New-York tribune., 1918-12-15
HarbOr TieUp
TO Except Only
Hospital Ships
Men OH All Other Vessels to
Quit Thursday if Owners
Refuse to Arbitrate

While B. M. Squiers, Of the New
York Harbor Wage Adjustment Board,
tried to bring the members of the New
York Boat Owners Association and the
Marine Workers Affiliation together
last night the leaders of the men pre-
pared to make effective the order to
strike Thursday morning, voted at the
mass meeting in Tamanmy Hall Friday
night
AT the same time they were prepared
to refer everything to the arbitation
board tentatively arranged for by the
National Adjustment Commission of
the United States Shipping Board and
the New York Harbor Wage Adjust
ment Board. AS representatives of
labor on such board they named
Thomas l.. Delahunty, president of the
Marine Workers Affilation. and f.
Paul A. VacarelG, international vice
president of the Longshoremen's Asso-
citation.
According to the notice sent Robert
p Bass chairman of the National Ad-
become effective at six o'clock Thurs
day morning, when men employed on
all boats in the harbor, except boats
taking food to institutions and those
engaged in docking transports, which
may have wounded or invalid soldiers
on board, viii! strike
The ferrypoats are included in this
order. So are the boats of such owners
as may be willing to agree to the new
scale and working conditions the men
are demanding.
This order is conditioned on the boat
owners not agreeing to arbitrate by
noon on Wednesday and naming their
members of the board.
Tuesday night the strike committee
of the Marine Affiliation, made up of
specially elected delegates from the
various unions, will meet at 26 Park
Place. At this time detailed plans for
the strike will be worked out.
AS last resort to avoid a strike, it
was pointed out yesterday, an appeal
may be made to the War Labor Board
to intervene. Otherwise if the dead
lock between the boat owners and the
men continues. the only way tie up
of the harbor can be avoided is for
the United States Shipping Board to
seize and operate the floating equip
ment in the harbor. There is good
authority for the statement that the
shipping board hestates about such
a move, and would prefer to let the
War Labor Board try its hand at a set
tlement before drastic action is taken.
The nearest approach to an agree
ment to arbltrate yet made by the boat
owners association was received by the
affilation yesterday and promptly re-
jected
This was an offer "to have commit
tee meet a similar committee from the
Marine Workers Affilation, such com
mttec to be limited to one member
from each interest involved, to discusss
informally the subject of wages, each
side reserving all'rights."
"Such conference would mean moth
ing but q waste of time" said Mr.
Delahunty. ut would mean town
meeting of seventy-fve or more boat
owners and half a dozen labor men, and
when it was all over nothing would de-
velope, except, perhaps, more i'll feel
ing.
at is unthinkable that general
strike should come at this time, and
we sincerely hope that it will be pos
sible to avoid one, but | must say that
it looks very much like strike now.
If it is strike, it will be complete We
will pull out everything, including the
, ferries, even though there be offers
from some operators to settle. We do
this because the more complete the
tie-up the sooner it will be over with.
If we have to hit, we will hit hard"