The sun., 1918-12-20
BOAT OWNERS
HERE TO DEFY
LABOR AND u. S.
Marine Workers Demands
Over Pay and Hours Are
Refused.
TIEUP OF PORT FEARED
City and Soldiers Supplies
Observation-Disclosures Plan
to BE Ignored.

The boat owners OF New York de-
cided at a conference yesterday to
Eight any move the War Labor Board,
United States Shipping Board or any
other Government agency makes to-
ward considering the demands Of the
$4,000 marine workers of New York
city for shorter hours and more pay
on the craft employed in the New
York harbor.
This is taken to mean thai II the
employees insist upon their demands
there will be a strike which will tie up
New York harbor traffic. threatening
New York with a worse coal famine
than 1t experienced last year. shortage
Of food here. and no way OF shipping
supplies to the 100000 soldiers still
abroad.
If in view of the boat owners posi-
ton. the Government attempts to OPP
crate the system as 1t did the railroads
and the telegraph and cable lines, boat
owners declared yesterday they will
fight any such move.
workers to be granted II would make
a difference Of s36,o00,o00 a year and
allow increases up to 900 per cent. to
the employees.
May Ignore Hearing.
The conference yesterday in the
Office OF Paul Bonynge, attorney. III
Broadway, failed to determine whether
the lighterage and boat owners as
socintions will be represented Satur-
day a: the hearing which the War
Labor Board will hold in City Hall.
Joseph II. Moran, chairman OF the
New York Towboat Exchange on be-
half of all of the boat owners issued
a statement yesterday which is in
part:
1--WE are informed that the National
War Labor Board will come here on
Saturday. If 1t is the purpose of
these excellent and well meaning
gentlemen to try TO force US into an
arbitration OF the eight hour day
question they might just as well save
their time and the Governments
money by staying in Washington. We
have no intention now. or at any other
lime, OF permitting the Government to
handle this situation through any of
its agencies. Washington is infected
from top to bottom with the eight
hour ;aeresy, and its decision on the
question would be a foregone con-
clusion.
1.-THE present Administration is def
nitely committed TO the eight hour day
rs a universal panacea for all ALL
ments OF the body polite, from in
dustrial mea sizes to Bolshevik plague.
II has proved to be a sure vote getter
lust as certainly as it will turn out
TO he destroyer OF business and COM
merce IL the tendency Is not checked.
There must always be an end TO
pyranliding and we have reached 1t
right now in the port OF New York.
Danger OF Bankruptcy.
"If the Government wants to bank
rupt us as it has the railroads by
slavish adherences to a high sound
ing phrase il can do so only by com
Wandering our equipment. Any such
attempt will be resisted to the utmost,
and the recent and universal con-
domination Of the seizure OF the Com
mcrcial Cable Company plant shows
footing.
We do not want our position TO
ne misunderstood. We have offered
to arbitrate the wage question imme-
diately. and that offer will always re-
main open TO the men. Six months
ago they demanded a twelve hour
day and increased wages. Their de-
mands were arbitrated and we have
ever since lived up to the award. This
award covered all harbor equipment
including railroad tugs. barges and
lighters, and the Railroad Admins
tration had a representative on the
arbitration board. Almost over night
and without warning of any kind the
Railroad Administration double crossed
MS, ditched the outfit and placed its
marine employees on a theoretic eight
hour day.
Cost TO Public shown.
"I1 making a stand we feel VIC are
rendering a public service To the mer-
chants and the public of the port oi
New York II the demands of this
men are granted the result will he a
modest little increase Of $50, 900. 900 in
port charges. That sum will come
out OF the pockets of every man
woman and child hereabout. Fur
thermore, it will put our port charges
so high that commerce will auto
matically be diverted to other ports
where some vestige of sanity re-
mains
Likewise II. NJ. Lee. chairman oi
the I.ighteraFe Association OF the
Port Of New York, addressed a com
munication to r. p. Bass of the United
States Shipping Board in which he
asks the Government If II wishes tc
assume the responsibility of the situa.
ton strike will create. He wrote ir
part:
Would it not be more fitting Il
the Shipping Board called upon labor
once in q long while TO be at least
reasonable in its demands rather thar
demanding that the employer accedt
TO such ridiculous demands?
PERSONALLY we feel that we ar,
showing a finer strain OF patriotism If
resisting them than we would BY
granting them"
War Camn nirecfor. a. A..