The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-23
CAN MANAGE 1T THEMSELVES.
THE SHIP AGENTS DECLINE MIR.
KROUsKOFF-s MEDIATION.

4 Second Effort TO Compromise the
strike Question FaiIs-Mr. Minis
Tells Mr.. KrOuskOT the Agelts
Can Manage Their own Business.
The Strike No Business of the Pub
Iic-Mr. KrOuskoH Gives Up Hope
of ERectinS COmprOmise-Snys
the strike Is Hurting the City's
Trade.
Another intercession with the ship
agents in behalf of the striking longshore-
men was tried yesterday. AS was the
case with the mayors effort to secure
some amicable adjustment of the differ
ences, the intercession of Mr.. S. Krous-
koff. who called on one of the agents dur
ing the afternoon, was barren of any re-
suit favorable to the cause of the strikers.
Mr.. Krouskoff's visit was paid to Mr.. ].
F. Minis. His efforts were 50 far unsuc-
cessful that he told a Morning News re-
porter that he would wash his hands of
the entire matter, as there appeared to be
no chance that the agents would consider
any compromise. He was received with
all civility, he says, but was given to un-
derstand that the agents consider the mat
ter one with which the public has nothing
to do and one that is thoroughly within
their own ability TO manage. The agents
think they are perfectly able to conduct
their own affairs, and so told Mr.. Krous-
koff
Il was hoped by Mr.. Krouskoff that he
might be able to secure some information
from the agents regarding their side of the
disagreement. He says the longshoremen
had given him a recital of their grievances
and he thought that by having talk with
the agents he could get an insight into the
situation that would enable him TO act as
a mediator with a perfect understanding
of the entire affair. He had been commits
stoned to offer proposition to the agents
in case they seemed disposed to treat with
him as the representative of the strikers.
He soon saw, however, that it would have
been of no use to submit his proposition,
as the ship agents do not appear to be dis
posed to yield 10 the demands that have
been made or to make any concession at
all beyond that of the quarter day instead
of the hour system of paying the men.
Mr.. Krouskoff had been asked by some
of the leaders of the strikers to inter-
cede in their behalf and as this request
was in agreement with his own opinion
that something should be done in the mat
ter to settle the disordered state of af-
fairs, he readily consented, after hearing
their story of the fight for higher wages,
TO act for them. He has always been the
champion of the laboring classes. Hav-
ing risen from the ranks of the laborers
himself to his present position as one of
the leading merchants of the city, Mr..
Krouskoff entertains a feeling of sym
pathy for the laboring class.
Mr. Krouskoff also considers that the
trade of the city has been injured by the
strike, and was DESTROYS of bringing it to
a termination on that account. He esti-
mates the amount Of money that is taken
from Savannah trade by the longeshore-
men going to Charleston to secure the
wages that they cannot get here as rum
ming up to a nice round figure during the
course of a week. He says the longshore-
men do not now buy the same quality of
goods they did before the reduction of the
wages three years ago, and he ascribes
this TO their pay having been reduced.
Now that both the mayor and Mr..
Krouskoff have failed to effect anything
by their attempted mediation of the diff
ferences, ii remains to be seen who will
next enter the lists in behalf of the strik-
ers. Work of loading the vessels now in
port with cotton was again taken up dur
ing the afternoon the weather having
moderated sufficiently to enable the men
to get back TO their labOrS