Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-14
ization and q large preponderance ol screw men ss individuals strongly reprobate the violence on the front, and

men 6s individuals strongly reproDate the violence on the front, and
 DESIRE TO SEE ORDER RESTORED.
 "The screwmen have offered to load ships at this port for 25 cents. Tine public is aware oi thatf2c.. When the cotton ex- change and commercial bodies appealed to us to do something toward effeciing set tlement of the strike we conferred with sleveoores, in some cases men whom we havs helped up from our own ranks, and who are now in independent position, with view to perfecting some plan whereby all further trouble would be pre- vented.
 sTEvEDoRE's PRESUMPTION.
 ''We were told by one of the stevedores that if we should send our committee to his house he would dictate the terms under which we should go back 10 work. So contemptuoas reply to our offer in the in- terest of peace we resented, and then we deter mi ned that we should enter the fl i'd against the stevedores in the business of loading vessels at this port, and we made our offer direct 10 the steamship agents. Ii has been repeatedly charged in the pub lie prints by commercial bodies aud by ship agents that heavy charges at lhis port were driving commerce away, and that the screwmep were largely responsible for these excessive. charges. Being convinced to the contrary our proposition was made to the ship owners in contemplation of
 DOING AWAY WITH THE MIDDLE MAN.
 1.-The strvedore to certain ex;ent knew as we did that the salaries of stevedores helped to make the charges excessive. Since that proposition was made we have loaded some ships and made some con trasts, but we have found a very stubborn resista nee to our plan in the ship agents, who have insisted on the employment of stevedores.o
 "And what is the reason for tha.?''
 ''Simply that the stevedores pay a rebate to shi D agents which the agents would not enjoy if they were to accept our proposi- tion.,
 Ut is currently reported ou the streets that steamship agents have Eeen willing 10 give work to the white screwmen, but the white screwmen have declined to consent to the employment of stevedores?'
 .'rhe proposition made to us is to take sub contracts from the stevedores. That we have emphatically declined to concede to, for the reason that we should be the losers and the stevedores the gathers, and the object we had in reducing our charges, l. e., of reducing the port charges, would be defeated. Under such plan the steve- dores would still continue to charge as much, or pretty nearly as much, as they are now charging for the performance of duties that are tax on the commerce of the city.
 "The stevedores have simply been in business to profit by the labor of the screw men. Their work Is confined chiefly to getting key berths for their ships. Key berths means berths next to the wharf, which have the effect Of reducing the ex- penses of the stevedores somewhat in load ing vessels. IL happens frequently that stevedore is not seen one entire hour about ship that he is loading. His presence is unnecessary
 "WouId you be willing 10 make contracts with tue ship agents for leading at 35 cents and consent to a stevedore overseeing the workf''
 WILLING TO HAVE ovERsEERs.
 'We should prefer not to have stevedores oversee us work, but we are distinctly will ing to have the ship agents appoint rep resentative 10 oversee-not to interfere with our work. The agents may send any ex- pert they choose to superlntend the work, provided they pay such experts service out of their pocket. And when say that we protest against stevedores, do not mean to convey the impression that such objec- ton Is vital. We should be willing to waive it if we get any contracts with the ship agents or ship masters. So far as our work is concerned, we are prepared to give solvent bond for its faithful and satisfac- factory performance, and we are willing to make yearly contracts. No laborers can perform the work of loading cotton in manner superior to that of the men in the White Screwmen's association. Since our proposition we have loaded or are loading, the Rose Ale grade, the Sir Henry Law renee, the Marimar. the Akabar. the Ge- roni, the Hos and the Heinrich. The con- tracts for some of these ships we made with the masters through Knoop, Frerichs & Co. Here is a certificate from the cap tain of the ship Marimar testifying to the character of the work: 'This is to certify that the Screwmep's Benevolent associa- tion has stored 1S64 bales of cotton on board the Marimar to my entire satisfaction.' We have similar certificates from other mas- ters.''
 "Have you made direct propositions to the owners of vesses?'
 leading ship owners in Shields, Liverpool and London, making explicit offers to do the work of cotton loading at 35 cents on steamships and offering to make regular contracts with bond for satisfactory work. We are hopeful of getting replies shortly to our telegrams.'
 "Why have you made so large cut in your rates?''
 .Because we did not want to have to make second cut. When we made the cut we realized that we were
 GOING INTO BITTER FIGHT because of the stevedores' opposition, and we determined to make our rate so low that 1t could not be hlet.'
 "And is there profit in it?''
 "At 35 cents, doing the work ourselves, we can pay our men between 5 and $ g day, have a surplus for the replacing of broken tools, take care of our sick, our widows and orphans and besides declare dividends.'
 "How many men are there in the white organizationP'
 "1n round figures 1000.n
 ''And are they sufficient to do the work?o
 WILL GIVE THE NEGRO A CHANGE.
 -..Yes; by proper distribution of the men, which is not done now under the steve- dores. It frequently happens that there are men getting in each others way now on some ships anc not enough to do the work on others. We should avoid all such hindrances to rapid work. And be- Sundays In seasons when there is rush without any extra charge to the ship agents, our contracts standing at 35 cents.