New-York tribune., 1910-12-31
FERRY T|E-UP SOON over
But 1t Was Hard for Staten ISL
and and South Brooklyn.
CITY BOAT FIREMEN STRIKE
Dock Commissioner Arranges
Truce in Fight in Behalf of
Discharged Men.

Discharged Men.
For more than five hours yesterday the
| Staten Island and South Brooklyn munich
| pal ferries were held up by all unexpected
| strike, and during that time there was ir
consequence only one way for the citizens
OF the Borough of Richmond 10 leave the
bucolic haunts over there and get look
| at their fellow townsmen across the bay ir
Manhattan
1t was too cold to swim, and there was
dearth of rowboats. The one and only
channel Of egress was by way of the fer
| ries to New Jersey. That was such g
roundabout way. however. that the ma
jority of intending visitors to Manhattan
preferred to stay at home rather than take
that route
The strike was started by the firemen
employed on the ferries. They decided
that the 500 O'Clock boat from ST. George
should be the last to rum far as they
were concerned, until their companions
who were laid off recently were permitted
10 return to work. Commissioner Tomkins
of the Dock Department. however, sue
| ceeded in getting the boats going again
shortly after p. m.
BY the time the firemen starred their pro-
gramme the majority of the commuters
had already gone to their Manhattan
places of business. Nevertheless. a crowd
of about three hundred soon jammed the
ferryhouse. They sazed and gazed in the
direction of the Battery expecting every
moment to see boat coming to their res
cue; but none came
In the mean time their number con-
stantly being augmented. by reason
of the fact that the officials of the Staten
Island transit lines did not warn persons
bound for the ferry that no boats were
running. All who wished to board the cars
were accommodated and eventually swelled
the throng at the ferryhouse.
South Brooklyn in Same Fix.
Persons who attempted TO reach Man
haitian from South Brooklyn also were in
the same fix as Staten Islanders, for the
firemen on that line joined the strike.
On the Manhattan end of the system
there was even more trouble The clamor
became so pronounced at length that the
people inside the ferryhouses received
their fares back One of the wonIld-b pas
sengers was Borough President Cromwell.
who made such an objection at being
exiled from his bailiwick that the Dock
take him home.
The streets in the vicinity of the ferry
houses were congested with traffic.
Funerals on their way to Staten Island and
Brooklyn were jammed in between loaded
and unloaded trucks. and the police re-
serves had to- be called upon to straighten
out the tang1e
Among the greatest sufferers from the
hn
were accustomed to make their Manhattan
deliveries in the morning. Scores of the
wagons caught the last boat. but were I'M
able to get back, except by taking the
roundab bout Jersey trip.
II was feared for a time that the strike
would interfere seriously with the mail
service between Staten Island and Man
haitian, but the first mail was dispatched
before the trouble began and the subse-
ouent deliveries were made by the tugboat
Manhatta
Commissioner Tomkins tried hard all
morning to conciliate the strikers but his
efforts were unsuccessful until the after
noon Then Timothy Healy, president of
the International Brotherhood of Station
ary Firemen, called at the department Of
fees. After short conference the strike
was declared off and the men. Clio had
gathered in hall in Moore street, imme-
diately returned 70 the boats which they
had deserted in the morning.
Grievances To Be Submitted.
The Commissioner. it is understood
promised the strikers that if they returned
to work at once and submitted their griev-
ances in writing he would consider them
and return an answer as soon as possible
hat hpJ
six firemen to q crew.
The municipal ferries are of different
construction than those operated by rail
road companies and private corporations.
and according to the United States in
spectors of steamboats,. they require larger
crews Each of the municipal boats has
two stoke holes. Up until eight months
ago eight men we're employed to feed coal
to the furnaces. Then one man was laid
off from each boat. leaving four in one
stoke hole and three i'll the other The
firemen objected to this change
The reduction in the number of firemen
followed an investigation by the Commits
sioner of Accounts. in which he found that
the crews on the municipal boats were
much larger than those employed by the
railroads to operate their, ferries of equal
size. He then asked the United States In
spection Bureau to make a re-examination-
The inspectors reported that the number
of fremen might be reduced even from
seven to six and at the same time ordered
an increase in the number of firemen on
the railroad ferries.
1t would seem that the striking firemen
could have no grievance as far as their
wages are concerned, for they receive more
money than firemen on the railroad ferries.
and while they have the same hours they
work under much better conditions, their
quarters being well ventilated and having
various labor saving devices. The munich
pal firenlen receive $50 month and work
in eight-hour shifts. while the railroad men
receive $40 a month and have to work in
what are known as "split shifts"
SKATERS WORRY PHONE GIRL