New-York tribune., 1918-02-16
General Tie-Up
May Come To-day
Men Demand Immedi-
ate Promises From
Government ; Off
cials See Hold-Up
lStat Correspondence

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1o.-Refusal OF
W. L. Hutchesogi. national president of
the Ship Carpenters Union, to order
his men back to work in the shin
yards, and the threat that their strike IN
New York and other shipbuilding cen
tres would spread, to-day brought ar
other sharp exchange of kilograms be-
tween Chairman Hurley of the Ship
ping Board and the union head
Diclosing the details Of the proposed
agreement submitted to the Fleet Cor
poration by the union. which it at
tempted to force on the government on
four days notice. and reminding Presi-
dent Hutcheson of the union that in
striking the carpenters were violating
an agreement signed by Samuel Com
pers and fourteen other labor leaders
on August 20, Chairman Hurley cen
sured the chief of the Ship Carpenters
Union vigorously for his attempt to
hold up the government at this critica.
time
The telegram answered commune.
cation from Mr.. Hutcheson received att
the Shipping Board early in the day. in
which he confessed his inability to
make the men return to work unless
some specific promise is piven on the
memorandum of working conditions
which was presented to the Shipping
Board on February 7. Mr.. Hutcheson
Is in Washington, at the National Ho-
tel, within seven blocks of Mr. Hurlev's
office. and though the latter announced
his Willingness and readiness to confer
with Mr.. Hutcheson on the situation.
the union leader avoided the Shipping
Board.
Hurley's Message to Hutcheson
Chairman Hurley's telegram to
Hutcheson said:
Yours of the 14th received. You
were present at the convention of the
American Federation of Labor in Buff
falo on November %. when, by unani-
nous vote, resolution was passed
stating that II IS necessary to the ma
tlon's protection, IS we'll as TO the vel
1are OIL the trade union movement, that
there should be no cessation of work.
except as a last resort and after due
hearings Do you or do you not ap-
prove this position to-day? You state:
1 have endeavored to my utmost to
prevent cessation of work being done
~ H."'po'o VI oUi organization or
ships
"The facts are as follows: On An.
gust 20 last an agreement was signed
by Franklin d. Roosevelt. as Acting
Secretary of the Navy; by myself. as
chairman of the United States shin
ping Board; Admiral Capps. general
manager Of the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration; Mr.. Gompers, as president Of
the Americana federation of Labor. and
by fourteen representatives OF organ
ized labor. mainly international presi
dents, whose members are employed in
the construction of ships.
Agreement as TO Disputes
"Under this agreement a board was
established, composed OF a representa-
tive of the Navy Department and Emer
gency Fleet Corporation, representa-
tive of organized labor APPOINTED bv
AR. Gompers. and the chairman of the
board. appointed by the President of the
United States. The agreement provided
that an disputes as to wages, hours and
condltlons OF employment should be
submitted to this board for settlement.
Inc ofhclal positions Of the signers of
TINS agreement are guarantee of its
fairness.
You are the onl- international
president OF all crafts working in the
shlpyards who has refused to become
party TO this agreement Are the
other international presidents less
patriotic or less careful of the interests
OF their crafts than yourself 1t is
true, as you state in your letter of
the l4th, that you have tried to ar
range matters during the past six
months, but your efforts have been con
fined to demanding special privileges
Tor your organization that would dis
crlminate III their favor as against the
other crafts.
Fighters Should Have Help
you have known that YOU could b.s
come party to this agreement at anv
time and thereby cooperate with the
government and the other representa-
tiyes of organized labor in preventing
cessation of work in this hour of our
national crisis. The members of YOUR
organization who are defending you
and your country in France should have
had assistance
II do not question the patriotism of
to believe they are as loyal as mem
oers OF other organized crafts, for
when the shipbuilding labor adjust
ment board sat on the Pacific Coast
and at every hearing so far held at
the Atlantic Coast the local carpenters
organizations when told that their in
ternational officers were not parties to
the agreement establishing the board
have asked to be included and have
bound themselves to abide by the de-
cisions of the board. The members Of
your organization have thus given
tangible proof Of their patriotism by
their acts
"Will you ask the men now paralyz-
ing the shipyards and the nations war
programme so 20 back to their work
and trust their government, through
nc labor adjustment board, to deal
fairly with them, as it has with every