Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-17
TROUBLE IN SIGHT.
Boston Not Yet Clear of Her
Great Strike.
The Longshoremen Threaten to Tie
Up the Whole Seaboard
Unless Their Men All Receive Their
Old Positions.

L .
ferences cleared the atmosphere Of SO
many of the perplexing questions aris-
ing out of the great Industrial strike of
the past week, and apparently rendered
a peaceful termination so certain that
labor men and all who have figured in
the movement were able, today, to Sc
cure the relaxation which it has been
impossible for them to obtain since the
strike was inaugurated Tonight,
however, there are clouds on the hori-
ION and indications are not lacking
that matters are by no means running
smoothly yet.
Practically all the strikers outside
the lOngshoremen and team drivers are
satisfied with the present outlook for a
settlement SO far as their organizations
are concerned but those two classes of
| wOrkmen have grievances which seem
| to battle all attempts at compromise.
The lOngshOremen are most bitter to-
ward the Metropolitan Steamship Line,
which absolutely refuses to take back
| only a small number Of the old men,
and the Clyde Line, which will not dis
| charge the men already employed to
make places for the old hands. The
iSAuSS ~ 81 OoSh oi eiAS <sASA
chants and Miners Line and work with
non-union men, and submit to a reduc-
ton of five cents per hour, in their
wages.
They held stormy meeting, tonight.
at which many bitter things were said
of their former employees, and Presi-
| dent Ryan of the Longshoremen's
Union, stated after the meeting that
| unless matters were adjusted soon they
were prepared to tie up the business
| of the companies all along the sea-
board.
The situation is so strained, tonight,
that d. ]. O'Keefe, president of the
National Longshoremen's Union, who
| is now in Cleveland, has been asked to
come to Boston and endeavor to adj
| just the truble.
| There are still 15S expressmen who
| have not yet been able to secure their
| old positions and this has aroused a
strong feeling against the companies.
Secretary Innis of Detroit of the Ma
| tiOnal Team Drivers Union, who is now
in this city trying to straighten out
matters said, tonight, that the situation
is very serious. He stated that he was
to have conferences with the State
Board of Arbitration. master teamsters
| and others, tomorrow. Considering the
expressmen's and longshoremen's
troubles together he said:
"ITnless the entire unfortunate stu
alton is settled by Wednesday, there is
little doubt that a worse contention will
break out than has yet been seen in
this city,
This statement was warmly endorsed
by President Ryan of the LongshOre
mems Union, who was present when it
was made.
Both men were positive in their belief
that unless a satisfactory settlement
was brought about, the temper of the
men was such that nothing could re-
strain them from taking matters into
their own hands. Special meetings of
the two organizations will be held.
Wednesday night, and meantime every
possible effort will be brought to bear
to bring harmony out of confusion.
Chairman Reed of the State Board of
Arbitration, will, tomorrow morning,
visit the various steamship docks and
later in the day will call upon the ex-
press officials and master teamsters
and endeavor to bring about an UNDER
standing between them and their for
mer employees.
All the influence that united to bring
about what was hoped to be final set
Element of the strike, will continue at
work until all the great interests in
volved have become harmonized and
until the strike can be called absolute
ly an issue of the past. The day has
been filled with meetings of nearly all
the labor organizations which partici-
pated in the strike. With the excep-
tions already stated the time was de-
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