The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-11
L0NGSH0REMEN GO OUT.
A STRIKE ON FOREIGN VESSELS
ORDERED BY THE UNION.

! ThRlia Causes q Lockout The
Fight Believed to be Really Over
the Payment of Custody Fees "A
Conference Between the Thalia's
Master and the Union An Investi-
cation to be Had - Capt. Sealey's
Statement.
The longshoremen are out. The only
cotton loaded for foreign shipment yester-
day was a few bales on the British steam
ship ITALIA, and that vessel was the cause
of the lockout. Not less than 800 long
shoremen are unemployed.
BY noon the few non-union men who
were at work on the ITALIA had been
stopped, as the stevedores had complained
to the mayor that the vessel was being
loaded by an unlicensed stevedore. City
Marshal Wade and Deputy Marshal Kelly
started out to look into the matter, and as
as a precaution the marshal had an exc
cution from the city treasurer for the
license in his pocket. Capt. Sealey. the
master of the Thalia, could not be found,
but w. q. Hutton, who was checking the
TIME OF the longshoremen, informed the
officers that the agent of the underwater
OF the cargo had sant him to the vessel to 20
I
hunted up the underwriters agent, and
having found him, told him the mayor
wanted to see him.
THE CITY TAKES HAND.
Arrived at the MAYORS office the agent
was told he would have to take out a steve
dore's license. This he declined to do on the
ground that he had nothing to do with the
vessel aud was only interested as agent of
the underwriters of the cargo. Capt. Sealey.
4 hoe ofA b.1 kDII L. Al. 4 i
stevedore IN the city TO finish loading one
Of the holds of the vessel, as all had refused
10 do SO, and he recommended Hutton to
him to help him out, and was in no wise in
terested in the differences He agreed,
however, to advance for the master OF the
vessel, and gave his check for the license,
which was issued in Huttons name, and
tuition went down to put his men to work.
| The authorities agreed to protect Hutton,
and Marshal Wade, Chief of Police Green,
Sergt. Killourhy and three patrolmen went
dos TO the lower cotton press wharyes
where the Thalia was lying, but by the
time Hutton got there some of the colored
striking longshoreman had got the ears of
the "black sheep" and they refused to
work and asked police protection to get off
the vessel.
| THE POLICE ON HAND.
Marshal Wade informed Hutton that the
city could not afford to keep a force
| OF policemen there without he intended to
go to work. He replied that he
wanted to come ashore and go up town.
This was about 80 O'Clock, and he said he
didn't believe that he would have anything
more to do with loading the vessel, and he
was given police protection and the Thalia
was left with a lighter Of cotton lying
alongside and no one to load it.
| From interviews with two prominent
| stevedores it seems that the trouble came
| about from the master of the vessel taking
| the custody OF it and cargo from the char
terers, j. J. Wilder g. Co. On Saturday
Powers & McGhee, contracting stevedores,
completed the contract and refused to
| finish the loading of that hold which had
| once been loaded by them. After the fire
| which occurred on the vessel last month,
| portion of the cargo was discharged and
, the cotton now being sought to have loaded
was to take its place. Mr.. Powers was
| asked what he would load it for before mis-
| firm had finished their old contract, and he
! replied IS cents per bale, but short time
afterward he went to the captain and de-
clined the contract.
Mr. WILDER DECLINES TO TALK.
Mr.. Wilder was seen by a MORNING
| NEWS reporter and was asked for his version
of the troubles. He declined, however, to
| make any statement except that his firm
| Is the charterer of the vessel When in
| formed that the master of the vessel had
| made a statement, Mr.. Wilder said: 81
shall reserve any statement lmay have to
make"
The fight is plainly an effort on the part
| OF the owners of vessels to break up the
| custom of charging what is known as
attendance fee and 271 per cent. custody
commission on value of cargo" and in
the fight the stevedores have taken the side
| of the ship merchants.
CAPT. sEALEY's STATEMENT.
Capt. Sealey, master of the vessel, gives
| the following version of the affair:
On the afternoon of Nov. &c fire broke out in
| No. hold. 1t was extinguished in about three
| quarters OF an hour A survey was held by the
| proper parties, and it was recommended that,
owing to the swelling of the cotton, that in the
| hold be discharged. In all 925 bales were taken
| out, of which but four bales vera burned
Seven hundred and fifty bales were dry.
The charterers having supplied the cotton for
| the hold could not be called upon to replace it,
either had to reload that which had been dis
charged or fill its place with fresh cotton. The
bills OF lading were outstanding, signed by me-
| FOR this cotton, and inasmuch as rs bales of il
were dry and sound, l conceived it to be
| my duty to reload them On last Friday
morning made contract in the presence
| of three witnesses, with Mr.. Powers OF Powers
q McGee, who had loaded the Thaha. He
| cents bale, with double time for Sunday work
| A few minutes after this bargain was closed Mr.
| Powers rejected the contract, for reasons I'M
known to me, and refused to perform the work.
| GOT WHAT MEN HE COULD.
| l addressed letters to other stevedores
| asking them to finish loading nv ship.
| Only one stevedore replied, and he stated
| that he could not do it and no other steve
| dore could do it, either" Being perfectly
| helpless in this port and my vessel being down
| two feet by the head. l was compelled to get
| this cotton reloaded in some way. l had been
! told that the stevedoreS having refused [ could
| secure outside laoor to roll cotton in the hold
4 without screwing it, without violating the rules
! of the LongshoremenS Union. Accordingly
went out on the street and picked up labor white
| and colored, unfortunately. l got sixteen
men in all and yesterday began rolling the cotton
| in the hold. During the day some longshore
| men came down to the wharf and got aboard
| the vessel They came over to the hatchway
| and ordered three men who were in the hold at
work to come out and stop. They obeyed with
out any delay and went off with the longshore-
men,
WARNED OF TROUBLE.
Night before last about thirty longshoremen
gathered on the wharf when knocking off time
came. They waited until the men came off the
| ITALIA, and, gathering around told them that il
| they returned to work this morning there would
be.trouble.
The non-union men assured me that thew
| would continue at work ii guaranteed protec-
| tion. l accordingly saw the mayor and other
| authorities and obtained promises that police
| protection would be given This morning a
Is