New-York tribune., 1919-05-01
Charge Is Made That Boats
Are Utilized to Transfer
Strike-Breaking Crews
Against Freight Handlers
Food Supply Called Safe
Railroad Workers to Add
Wage Raise of so Cents
All Hour to the Demands

The freight handlers strike, begun
just before midnight Tuesday to compel
establishment of a fixed time for start
ing work, last night threatened to cause
resumption of the general harbor
strike, settled ten days ago. Members
of the Harbor Boatmen's Union mott
fed representatives of the Railroad
Administration that persistence in
transferring strikebreakers from one
pier to another on boats would be fol-
lowed by walkout.
The harbor boatmen are members
OF the Marine Workers Affiliation and
are closely allied not only with the
freight handlers but with the marine
engineers and the masters, mates and
pilots. These latter unions have griev-
ances of their own, due to unexpected
friction in working out the details of
the settlement of the last strike, and
would, according to leaders of the fed
Grafton, require but small urging to
induce them again to quit work
According to the railroad admins
tration, not more than 5000 men arc
now out. The union claims double
that number.
No Food Shortage Forecast
So far there is nothing to indicate
that the strike will affect the food
supply. of the city. At the offices of
the railroad administration it was said
that all food supplies are being handled
promptly and there is no reason for
thinking any serious shortage will de-
velop. At strike headquarters, F. Paul
A. Vaccarelli agreed that there would
be no shortage of food, due to the
fact that the most important food SUD-
ply, milk, has been exempted from the
strike.
Vaccarelli said the fact that conges
tlon had not developed to an alarming
extent on the piers was because little
freight, comparatively speaking, is
coming into New York He added that
the men, having struck for definite
starting time, would now insist on SO
cents an hour before they return to
work.
"President Hannah of the Central
Federated Union has pledged US the
support Of that body" said he, "and
John Hayes, president of the PAPER
Handlers Union, has just notified me
that his men will not unload paper
from the cars nor take paper from the
docks that has been unloaded by
StrlKe breakers"
A tour Of the freight terminals on
both sides Of the North River yester-
day showed that while work was be-
ing done on the piers there was less
activity than usual. 1t was also ap-
parent there was some confusion
among the union men as to the exact
status of affairs, some insisting on
going to work while others abandoned
any idea of working when told by
the pickets that the strike was on.
Longshoremen Deny Interest
I. V. O'Connor, international presi-
dent of the longshorcmen's associa-
ton, who has been at odds with Mr.
Vacarelli since the break in the ranks
Of the harbor strikers, yesterday de-
clared the strike of the Freight
handlers, who are members of the
longshoremen's association was with
out his approval. Local leaders allied
with him insisted that they knew of
no strike and were insstent in de-
clarlng that the longshoremen proper
would not quit work. These are the
men who load or unload ships.
The only violence was reported from
Jersey City, where a crowd of strikers
sought to stop men from going to
work on the Jersey Central piers. They
battled with their fists for a few
minutes and then called it a draw
when some one raised the cry of "cops
coming" r'
The threat to call out harbor workers
followed the use of railroad tugs to
transfer men from pier to pier Ac-
cording to Vacarelli gangs were shifted