Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-02-22
we will not tolerate any"

we will not tolerate any"
Unless the United States shipping
board takes definite action imne-
diately on the wage demands of the
striking ship carpenters at Staten ISL
and and other yards in this vicinity,
union officials declared today that the
walkout, which already has affected
1000 men, will spread, not only over
the New York district, but all along
the Atlantic seaboard. This would
involve $1,000 men here, union lead
ers said, and tie up the government
shipping program.
Despite an appeal last night by
William L. Hutcheson, president of
the United Brotherhood of Carpen-
tiers and Joiners, for the men to re-
main at work, trusting to the govern
ment to adjust the difficulty, the ex-
ecutive committee of the Marine
Wood Workers council is reported
to have voted at u secret meeting to
issue the strike call. Officials early
today would not venture an opinion
as to how generally President Hutch
eson's appeal would be needed, but
large number" would respond to the
call to strike.
President Hutcheson, in a state
ment last night, resented the i'm
preston" that the carpenters were
not loyal to the administration in the
conduct of the war. The carpenters
insist that their demands have been
in the hands of the shipping board for
months, but have been set aside re-
peatedly without action. They as
| sert that they ask only for an investi-
cation of wage conditions, with a
view to an agreement similar to thai
! made on the Pacific coast.
Mr.. Guerin announced that he had
received today a telephone message
from a ship building corporation at
Edgewater, n. J., saying it had set
tied with its men on basis of $3.50 a
day, pending an understanding be-
tween the government and the ship
yard workers generally.
Mr.. Hutcheson said he had not yet
received the second telegram sent to
him yesterday by Chairman Hurley of
the United States shipping board, re-
questing him to direct the men to re-
turn to work. Until Mr.. Hurley's
message reached him, he declared, he
would rot comment on its text.
His appeal to the president today,
Mr.. Hutcheson said, would ask the
president to persuade Chairman Hur-
| ley to formulate a memorial, to be
presented to ship carpenters through
out the country, setting forth a mini
mum wage which the government
might he willing to pay.
| Explaining this phase of the situa-
ton, Mr.. Guerin said Chairman Hur-
ley desired to have the carpenters
sign an agreement that they would
abide by any wages that the labor ad-
justment board might fix. The car
penters would not sign such a docu-
ment. Mr.. Guerin asserted, at least I'M
til they were given some idea as to
the amount of the minimum wage.
brotherhood leaders asserted today
that there were about 5000 carpenters
idle here, owing to scarcity of mate
rial, in addition to the strikers; and
that throughout the country there
were 81, COO carpenters idle who had
been employed on cantonnents AND
who would be turned into ship build
fings workers with only a little train
ling. These estimates were given out
if was said. to show that there was
plenty of labor available for carrying
out the governments ship building
program if higher wages were paid.
Contrary to the claims of the broth
erhood leaders, information reaching
shipping board officials here at moor
indicated that fewer than LOO shiI
yard workers were on strike today il
the New York district
The government has rejected a pro
position by the carpenters that tn
ship workers be allowed to place
: representative OH the labor adjustment
board of the emergency fleet corpora
: ton to settle the present wage con
troversy, it was announced by MI
= Guerin. The ship workers wanted t.
: appoint such a representative with tn
right to vote and with powers equa
to those held by government repre-
| sentativeS.