The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-14
The Longsnoremen's Strike.


The people OF this city wosld Ike to know
ThE the longshorenea refuse to load yes
sells that are waiting in this port for their
caTgOss! Business interests are suffering
greatly and the reputation Of the port is be-
ing injured. Vessels that are being de-
tanned here at great expense viii not will
iugly come here again unless they ara Of
fered better rates than they can obtain else
where. and the loaEsh1remen themselves
need for the approaching Christmas season
the money they might earn.
Way the longshorsmen have struck Is not
very clear. They complain of nothing, so
far as their interests are concerned. They
are not asking for an increase in their
wages, nor do they say that their hours Of
labor are too long. 1t would be interesting
to the public if they would come forward
and frankly give the reason for the course
they are pursuing.
In all that has appeared in tie public
prints there does not seem TO be any issue
between them and anybody elsa, and no
legitimate excuse whatever for the strike.
All that appears on the surface is that there
Thalia and her agents. The agents claim
certain fees which the captain OF the Thalia
refuses to pay. The captain took
the Thalia from the control of the
agents, and then the stevedore of the agents,
who had been loading the ITALIA, refused to
continue to load her. All the other steve
dores Of the port also refused to finish load
ing her. and the captain of the ITALIA began
loading her himself with such assistance as
he could obtain. Then the loading of all
the other vessels in port was stopped.
But why was the loading of other vessels
stoppedi What have the differences be-
tween the Thaiia and her agents got to do
with other shipping agents, other steam
ships and the enlightenment Is the bust
ness of the port TO come TO standstill
whenever there is a difference between a
vessel and her agents! Why not let those
directly interested settle their troubles in the
courts. or many other way they may see
fit! Why should other agents, other yes
sells and other vast interests be made to
suffer because OF an issue between them7
What spectacle this port presents now!
The ITALIA is putting her cargo aboard the
best way she can, and in the meantime
hundreds Of longshoremen are sitting
around waiting for the job TO be finished,
the business Of other shipping agents and of
exporters is stopped, and steamships at
heavy expense are waiting for their cargoes.
Is this spectacle 20 be proud OFF,
We don't know anything of the merits
nf fha difFaraaoas hatwaan thu Thalia and
her agents, and as far as we are able to
discover, those differences do not concern
the longshoremen. But if they think they
do, they ought TO be satisfied, it would
seem, by refusing TO finish the loading of
the Thalia. What the public can't under
stand is their action in injuring other ship
ping agents, other steamships and the bust
ness of the port, for something for which
the port, these other shipping agents and
steamships are in no way whatever response
BILE.
The whole city has al right to be indignant
at their apparently unreasonable action, be-
cause the whole city suffers from it To
have the port locked up. as it were, when
there is no principle at stake, is, to say the
least, alarming, and justifies apprehensions
for the future. 1t is condition of affair S
to which the business men cannot afford to
submit, and to which they will hardly con-
dnue to submit. They can find remedy
if they seek one, and they should set about
seeking one at ance. They cannot find one
too soon, if it is the purpose of the long
shoreman to put the business interests of
the port in jeopardy whenever they have a
notion to do so.