The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-02
The TUG ENGINEERS STRIKE.
1T rs NOT ExTENDiNG--NO GEN.
ERAL TIE.UP or 1OATA

About Eigfty OF tho 700 Independent
Boats Gains Yestertsay--rrivate set.
Element with the EnsfneerS In Many
Cases -Owners Running Some Crar.
Honors were about even yesterday be-
tween tho independent tugboat owners
and the marine engineers who have struck
for new scale Of hours and wages.
There was no suggestion OF violence
anywhere along the waterfront. Nom
union engineers who were employed on
about twenty-five boats ran their craft In
and out Of the pier slips without molesta-
ton and got along without any friction
with union mon employed on board in
other capacities. The engineers kept their
promise to the public to behave, and most
OF them were to he found all day at their
headquarters, 2s3 Hudson street.
The situation on the railroad towhoate
wan, OF course, unchanged because Of the
eleventh-hour agreement OF the marine
engineers employed by the railroad CONF
panies to submit their demands to arbitra-
ton and to attend to business as usual
until May Is, when the arbitrators must 10
ready with their report.
OF the 200 towboats owned by ndividuals
and by the independent companies some
thing over half were tied up yesterday.
There were, all told, perhaps eighty doing
their river and harbor work az usual.
At clock in the afternoon I. E. Chap
man, Of the Merritt Chapman Wrecking
Company looked from his office window,
on the top floor Of the new Whitehall Build
ing and counted forty-three tugboats and
steam lighters other than railroad craft
in five minutes.
That's pretty good for just one window
said Mr.. Chapman. We've got them
beaten. We will not give in, and We are
not particularly interested in the results
Of the railroad mems arbitration. because
their business is not akin to our work"
Business Manager Kolb Of the Marine
Engineers Association declared last night,
after getting reports all day. that on at
least three-fourths Of the boats running the
engineers had got what they demanded
There may be twenty-five boats,' he
added, with owners, part owners or nom
union employees in charge Of the engine
roonas.'
Admissions from individual owners and
managers of independent companies, taken
altogether. would justify = general state
meur not greatly at variance with the
claims Of the strikers.
But the owners who made concessions
yesterday dealt with their engineers. in
every instance, a. individual employees
and not as members Of union. In some
a. satisfactory by the men which did not
yield all that has been demanded BY the
union. So 1t was q day OF compromises
here and there, and the remarkable feature
Of the strike was the great good nature
on both sides.
The ocean liners had no trouble In dock
ing, az 1t was feared they might when the
engineers decided, on Thursday, to quit.
Tho Deutschland was the only big passen-
ger ship to arrive. She usually requires
seven tugbosts to help her get alongside td
her when she arrived At Hoboken. yesterday
morning.
-Four Of the eight belonged to the New
York Harbor TugbOat Company, which
does nearly all Of the steamship work on
Mlnard Of that company said that most
Of its boats were working and that the
old men were In the engine rooms.
We told them to go TO work, said Mr..
thing would COMA out fair and right for
all hands, and that satisfied them. We
don't object to paying 500 q month on our
boats, but We can't pay that ~ cent? an
hour overtime after ten hours. which has
been demanded.
aThe ordinary tusboat doesn't average
moro than Ave hours Of actual work . day.
anyhow. There are dull days and stormy
days when we don't make enough to pay
for our coal, but the pay OF the men goes
on just the came. Last winter, when We
hed to pay % a ton for coal, We had to re-
fusea bot Of jobs simply because We couldn't
afford to make steam.
what the men demand now In Increased
wages and overtime would give them IS
per cent. more than the engineers in any
part OF the country get.
"We have instructed our boat captains
TO keep tabs ON the time the boats are out
Then we will hire couple Of mathema-
ticians 10 figure out for us what's what.
There have bean concessions, and thereu
without telling one another about it,
Some OF the companies have advertised
for engineers, and arTangefneats were
made yesterday for the fling of applica-
lions for jobs In the SesIneA's Free Reading
The most complete voluntary he-up on
the part Of owners Is that OF the Beverwyck
Towing Line Of New York and Albany
That company has thirty-five boats, none
Of which had steam up yesterday.
up and an four running. " F. Daiseii vent
out as engineer on one OF his own tugs.
Jed Van VIE Of the Van Vie towing line
acted as chief engineer on the Dearborn,
the pride Of his fleet. and his brother ran
the baltlC.
The Merritt Chapman company had
three OF its boats OF the harbor department
running, two OF them in charge Of nom
union engineers. The regular engineer
was in the third boat.
All the boats Of the Cahil towing line
were In operation.
Over In Newtown Creek all the boats Of
the Russell Towing Company and the
White Star Towing Company were laid up.
Their crews went to Greenpoint to play
baseball, and John Russell. owner Of one Of
the lines, was invited over 10 umpire.
All Of the Harlem River tugboats owned
by Mcconnell and John D. DAILY were tied
up except one Of Days which is engaged
In work FOR the city.
c. D. Kuper sold one Of his boats yester-
day The other two were in commission
with the old men in the engine room. At
least a part OF the increase demanded was
promised to them.
The Robert Rogers Towing Company
kept the Arrow and the Emperor in COM
mission, and concessions were made to their
engineers. The HOFFMAN, and the Lee,
owned by the same company, were tied up
The Advisory Committee Of the Associa-
ton for the Protection Of the Commerce
of the Port Of New York THAT u, the tugbOat
owners association met yesterday at the
Merritt Chapman company's Office and
appointed a subcommittee to secure coun-
sci to Soc IL the engineers who have quit
cannot be prosecuted under section 444e
of the Federal laws for refusing to serve
The subcommittee last night retained