The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-09-26
Edwardson Says They Are VIII
Ing To Take Forty and
~ Fiity-fivs Cents ~ !.
MAYOR ASKS SHIPPING
- FIRMS TO MEET UNION
Companies Probably win Act To-
day; Longshoremen Ready
. j. &sFor Siege 5"

Striking stevedores are willing to
accept forty cents an hour for nine.
hour day and fifty Ave cents an hom
overtime, Jack Edwardson, secretary
of the Sailors Union and influential
in the organization of the longshore.
men . union, said yesterday. Original
demands were for fifty cents an houl
and seventyfye cents overtime. Pre-
sent pay by McCabe, Hamilton q Rem.
ny is two dollars for o nine-hour day,
and forty cents an hour overtime. a.,
Mr.. Edwardson said that he had beer
told by a man g who could speak, with
authority" that the men would have
been given thirty cents an hour and
forty cents overtime had they asked
for il without walking out. He said
that this man was connected with the.
"rulingy class" Of finance, but he re.
fused TO give his name. -, f es,n,
. As, to the demand for n closed-shop
Incorporated in the letters sent to ship
ping firms Monday, Mr.. Edwardsoi
said that this would be- foregone If tn,
Increased pay, forty and fifty Ave cents
were granted. j.. T...5F af.t o.. .
Mayor John G. Lane addressed let
tiers to shipping firms yesterday request
ing them TO meet the longshoremen II
conference, These letters were deliver
ed after some shipping managers hai
left their Offices, and some who did re
ceive them said that they believed that
the companies would decide In concert
today whether to accede to the mayors
request. d. - ~ ~
Men Moderate Demands
1t had been reported that the mel
had moderated their demands and Mr.
EdwardsOn admitted II. He would not
say by whom the decision was reach,
ed. He stated that the forty and fifty,
fvec schedule always had been thu
true goal; that he had stood for pre-.
sentihg that schedule and abiding BY
ID, but that others insisted upon tn,
higher rates, perhaps so that Their,
would be something on which to give
in.
When he stated to the man "who
could speak with authority" that the
men would accept forty and fifty.fv,
cents, the reply was that those rates
were "'much more reasonable" Mr.
EdwRrdsonl said. Until the identity OF
the person who made the statement i,
known, shipping men are ut q loss h
know what weight to give to it.
A cablegram was received from J, A
Madsen of the Seattle longshOremer
yesterday, acknowledging receipt of
message advising him Of the Honolulu
strike. It was as follows: "Our mem.
bers on strike yet. Will help all ".
can" San Francisco was advised of
the strike. but no reply has been re,
eeived. There has been no reques
. made that San Francisco declare carg
unfair, and Mr.. Edwardson sniG
that no request would be made until tn,
employers had refused to treat with tn
men, and he indicated his hope that nc
such request would be made at all.
Mayor Writes to Firms
Mayor Tane's letter was addressed
to McCabe, Hamilton & Kenny, Inter
Island, Steam Navigation Company
Castle 4 Cooke, Theo. H. Davies g. Co.
H. Hackfeld & Co., and G. Brewer {
Co., the firms to which the demands of
the union we're sent. The army quar-
tHrmaster's office was not included in
those addressed by the mayor. His let
ter was as follows:
"Under yesterdays date, a commu.
nicatiOn, addressed to- me in my offieia
capacity as mayor of the City and
County Of Honolulu, was received BY
this department from a committee O.
the lOngshoremen g union of Honolulu
a copy of which Is herewith enclosed
"You will note that the cOmmuniea.
ton makes u request of me to arrange
for a meeting between representative
of the union and yourselves at which
the demands of the former may be dis.
cussed.
''Of course, ] have no authority tC
interfere in any manner in a difficulty
such az seems to have arisen between
you and the Union The law clearly
defines the powers and duties of the
Mayor, who Is authorized to take all
proper measures for the preservation o.
public order and the suppression of all
riots and trmults,' if any existed
However, deem il not amiss to convey
TO you the request made by the Union
since the difficulty is one which, if il
il serious or should become so. would
affect all the people of the City and
County Of Honolulu. / may go a steP
further and state that / hope the re,
quest for conference will be granted
Firms Addressed Jointly
"DifficultieH between employers and
employees are often averted, or, if they
have already occurred, settled by o
discussion of the points at issue Ir
any event, tender my services, should
they be desired, to assist in an dust,
mept of the trouble.
~ have assumed that you are ia
some extent acting in concert in this
matter. and have therefore addressed
you jointly. II I am wrong in this re-
spect, / hope that no particular harm
is done, since my letter may be treat
ed as one addressed to each of you
sPvPrally.
"Hoping to have an early reply
from YOU. ana trusting that the differ
ences existing may be settled amicably
l am,
every respectfully
John G. LANE.
o." Mayor, City and County, Honoluia. ;
The communication from the union
Al