The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-07-01
BIG TRUST
AGGRESSIVE
Wage War on Marine
Unions on Great
Lakes

that the national strike on the great
lakes would not only involve the sea
men, engineers, iiremcn, cooks and kin
dred crafts, but also the longshoremen
and perhaps other land organizations; ;
that the contest would be continued
throughout the season, and would be
waged to the bitter end
The fact that representatives of state
arbitration boards of New York, Pom
sylvania. Ohio, indiana, Illinois, Michi-
gan and Wisconsin interested Themselves
in this struggle, and that the National
Civic Federation took a hand in the af
fair, and that during the past week all
these representatives, were received "in
formally" and treated politely, but were
officially snubbed by the leaders of the
Lake Carriers association, who refused
to even consider the matter of discuss
ing the question of settlement. con.
firms every statement made il CON
ion with this great strike or lock-
out, for lockout it really is, as the car
riers have declared lockout against
unionisln no matter how desirous they
may be to obtain the services of indi-
vidual union men.
Although officials of seven great
great states exercised their influence to
terminate this labor war, and were as
sisted by powerful men in the civic fed
Grafton, including Seth Low, Andrew
Carnegie, Geo. B. Perkins, representing
j. P. Morgan, John Mitchell and others,
one man defied them all, and it is doubt
ful whether he could be coerced or COAX
ed to recede from his position of 10
compromise by President Taft himself
That man is Harry Coulby, president
Of the Pittsburg Steamship Co.
Coulby has really been the strong man
in this contest of international impor-
tance from its inception, although he
has been quite successful in keeping in
the background and issuing orders
through President Livingstone of the
Lake Carriers association.
Coulby is said to be the ablest steam
ship manager on the inland waterways,
and he is ambitious, and desires to be-
come the ruling power in his particular
sphere, Just as Hartman dominates the
railways, and Morgan in banking, and
Rockefeller in oil, and Corey in iron
and steel, and other captains are all
powerful in various branches of indus
try.
The fact has never been in print that
Coulby boldly set at defiance the judg-
ment of leading iron and steel manates
at the beginning of the present trouble,
but such is the case. As is well known,
the United States Steel corporation
controls the Pittsburg Steamship Co.,
which in turn controls the Lake Car
riers' association. and which in its turn
is attempting to control the marine in
dustry.
The heads of the steel combine doubt
ed the wisdom OF precipitating a labor
war, and in a meeting at which Coulby
was present it was pointed out that
such controversy could have no other
effect than to increase the widespread
agitation against trusts and their meth
DDS, and that it was bad policy to
take an offensive position at this time
Coulby jumped to his feet and eX-
claimed as he shot out one hand, palm
up, "Gentlemen, here is my policy
Then. shooting out the other hand, he
said, There is my resignation. Take
your choice
They chose his policy.
The Carneges and Rocksfelers and
Morgans in the Civic Federation may
have countenanced fleeting sentiment
to stay the uplifted hand that is swing
ing the lash over $4,000 workers on the
great lakes, but they are not prepared tC
stop the blow at the risk of losing ar
invaluable overseer
Moreover, the visions of acquiring still
greater wealth and power turned the
balance in Coulby's favor at the meet
ing referred to, and there are those who
believe that the Civic federation efforts
to arrange a compromise was a mere bit
of stage play.
There are big stakes in the present
game. While the trust magnates woulC
prefer not to jar public sentiment vio
lently. by employing radical methods
yet they are willing to brave a storm o
condemnation, il by doing so they ca,
become rulers of the inland seas. Thei
aim is not only to stifle the voices o
their workers in naming the conditions
under which they will serve, but L
smash competition, absorb such of tn
small craft as they desire, bankrupt tn,
rest and rule wages and prices with al
iron rod
While many of the small vessel own
ers in the L. c. A. complain bitterly il
private they dare not resist They hav
actually become the prize ships of tn
modern buccaneer, Coulby, and the onl,
resistance to his eneraachments come
from the labor men, who refuse to hau