and predic-
tions. they would supply all hospitals
and baby stations with milk to-day and
that they would within a few days,
with the help of employees selected on
the open shop basis, restore New York's
milk supply to normal. They pointed
out that about 100000 quarts Of milk
We're distributed throughout the city
yesterday.
Family deliveries, however, will re-
main eliminated for the time being
Just prior to DIR. Copeland's address
the strikers listened to a review of
events leading to the present situation
given by George w. Briggs, chief
leader Of the strike, who declared that
the union has shown it's fairness in
the matter by showing itself ready to
accept the proposal for mediation"
which was later accepted by vote, and
attacked by |. Elkin Nathans, secretary
~ WIZ So11SA EuSE DodIQ.
Mayor Shows Diypleasure
Mayor Hylan himself, at the meet
ing in his Office yesterday, showed that
he was displeased with Nathans's atti-
tude," declared the strike leader.
When Nathans said that the milk dis
tributors were in favor of establish
ing the open shop, the Mayor told him:
Let's lay off that open shop stuff.
want this arbitrated on the mems de-
mands of an increase of SIS week and
two weeks vacation with pay"
Earlier, at Commissioners Copeland,x
conference, Mr.. Nathang stated several
times that the companies refused TO
arbitrate the Mayors proposition s'be-
cause it dealt solely with the mems
demands, for wages up, and left NO
provision for the compaaies' demands.
for wage decrease" He termed this
wholly one-sided," but agreed to "sub-
NIT the entire wage question to arb;-
tration, and every other question with
the exception of the open shop
This the union leaders rejected. con-
veying in no uncertain terms iust ro-