The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-14
DOCK LABoRERS GO OUT.
REFUSED TO WORK UNDER THE
PLANT SYSTEMS NEW SCHEDULE.


No Disturbance So Far.
Three train loads of colored labereFs,
about $50 in all. rolled into the naval
stores yard OF the Plant system early yes
xerday morning They were the section
hands and other employees along the line
of the system brought here to take the
places of the regular dock laborers in
the naval stores yard, who have refused
to work on the new schedule, which has
just gone into effect.
The strikers number about $50 men, this
being usually the maximum Of the force
employed at the naval stores yard. Just
now, however, there is an extra amount
of work at the yard, there being six ves-
sells loading and as many more preparing
90 load. On this account and because the
green men are not expert at this sort of
work, the new force is much larger than
the old one
As announced in the Morning News of
day before yesterday, a new schedule of
$50 a day for expert laborers and $1.25 for
those not expert, went into effect this
week. This was a reduction for num-
Der of the men, who were not classed as
experts. The men who were classed as
experts worked the first day. but the sec
ond day they informed the agent at the
wharf that they would not work unless
all the men were paid the same price, S15O
per day. The road accordingly made pre-
parations to secure its labor elsewhere,
gathering men from the section forces
along the different lines of the system and
Bringing them in yesterday morning.
Fearing some demonstration on the part
of the strikers, when the new men were
brought in, Acting Chief of Police Reilly
was on hand at the wharf early yester-
day morning with force of twenty-nne
policemen, including the mounted men.
This included the first and second reliefs,
with the exception of a portion of the
first relief, which was on duty on the
streets. The third relief was held in the
barracks az a reserve in case of trouble
There was no trouble, however. When
Lieut.. Reilly arrived at the wharf he
found that the strikers had gathered there
in large force. They were asked if they
intended going to work, and when they
replied that they did not, the police were
instructed to clear the wharf. The strik-
ers left without any attempt at resistance.
This was before the arrival of the new
men
The section hands were put to work,
and when a Morning News reporter Wis
tied the wharf later in the day everybody
was hard at work and there was nothing
by which a stranger might judge that
there had been any disagreement or trou-
bic of any kind. The police were with
drawn about 10 o'clock, with the excep-
ton of a small squad, which remained on
duty during the day. The Savannah,
Florida and Western railway wharf prop
erty is outside of the corporate limits,
but within the jurisdictlonal limits of the
city.
The strikers have been holding meetings
steadily since they left the wharf.
meeting was held at the Lincoln Guards
hall yesterday morning, and in the after
noon it was stated that the strikers had
gone to Bruton Hill, where a number of
them live, to hold a meeting.
The strikers claim that the new schedule
practically means a reduction of % cents
a day for the majority of those employed
at the naval stores yard. Only a small
number were classed as first class or $50
a day men. they said, while the others
We're required to work for S125 a day The
strikers claim that S1.25 is not a fair days
wage when they only average three or
four days work out of a week. AT S1.5O
day they say, they averaged from $3.50 to
$500 a week, few reaching the latter fig
ure. Out of their pay, no matter how small,
they were required to pay 25 cents a week
10 the Plant system hospital fund and
those who rent houses from the Plant sys-
TEN at Bruton Hill had TO pay $3.50 a week
rent At $l.25 per day, they say, man
who made only three days, would receive
only S3.75 a week, and if S1.5O for house
rent and . cents for hospital dues be de-
Quoted from this the laborer viii have only
81 left to show for his weeks work
inf a. LII
Freight Agent T. A. Yeomans and other
officials of the Plant system spent most
of the day al the rosin wharf. Supt.
HaineS when seen by a
Morning News reporter said
that everything was working smoothly
and that he anticipated no trouble of any
kind. Assistant Freight Agent Harris,
who has charge of the wharf and is tho
recognized authority on all matters com
ing within his jurisdiction, answered all
inquiries made of him in reference to the
strike.
The force employed in the rosin and
spirits yards, Mr.. Harris said. varies any
where from % to $50 men. About the lat
ter number depend largely upon this work
for a living. The men get in two three
and four days work a week each. When
there are a number of vessels to load, as
al present, good men could easily make a
full weeks work. II Is very rarely, now
ever, MT. harflS sdldt mat any OF the
men do make a fun weeks work even
when work Is plentiful The majority Of
them do not seem TO care TO work over
three days n week, and four days is
enough to satisfy almost any Of them. on
account of the shifting and changing
character Of the force, II was decided to
classify the men, placing the old hands I'm
the first class and paying them at the old
rate OF $3.50 a day, and those who had not
been at the work so long, I'm the second
class az $l.25 per day.
1T Is charged that only a few of the
men were put IN the first class Is that
correctg' Mr.. Harris was asked.
mo" he replied. "rhe ordinary work.
ing force was nearly equally divided be-
tween the two classes"
WAS there a third class at 81 per day."
Mr.. Harris was asked.
you could hardly call that a class"
Mr.. Harris replied. Two or three old
men who were not able to do much were
kept az a dollar a day simply 20 give
them something 10 do"
Are the men paid by the hour or by
the day."
by the hour" replied Mr. Harris "but
as arule they usually make a full day
when az work"
Mr. Harrla said tho mon t,tto ,,.,... 80. d..