New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-09
MARINE FIREMEN STRIKE.
LINES REFUSED DEMANDS
Police PreUented Hen from LeaUing
Boat, 1t Is Declared.

A general strike was officially declared yester-
day by the Atlantic Coast Marine Firemens
Union against the nina coastwise steamship
companies with terminals in this port. The lat
ter have refused the demands submitted on be-
half of the marine iremen. who were urged TO
strike in sympathy by the striking freight ham
ders.
The firemen quit work yesterday on the boats
of the Red D. the Porto Rico and Ward lines
which at their piers. and the strike is to
be ordered the boats Of the other lines
they come into port. The six other lines in
voived In the strike order are the Mallory.
Savannah. Old Dominion. Clyde. Panama and
Morgan
The fremeu on the Morgan Line steamship
Proteus. which sailed yesterday for New-Or-
leans were ordered on strike. but did not go
out and the vessel sailed with all her crew.
According to Daniel J. Sullivan secretary OF the
Atlantic Coast Marine Firemen's Union, who
has charge of the strike. the men were prevented
from leaving the Proteus by the police
The n1eE were not willing to strike" said a
representative of the company. "and the police
were there to protect them. We could not stand
for the men being forced into striking whether
they wanted TO not"
sullivan said that about one thousand marine
fremen were on strike About forty-fve
hundred would be involved on the boats of the
nine lines
Il have sent telegrams.' he continued Ito
the business agents of the union in the cities
where the boats Of these companies now at sea
call. 10 order the firemen out as the boats come
to port. The same thing will be done here when
boats bound for New-YOrk arrive The demands
made on these nine companies are also being
made all the cOastwise steamship compa-
MES in Boston, Philadelphia. Baltimore Nor
folk and other seaports along the Atlantic Coast
Up to the present of these companies we have
heard only from one. the Merchants and Miners
Transportation Company of Boston. which has
refused the demands
Mr.. Sullivan said he heard that when the
steamship was about to sail one policeman kept
the fremen on board by pointing a revolver at
them. This is declared to be utterly untrue by
the company.
Secretary Sullivan declared that strikes of the
fremen would be ordered against all the COM
panies that refused the demands This would
involve about sixty-ive hundred more marine
frenen on coastwise ships of more than thirty
companies.
The demands are for new wage scale, aboli-
tion of the crimping system and the employ
ment OF only members of the union The last
is the really important demand. as the employers
deny that the crimping system exists. and ac-
cOrding to most of the companies they now
paying the wages demanded.
Superintendent Dallas of the Red d Line said
that about twelve or eighteen hremen struck
the boat at the companys pier. and their
places We're at once filed. How far the strike
would affect the other boats as they came IN he
could not say
This is a case of blind fear OF the union" ne
continued. The did not want to strike.
One man. when he went on board for his cloth
ing, had tears in his eyes when he carle back,
but the union all powerful"
The strikers kept we'll away from the piers
after the strike went into effect. The repre-
sentativeS of all the other companies say they
are not worrying the strike.