Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-14

Key-berths mean berths next the wharf
which have the eject OF reducing me cA-
pcnses OF the steyedores somewhat VI
loading vessels. II happens requeh,y
that a etevedorc is not seen one ehute
hour about a ship that he Is loading hls
presence is unnecessary.
"Nould sou be Wiling 70 MAKE con
tracts with the ship-agenis Tot "a"lns
M d cents. and consent to a stevedore5
oversealn0 The WORK." was asked.
srEvFDORE oVERsEERs.
"Ne should prefer not to have steve
N.r.s oversee US work. but we are dis
|..,f,. willing 20 have the ship-agen;s
s,,,.,iat a representative TO oversee-not
=, t,terfcre wlth-Our w rk. Tie agents
nav geod any expert they choose 10 SUI
,,,rinfoni the work. provided tc"y pnF
f,r surh experts service ou. %. tl.T own
,.otet And when we say that we pro-
tcst AGAINST stevedOrfs. / d. nos mean
40 convey the impression hat such oo-
tectiou is vital We should be- W ling 20
waive IL u wc could get direct contracts
viii the shp-agen,s or sIlp-o"n'fs or
eh.l masters.
$50 far az our work T. concerned. we
arc u~e.arcd 20 give solvent b "l for it5
9hWl AID "a 'sf9ctory per ornancc'
ana we are willing to make yearly con
tsrt- NJ lab0rcrs can perform thc wer@
Of loading cotton IN manner superior
10 that Of the men In tn white screw
mems association. Since our proposition
vo have loaded or are loadiis < the Rose
Alegrade. the Sir Henry La"r nee, the
Marimar the Akab1r TIE G. .1ni, the
U0s. and the Heinrich The contracts for
some OF these ships We mace with the
masters through Eno3p. FTorch a GO.
Here So certificate from The captain of
f.fs .stHfg 81 ~
OF The work"
The certificate reads. "Ths Is 10 certify
that the Scrcwmen's Benevolent Associa-
ton has slowed 1854 bales II cotton on
board the Marlmar 10 my entire satis-
faction"
we have similar certificates from
other masters"
Have YOU made a direct proposition
e. the owners of vesscls?'
'Yes. SIR We cablcd last NIGHT the
leading ship-owners in Shi IDS. Liverpool.
and London. making explicit offers 20 DO
the work Of cotton-loading 40 thirty-fve
cents on steamships, and Offering 20 make
regular contracts with bond FOR satis-
factory work We are hopeful Of get
ting replies shortly 20 our kilograms"
THE CUT
"Why have you made so large a cut in
your rates.
Because we did not want 90 have 10
make a second cut When we made the
cat We realized that we were going into
a bitter fight. because Of the 81 vcdorcs'
opposition. ana we were determined 10
make our rate so low that II could not
be met"
and is there a profit IN it2'
at 20 cents. doing the work ourselves
We can pay our men between - and -
day. have a surplus for replacing
broken tools. take care Of our sick, our
widows and orphans. and besides declare
dividends"
How many men are there IN the white
orc9uization?'
'In round figures. there are a thou.
sand"
and are they sufficient to do the
Work."
Eyes. by proper distribution of the
mon. which is not done now under the
stevclorcs II frequently happ ms now
that there are men getting In each other g
way on some ships. and not enough TO 90
the work on others. W" should avoid all
such hindranccs TO rapid work And BE-
si1cs that. we should be willing 10 work
seven days IN seasons when there Is a
n eh. without any extra charge 10 the
ship-accuts. our contracts standing at
O. cents.
1T is not our purpose in this 10 shut
ont negro labor. There are con2j"ra-
be number ~ skilled negro sorewmcm
and in carrying ont our contracts we
should employ them. Eut We " II not
undertake to employ mel incompetent
10 30 the work We believe thot whom
these facts are properly placed before
the ship-owncrs and submitted 10 the
public the conclusion Will DE inevitable
that our proposition affords no ground
whatever for opposition