The New York herald., 1874-11-17
THE LOCKOUT.
Four Thousand 'LonsshoremeD Deprive Them.
selves Of Work by Striking.
THE PEACE THREATENED.
Both Sides Determined to Hold
Out to the Last.


A BODY OF ITALIANS ATTACKED.
The strike of the 'longshoremen commenced
yesterday morning and WILL In all PROBABILITY. be
q movement OF some duration, as both the steam-
ship companies and the men appear to be deter
mined 10 hold out. The 'longshoremen belonging
to societies Nos. l, and 8 In New York and No.
in Brooklyn are all unanimous In resisting what
they claim is an unfair reduction OF their wages,
and are determined to hold out to the last. The
societies have about $780, 900 in the treasury, and
as most Of the men have some little money they
expect to keep body aud soul alive Tor some time
They oil appear to condemn the frm OF stevedores
known as the walsh Brothers and claim that they
at the bottom OF the whole move, alleging that
they are trying to knock down the wages In order
TO get even Tor some very low contracts they made
with the steamship companies.
ORDERLY BEHAVIOR OF THE MEN.
On the whole there are about 10000 men on
strike. and all are behaving themselves ike good
citizens In o quiet and respectable manner. At
an early hour this morning they took up positions
at their usual corners on the North River front
and when asked to 90 to work said they would at
the ola rate OF wages, but declined when they
tou VI bhC sWcuLy-uvC pCA CCAt AcuuCtlous Wdish
then made strenuous efforts to get some help, and
finally succeeded in putting on two or three gangs
the Colon, the Pacific Mail steamer just arrived
from Panama. The new hands were not very
lively at work, and took about twice the time over
their jobs that the regular longshoremen .would
have done 1t in.
One young man. who looked as II ne had seen
better times, said, ~ am not accustomed to this
work, having been educated for the Church, but
Ihope in few days to be able to handle bale Of
cotton as well as the rest OF them. I do not like
to take bread out OF other mems mouths, bus
when one has wife and children to take care Of,
and nothing to eat, we feel glad to embrace any
opportunity OF earning dollar"
FALSE ECONOMY.
Some lines, like the State line to Glasgow, the
Merchants Steamship Company and few others,
still paying the wages, and one OF the foremen
on that dock said he thought 1t was economy for
the Merchants' to employ the old hands, as they
could do the work In one hundred per cent less
time, aud the wages OF the new hands were only
Steamship Company and Clyde lines are WORK.
ing all Kinds OF laborers that come along ana
have certainly engaged a motley crew. some OF
them are mere boys, ana lew Italians have also
gone to work.
The society men on the North River front have
all been quiet and orderly during the day. and an
intoxicated man was rare sight among them.
They stand about their old docks ready to resume
u
companies come back TO old prices. The following
steamship lines are the prime movers In the re-
ne Salona ne Ancaor ne Havana ne ilSr iv
erpool and LIVERPOOL and Great Western steam
sup Company, Pacific Mail steamship Company,
North German Lloyds, Savannah line, General
TRANSATLANTIC Company, Mexican line, and Bristol
line.
TIE srEvEDoREs' POINT OF VIEW,
Talking with Mr. Peter Il. Walsh, the head OF the
nrm Of Walsh Brothers, he said that they were
cnmnQOtoQ informed
going to cut down their contracts TWENTY-FIVE per
cent: He ielt satisfied that the ongshoremen
| would soon resume work, as there were plenty OF
men to be had who would be glad to work for
twenty cents per hour He said he was now work
and had no doubt that in another day he would
have more applications for work than he would
| Tne ofioers OF the dinerent steamship companies
have decided upon carrying through this reduction
IN Tny eaI es 81 s are ell
ming half their boats Freights are also very low
at present. especially In cotton, which can now be
shipped from New York to Liverpool for . little
OTHER REASONS GIVEN.
Passenger rates have also gone down, and, In q
word, none of the steamship companies are max
ing any money. Merchants In the southern, busi-
ness say tnat vessels leave New York ior the South
average OF rom two to i've hundred bales OF COT
ton while they have capacity Tor eighteen hun
this movement Is made entirely by them, aud that
the stevedores have nothing at all to 10 with It,
| except JuaL db tucy nave cut uOWu Cue COuLT6cL0
twenty lave per cent the stevedores viii naturally
| have to do the same. They claim that the wages
Of mechanics have been decreased al through the
country, and that thirty cents per hour or So per
day is lair wages for doing ordinary labor.
ALONG THE EAST RIVER FRONT
| there were comparatively few indications OF the
| lockout. Probably the strongest evidence that
something unusual was disturbing the ordinary
siderable number OF policemen at most OF the
/ principal wharves where trouble was antict-
pated. All such expectations however. we're
! oA m dfaon mi n low vSarp paA
WITHOUT a any serious breach Of the peace me
'longshoremen on the East River front, who were
gain the sympathy Of the public at large
by their moderation and peaceful conduct.
AtnOusn sness rich steamship
/ children and compel us to 60 in rags during the
| winter" said q ongshoreman OF more than ord-
'.while their agents are driving about in grant
| carriages and spend as much on one meal as we
do on our living IN month, we shall keep the
arrested Dy the police" This seemed to be the
general sentiment, though often expressed in
! ruder form, among all the 'l0ngsh0remen on the
East River front. The consequence was that the
police, who stood about at the wharf entrances in
| cept TO chat and to entertain one another. Their
| clubs rested peacefully in their hands or BY their
more o me ~ 1sy a soon M
THE SAILING VESSELS 'LoNasHoREMrN.
The steved0re3 In charge OF the sailing vessels
were Gil paying the old rates, none OF these lines
having entered the combination OF steamship
| companies Tney said that they did not intend to
Join the combination as they did not consider the
wages excessive. and as their men did the work
well, which, alter all, was the main point. One or
two limited that they would probably reduce the
rates Ii the movement OF the steamship companies
turned out success; but, meanwhile, they were
waiting for the issue. and on this their action
would depend. AS matters look now, the long
shoremen employed i0r sailing vessels Will con-
tinue to receive their former rates of pay
The only wharf on the East River front which
was deserted by the regular l0ngshoremen was
pier IS. occupied by the New York and Bristol
Steamship Company. Mr.. Morgan, the agent, said
that the ships crew (tne Arragon Is the name Of
the vessel which was un0aded yesterday and
such other chance laborers as the stevedore had
obtained from other sources would probably be
able to do the work. He saw no reason why the
steamship companies should pay forty cent an
hour for the same work or which the railway