The San Francisco call., 1906-08-17
Shl lpperS Make Threat
and the Mayor Replies
They Say Protection Must Be Given
Non-Union Men or Traffic Ends.

Ohlteo shipping and Transportation
Company to tie UP the lumber trade
OF san Francisco If more police are
not furnished on the water front to
protect nOn-union sailors and steve
dores' Mayor Schmitz refuses the re-
quest and virtually dehes the associa-
tion to make good its threat.
The associations letter TO the Mayor
sets forth the claim that the non-union
men are unjustly treated and that in
order to carry on the business of fur
nlshing the city with lumber these men
must have protection. In his reply the
Mayor states that the water front is
more peaceable now than before the
strike, according to reports from the
Police Department. Policemen cannot
be spared now from other places, he
declares, for that work. If the shipping
Is stopped, as intimated, he says the
people OF San Francisco will know
where to place the blame.
REQUESTS MORE POLICE AID.
: Following is the letter received by
the Mayor, together with his reply:
San Francisco. Cal. August Il. 1906.
To the Hon. z. +. Schmitz, Mayor City
and County Of San Francisco, San
Dear Sir-We desire to lay before
your Honor our sincere appreciation
OF your help in putting additional po-
lice on the water front 10 control the
unfortunate situation now existing
!. E., the labor disturbance caused by
the Sailors Union. In previous meet
p ingS with YOU we told YOU il was our
intention and desire to bring to San
Francisco all the lumber that was re-
Qulred for the upbuilding Of the city.
and we now place ourselves on record
10 the effect that We have not stopped
at any effort or expense in order to
accomplish this and believe that we
have faithfully kept our vessels run
ming.
It seems at the beginning of the un-
! settled condition between the sailors
and the owners Of the vessels that it
was agreed among the sailors and
stevedores that the sailors would make
their own tight and leave the steve
dores unmolested. This agreement
seems to have been carried out TO with
in short period. the lumber longshore-
men promptly and efficiently handling g
the winches and discharging the yes
sells as they could hnd berths at the
water front of San Francisco. All the
vessels engaged in the lumber trade
were practically going and coming in
their Legitimate traffic regardless OF
the much TO be regretted malicious
treatment Of the nom union crews of
these vessels by members of the Sail
Ors' Union
ATTACKS ON LONGSHORE8IEN.
Later, however, members of the Sail
ors' Union made vicious attacks on
iOngShOremen who had been running
Winches and by maltreatment, beating g
up and intimidation these men became
afraid to further continue their work
and refused to man the Winches. We
then endeaVOred, as far as possible, to
discharge the vessels by hand labor,
method slow. labOriOus and costly
and entirely unsatisfactory.
After a recent meeting Of the Lum-
Der LOngshOremen's Union we We're
notified that the lumber longshoremen
would no longer handle the winches,
nor would they allow the owners to
employ men regardless Of union atfili-
atiOns TO handle the winches. we
asked that the lumber lOngshoremen
would continue 10 handle the vessels,
and in view Of the beating up their
members driving winches had received
from the members of the Sailors Union
We would furnish men regardless of
union affiliatiOn to run the winches,
and this they positively declined to ac-
-Cept. Notwithstanding the fact that we
had conceded 10 the demands for in
creased wages by the Longshoremen's s
Union for the handling Of lumber YES
sells. AS the result Of this action there
are now twenty-seVen steam vessels
lying in the stream with full cargoes of
lumber which. We are unable TO dis
charge.
COMPANY FORMED AND MEN HIRED
We told you before that If we had
protection on the water front we would
man our vessels and deliver lumber to
this city. You told US Of your desire
that there should be no violence on the
water front and that you would not
tolerate the same, and we have acted
in absolute accord with your wishes
in this matter and have done every
thing in our power TO have no disturb
ance on the part of our employees,
though many of them have been NAL
treated We believe that you are sin
cere in your desire to rehabilitate this
city and to see that the contractors are
furnished with all the lumber they re-
Quire, and considering the mutual in
terest you have in the upbuilding Of
the city and our desire to furnish the
lumber We have formed a stevedore
company TO handle our own vessels,
and we are prepared 10 fulfill further
statements to you that we will bring
all the lumber that our vessels viii
carry and promptly discharge it If you
viii afford to the men we have decided
TO employ on the vessels, regardless OF
union affiliations, the protection OF life
and liberty which the laws of this
country are supposed to afford.
We therefore respectfully appeal to
YOU and demand OF you as chief mag
fstrate Of this city the protection of any