The sun., 1919-07-20
CLOSED SHOP BARS
STRIKE SETTLEMENT
Ship Owners Firm Against
This Demand, but Open
Minded on Others.
RIOTING IN BROOKLYN
One Man Shot and Another
Knitted in Battle at Ham,
ilt0n Avenue.

Realizing Il angry temper OF the
thousands of idle marine workers who
quit the transatlantic and coastwise lin
ers, all parties concerned IN the tieup Of
freight shipping in this port bent every
effort yesterday TO seek an AMIGA
preclpitated the strike.
Down on the docks Of Brooklyn. where
knots Of determined strikers patrolled the
waterfron heads were laid open. bullets
few, and there was a succession Of
clashes between the strikers and "scabs'
all day.
Two men are in hospitals, one with i've
bullets IN his body and the other. 1t is
feared. MORALLY wounded by a knife
thrust No extra police have been guard
ing the ships, bdt when violence was
feared at the offices of the United States
Shipping Board a Gordon of bluecoats
strung around that building.
Compromise Is Hinted.
The stumbling block that stays arbitra-
ton Of the dispute Is the demand of the
union for preferential employment" to
union workers. That would mean that
all boats leaving port must hire as many
union men for the crew as are available
before taxing non-snion workers. The
contention OF both the steamship corpora
tons and the United States Shipping
Board is that American citizens should
be given first preference.
Some sort of compromise may be Of
fered tomorrow by the Steamship Asso-
citation, and IL this is done the Shipping
Board will fall In line. Ernst Dittmer.
business agent for the Firemen. Oilers
and Water Tenders Union of the Attain
tic and Gulf Coasts, said:
Everything points to a settlement It
may take a few hours, and then 1t may
be few days before some agreement
is reached. The representatives of the
men are In conference with the bosses
to-day and something may be done"
II. II. Raymond. president of the NAL
lory Steamship Company, who Is head
OF the American Steamship Association
made this statement:
We feel that the union rather than
the men, is making a fight against U.S.
i think the men themselves are satisfied
and are willing to return to work on
the terms We have offered. The position
taken by the union Is un-American and
bad. The members of the Steamship
Association are unalterably opposed to
the closed shop proposition demanded by
the union. We stand pat on that ques-
ton
At the meeting OF the association yes
terday the members unanimously re-
1ected the proposal of the union for a
closed shop.
I'VE will not let the unions dictate to
us whom we shall employ on our ships"
said one of the officials. II believe that
the question of wages and working con-
ditions can be easily settled
Meanwhile about 5G0 ships are tied
up in port, and there seems to be no
Likelihood OF the attempt to bring In
strikebreakers being successful Coast
wise and transatlantic shipping has been
practically crippled. The loss already
amounts to several million dollars. No
freight will be carried by the Railroad
Administration IL part OF the route is
designated by sea.
There Is but one phase OF the situa-
ton that may demand the attention of
washington and bring some relief
That is alleged violation of Federal
statutes prohibiting interference with
Foreign trade. AS the war Is not tech
nicaily over tine Government may still
exercise its war time powers, and pre-
vent dock picketing by the strikers.
An appeal has already been sent U. S.
Attorney-General Palmer to lend his aid
In this direction.
1000 strikers Around Piers.
over In Brooklyn. where most of the
coastwise ships dock. about 1000 strik-
ers gathered around the piers. At Pier
70 three vessels of the Porto Rico Line
are loaded and waiting for crews. Two
vessels Of the Red d Line are tied up
at the foot of Pier IL and unable to un-
load cargoes from Cuba. The Port
Augusta OF the Commonwealth and Do
minion Line, loaded with cargo for
Australia. Is similarly held UP because
1t has been unable to round up a crew.
Practically all the piers along the har-
Dor front are cluttered with freight
Emanuel Silva. 30, of 10S Hamilton
avenue, a strikebreaker, was held In the
Adams street police court yesterday
without bail pending the condition OF
Bryant Herring, 20. of Florence, Tex
picket who was shot In a clash of
strikers and "scabs" at the foot of Ham,
ilton avenue, Brooklyn, yesterday morn
ing. Herring. dying in Long Island Col
lege Hospital, identified Silva as one OF
the men who attacked him. He was
fireman on the Norman Bridge, which
left port for Philadelphia yesterday. He
was shot five times.
, A gang OF strikebreakerS entered the
strikers headquarters and offered $500
bonuses to any men who would Join
them. In the fight that followed a score
were hurt. Police reserves were beaten
by both sides when they tried to stop
the melee. Nine men were arrested and
are held as witnesses.
After the riot Detective Joseph Puc-
ciano entered the strikers headquarters
and there arrested Sibio Napo, president
of the Golden Horseshoe Club. who was
being held prisoner by the strikers. He
is held for carrying a gun Tine strikers
claim no led the Dand Of scabs WHO en-
tered the headquarters.
Seven hundred Chinese cooks and
stewards who were forced out of Jobs
when the union crews quit ocean liners
in port organized "A local of tho Inter
national Seamen's Union yesterday. and
established headquarters in Chinatown
Most of them are American citizens.