The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-31
4,OOOPORT WORKERS
VOTE TOEND STRIKE.
Tidewater Boatmen Accept
Terms Of Private Owners for
$40 a Month.
"a HOUR DAY STIPULATED
Bonynge Assails Copeland for
Commissioners Views Of
Harbor Troubles. ..e

The FIRST serions break in the front Of
the striking harbor workers occurred
yesterday, when the Tidewater Boat
mems Union, Local 847. l. l.. A., with
n membership OF 1000. voted to accept
tho terms offered by the private owners
through T, v. O'Connor, president Of the
International Iongshoremen's Union.
Thomas l.. Dclahunty, president Of the
Marine Affiliation, admitted last night
that the tidewater boatmen. who operate
coal and grain barges, had accepted
the private owners terms of S11o q
month for a twenty-four hour day. To
! the same class of workers employed on
Government owned boats was granted
tho unions original demand for twelve
hour day.
This will not affect the strike. how
ever" said Mr.. Delahunty. The offer
was tentatively accepted and will be re-
ferrod to the full strike committee to-
morrow morning. l will make rec
ommendation that the tidewater boat
men be permitted to accept their offer.
They know what they want and they
can have 1t.
THE licensed men--that is, the en-
gineers and masters. mates and pilots
can win the strike alone. Even II the
| tidewater boatmen return to work on
the privately owned barges. the boats
upon which they are employed will not
be towed II they In any way injure the
strike cause"
VIII Support other Unions.
The Tidewater Boatmen's Union holds
q charter from the International Long
shoremen's Union, and It was through
the influence of T. v. OConnor that they
came to terms Capt. John Brennan,
president of the Tidewater Boatmen's
Union. said last night that his organlEa-
ton would continue loyalty to support
the other unions in the strike. although
II would no longer participate in It
"Our action Is subject to the approval
OF the Marine Affiliation." said Capt
Brennan. ~ do not doubt that II will
receive the sanction OF the utilization,
for we have been told that we could re-
turn TO work II we wished on any terms
that satisfied U.s."
The private owners were juhiiant over
the turn affairs had taken and freely
predicted that other unions in the affilia-
ton would quickly follow the Tidewater
Boatmen's lead. Through Mr.. OConno,
they have offered terms to several Of the
six other unions In the affiliation which
they believe viii be accepted.
BonynEe Issues Statement.
Paul Bonynge. counsel for the private
owners, issued yesterday a statement at
lacking Royal 8. Copeland. Health Com
missioner. for his utterances regarding
the strike.
The statement was as follows:
Health Commissioner Copeland now
has Joined the goodiy company engaged
| in firing official blank cartridges In the
harbor strike. His explosion condemns
| the private boat owners for what he
| terms their still necked' refusal to aid
| the city in the removal OF garbage and
ashes. OF course there Is not a word o!
| truth In the charge. but a mere trifie
like that never dampens the conscien-
tous ofiiceholder's enthusiasm for the
| headlines. ~
ION March 5 the New York Tow Boa,
Exchange wrote Mayor Hylan as fol
/ lows
ut is the desire of the members
OF this association to mitigate, so far
| as Is In their power. any inconve-
nience or suffering TO the people OF
New York as a result OF the present
marine workers. strike. With the
mild weather now prevailing we rec
ognize that accumuiations Of garbage
may readily become menace to the
| public health, and II Ia our wish to do
| everything to aid you In averting this
danger
| ITO this end we hereby tender TO
! the city OF New York the use of all
or any part of the equipment owned
| by our members. consisting of over
400 tugboats. This offer is good for
| the duration OF the strike and Is en-
| tirely without obligation to tho city
4 90 ~" aNN., ct
| wages OF the crews. I'd. -
1--WE can supply all needed licensed
| masters. as we'll as deckhanda. cooks
| and oilers. For the time being II
will be necessary 20 ask the city to
| furnish the required engineers from
its civil service employees. although
we believe that even this difficulty
can very, speedily be overcome.
1--WE trust that you will feel no
| reluctance In availing yourself of the
offer here made. as the sending OF
this letter has been authorised by the
unanimous vote of our members
| I'VE are quite willing to contrast thi,
with what Dr. Copeland is pleased TO de.
scribe as the Patriotic attitude OF the
| strikers. The next time the worthy
doctor finds himself suffering from Ar
| excess OF bile We advise him to lay aside
his homeopathic prejudices and try
oalomeI instead Of calunmy"
| City garbage and ashes which have
accumulated during the port strike will
DO removed this week by 1000 scow
trimmers released from the strike by
union agreement for this purpose
Thomas L. Delahunty, chairman OF the
Marine Workers Affiliation, said that tn.
strikers have no desire to endanger tn,
public health and asserted that tn,
action for removal OF the garbage wal
made In spite Of the attitude OF the boa
owners.
The cleanup squad will reliev,
emergency men at the Queens garbag,
station. Hunts Point and Ninety -secont
street and North River. Work will b,
resumed to-day on thirty-five boats o.
Welding float concerns. It was stated b,
Albert Sarrell OF the hosting engineers
union.