The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-03
THE STRIKE DECLARED OFF.
THE LONGSHoREMEN WILL NOW
RETURN TO WORK.

Was TO Avoid TrOubIe-They Think
the Men VIII Get Work-f8eIieVe
the Agents VIII Employ Expert
enced Hands-They Say Some of
the Strikers VIII Not Work for the
Old Wages-Agents Say New Men
VIII Be Kept.
The strike of the longshoremen has
come to an end and the ship agents were
successful.
A meeting Of the Longshoremen's Pro-
tective Union Association was held yes
terday morning at Sheftau hall in Yama-
craw. and it was decided, with but pro-
portionately small number of Directing
members, that the strike would be declar-
ed off and that the men should return to
their work at the scale OF wages that was
received last season.
Considerable time was consumed in the
meeting before this decision could be
almost five hours.
Sandy Rhett the president of the union
says that the majority of the members
had realized that there would be no use in
continuing to hold off for the increase in
wages, as a number of the men have VIC
lated their pledges to the union that they
would not work for less than the wages
that were demanded He says that he and
the other officers have recognized the dan
ger of trouble being caused from this fact
and that it was with their full appreciation
that the decision was reached. The re-
turn of those men to work would be likely
to arouse the anger of those who were etni
on the strike and would cause much VIC
lence.
These men who violate their pledges to
the union, the president says, will not be
thought less of by those who have adhered
to their promises up to the time that the
union decided in a body that the strike
should be declared off. Their condition
was becoming destitute and they were
beginning to see that there would be but
slight possibility of their cause being sue
cessful through their sticking to for
lorn hope
Rhett says that he was surprised to
find the men could hold out in the fight
as long as they did. He knew that some
of them were not able to live and SUD-
port their families without work There
were many of the members who wanted
to continue to hold off for one month
longer, but the needs of the rest had be-
come so pressing, and they were seeing
so many of their fellows returning to the
vessels without the sanction of the union
that they decided it would be the best
thing for them to accept the places thew
might get at the old rate, rather than see
them taken by those who were violating
their compacts with the rest.
fat
men who will not accept the pay that is
to be received from the agents. These
men will find some other pursuit or will
go to other places where they can get
more for jamming the cotton Charleston
wants more men, he says and Port Royal
has asked for several gangs Both of
these places will pay the men more, they
say, than they can get here. Charleston
will pay 81 and So a day, but the wages
at Port Royal are less.
Most of the men, the president states
Will try to get work with the Central
railroad and the Georgia Export and I'M
port Company. Rhett and the other men
say that they do not think there will be
any trouble about their getting their places
back again. They seem TO think their
knowledge of the work will insure the
brokers taking them on in the places of
the new men. The inexperienced men,
they think, Notwithstanding the asser-
tons of the agents to the contrary, will
gradually be discharged to make room
for them. They think that such course
would be TO the advantage of the employ
ers. as they say they are physically stron-
ger and better able to stand the hard
work. Their knowledge of the art OF cot
ton jamming will enable them to do what
they insist the new men cannot do and
that is to stow the bales in the vessels
holds in such a manner as to admit of
her taking her capacity of freight and
preventing the cotton rolling from its
place and causing the ships to list The
men think the agents will recognize this
and that they will take them back to their
places.
The officers of the union maintain that
they have not been strikers; that their ac-
ton was merely a hold-off for higher
wages. They also say the failure of the
| movement will not break up their union;
! that it was formed for benevolent pur-
poses and that the matter of the demand
| for higher wages was but a secondary
| consideration to the real object of the or
! ganiZation.
! A considerable number of the strikers
! have been given work. There were about
! sixty who had returned to the wharves
| without the sanction of the union and
an additional number were taken on after
the meeting. One of the ship agents
| stated last night that there Is not now
enough work in the port to admit of them
| all being employed. The men who have
stuck by them during the strike he said,
| will be kept He was told of the state
ment of the officers of the union that 1t
was their opinion that their services would
be chosen in preference TO those of the
new men, and to this he replied that the
officers would see that they were wrong
I'm this, as they had been in the thought
| that they would be successful in the
fight. The ship agent stated that the new
men had rapidly been gaining proficiency
in the work that will soon make them
every whit as good workmen as those who
| struck.
The end of the strike is welcomed with
| pleasure by many people. There were
some who were in sympathy with the
strikers, and they would have been pleas
ed to have seen them win their fight,
but sympathizers also were not lacking
for the other side. There is no doubt that
as long as the strike continued the poor
suffered. and the retail business of the
merchants likewise showed falling off
that they attributed to the fact that the
longshoremen who were accustomed to
trade with them had ceased to draw their
pay.