New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-06
SEAMEN'S UNION SPLTSI
Engine Room Employees Leave 1t
to Form New Organization.
CRITICISE STRIKE LEADERS
Americans Say Unskilled Span
ish Seamen Are Trying to
Crowd Them Out.

Owing TO widespread dissatisfaction
among the striking coastwise seamen with
the leadership of the strike. the ranks or
the union yesterday became split wide OPEN
resulting in the formation of an entirely
new organization under the name Of the
Merchant Mechanics Association, which
will attempt to take up on new basis
with the employers to-day the grievances
OF the engine room employees on coastwise
steamers.
Engine room workers. comprising oilers,
water tenders. electricians, plumbers. ma
chinists and engineers. met last night In
newly established headquarters. at No. S3'
Spring street, and completed their organ
ization with the election Of permanent OF
fCers. The chief result OF their first SEES
son was the announcement that they would
have nothing to do hereafter with the Ma
tional Transport Workers. which has been
cngineering the strike for the last week.
zone Of the main purposes of this as
ISOLATION is the protection of American
vorkingmcn." said John T. Smyth, the
~ esident Of the new organization. last
night The Spanards. who are now en-
p,oyed in the unskilled work on shipboard
are trying to crowd Americans out Of the
skilled posts. This new movement will he
for the coed Of the American merchant
marine as well as for the improvement Of
the individual workers We want no more
To do with James Vi6al. the Spanish leader
Of the Transport Workers Union.
Mr. SMITH said that his association had
appointed a committee 10 wait upon the
managers Of the Coastwise lines TO-DAY ana
present modified demands TO them Ihese
will be Of a less radical nature. he SAID
than those presented by the other union.
The new organization. born Of the dis
satisfaction with the Spanish leadership
was fomented, It is said by an astute cloth
ing dealer who got the ear OF the steam
ship managers. Some Of them agreed 10
give him exclusive access to their docks ana
ships If he would cause a break in the
strike He seized upon The racial idea ana
learning that a number of Americans ana
Tr,shmen were sore On the Spanards. IN
vi,ed tnen, to MS shop and famed their
race feeling into flame
The new union feels that II will meet
greater success with the shipping men be-
cause II embraces the more skilled classes
OF labor and will therefore he In position
Meanwhile the original leaders ~ the
strike continued to do business at the old
stand. in the headquarters Of the Transport
Workers Federation AZ 40. 20 West
street But there was a split evident even
among the leaders here. When James
Vidal. the secretary. attempted to issue
statements to the press under his own
name another oficial withheld his docu-
ments long enough to scratch out hts name
and substitute the more non-commlttal
press committee" as AUTHORITY
Under the leadership Of this organization
a parade was mustered on the waterfront
Yesterday. said NJ Vidal 10 number three
thousand men. The polio" said there were
not more than thousand men. The mon
went shouting about from pier 20 pier 10
demonstrate their strength and inspire en-
thusiasm in those who had not left their
employment They were received In 81
Ience in some places. and In others the
men who were busy AZ work and salts
fed PAUSED only long enough TO speed them
on their way with derisive ieers. II was
said the demonstration would be repeated
next week.
Friday vas a light dav bo'n IN moon
ing and outgoing coast vessels. but the
shipping men declared that the few ships
that did move had no difficulty I'm getting
away On time