New-York tribune., 1919-03-22
Harbor Strikers Quit Tow
ing in More Fuel Because
Non-Union Crews Are Be-
ing Used on the Barges
Hedley Fears Stoppage
All Lines in City Must Be
Closed Down Unless New
Supply Found, He Says

New York City is facing n possible
tie-up of subway, elevated and surface
lines because of coal shortage.
Harbor boat owners have refused to
charter crewless barges to the railroad
administration.
The Marine Workers Atrliation has
refused to permit union men employed
on railroad tugs to tow barges manned
by non-union men. There is only an
extremely limited supply of coal on
hand to keep the power houses OF the
city's transportation lines running.
Early yesterday morning. when the
Interborough was facing an immediate
shutdown, A. H. Smith and A. T. Har-
den, Of the railroad administration.
rushed two barges to Interborough
pockets. Other barges were towed to
Brooklyn Rapid Transit pockets.
Union Stops Towing
Last night, after several additional
barges had been turned over to the the
lnterborough, Mr. Pollock announced
that the unions had withdrawn per
mission to tow any more.
The boat owners" he said, "refuse
to charter bare coal boats to the rail
roads for anything except strict rail
road business. The unions have with
drawn their permission to supply the
lnterborough and others with coal. In
consequence the coal shortage is again
serious. l hope New York won't have
TO walk, but 1T is possibility"
Thomas L: Delahunty leader of the
strikers, said Mr.. Pollock was mistaken
in saying the unions had modified their
position as regards supplying the pub
lie utility corporations.
we never agreed to allow Mr.. Pol
lock or anybody else to use non-union
men In this or any other work" he
said. cat his suggestion, we agreed
that the railroads, which are under
contract to use only union men. might,
II they wished, supply all of the com
panies serving the public. 1t is no
part OF our programme to make New
York walk or make it lightless town.
Non-union Barges Towed
"The difficulty is that acting under
permission to supply the companies
with coal by the use of railroad eouip-
ment Mr.. Pollock's people began tow
ing non-union barges. That was never
contemplated. If he wants to use rail
road barges. or barges chartered by
the railroads and manned by union
men in railroad pay, he can tow the
IN 1lnnterrborough coal until he's black in
"The refusal of the boat owners to
charter boats is noh an excuse. though
1t may be an explanation. The gov
ernment has the power to take the
boats any time it wishes to-
-, FRANK Hedley, general manager of
the lnterborough and allied lines. said
last night that the situation is threat
ening. -
eve now have coal enough for dav
or two he said, "but unless we get
more when that is gone, we will have
to shut down..
This phase of the situation was con-
sldered at conference held at 45
Broadway last night between repre.
sentatives of the strikers, the army and
navy, DR.. Harry A. Garfield, former
fuel Administrator, and D. Mel. Howe.
assistant to Assistant Secretary of the
Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt. At this
conference the government agents
were assured that nothing would be
done to interfere with supplies for
army transports or the navy. No de-
cislon was reached in the matter of
the public utility companies, the union
men insisting that the way out is for
the government to seize such eouin-
ment as it may wish to use for this
purpose.