New Britain herald., 1917-07-03
STRIKES HIT ONLY
 THREE SHIPYARDS
Less Than 2,000 Affected by New
 York Labor Trouble

New York, July s-The strike of marine workers. set for yesterday, in which union leaders predicted a walk out of from 12.OO0 to 14,o0O men. failed to materialize on a large scale. The men at only three of thirty-ive plants went on strike, and fewer than 1000 were affected
 The union leaders asserted confer ences between their representatives and officials of some of the other firms were in progress and that other conferences would take place imme- diately after the Fourth. They in sisted that unless there was univer- sal response to the union demands the walkout then would become general.
 The three companies affected and the number of men who quit work are: Tietjen & Lang Dry Dock Com pany of Hoboken, 500; W. & A. Flet- cher Co.,. Hoboken, 800, and James Shewan & Sons, Brooklyn, 800. In each case the machinists, boilermak- CTS, pattern makers and blacksmlths struck. The Tietjen & Lang em- ployees failed to report for work yes terday morning and the workmen in the two other plants quit at noon.
 Some excitement was caused in the afternoon by a report that the Tietjen & Lang Go. expected to send some Of their unfinished ships for the United States Government to the navy yard in Brooklyn to be completed. E. J. Deering, business agent of the Inter- national Association of Machinists, immediately wired to William H. Johnston, president of the Interna- tional in Washington, and then. gave
 !, 1 action would mean strike in the navy yard, Government work or no Government work"
 At the office of William H. Todd. president of the Todd Shipyards Cor & Lang Co.,, it was said the firm has no intention of sending ships to tho Brooklyn yards. It was said two ships building in the Tietjen yards were sent to Brooklyn last week be- cause the former had no dry docks large enough to accommodate them, but that none would be transferred as a result of the strike.
 It was declared by the employers that the only issue involved is the demand for recognition of the unions and that they were determined to treat with no one representing these rganizations, Henry c. Hunter, att torney for the National Metal Trades Association, said the companies were prepared to fight to the end. Not more than twelve plants were in dan ger of being affected, he asserted.
 Henry Fletcher of w. & A. Fletch- CT Company said: Recognition of the union Is the on1y question in- volved. We refuse to treat with the wages of our men have been raised three times the last year. Our men are receiving higher pay now than the workmen in the navy yard"
 J. J. McEntee, one of the business agents of the International Associa- tion of Machinists, insisted the strike was called because of the refusal of the various firms to grant more pay. The average increase sought is 50 cents a day.
 Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, said last night:
 "In view of the high cost of liv- ing the wages of the shipyard work CTS are nothing short of frightful. Everything possible will be done to bring about an honorable adjustment of the difficulty"
 Roland B. Mahoney, a mediator of the federal department of labor, ar rived from Washington yesterday to attempt to effect settlement: