The sun., 1919-04-20
STRIKE In HARBOR
SETTLED BY HYLAN
Mayors Plea Wins After Two
National Boards Had Con-
fessed Failure.
OWNERS CLAIM VICTORY
Men Agree to Ten Hour Day,
With Arbitration of Wage
Schedule.
OWNERS CLAIM VICTORY

Mayor Hylan settled yesterday the
strike of port workers that was called
seven weeks ago, when private boat
owners refused the demand for an eight
hour day that was made by thousands Of
tug and lighter captains, masters, mates,
pilots and other marine employees The
Mayor accomplished what the National
War Labor Board and conciliators from
the United States Department of Labor
had failed to do since January when the
dispute FIRST started.
Tho strike of workers on the Rail-
road Administration boats that was
ordered for tomorrow morning at 6
o'clock consequently has been called on
and all the boats in the harbor Will be
in operation once more.
The fight by the labor leaders who
represented the marine workers for an
eight hour day was abandoned and by
the settlement yesterday the men Will go
back to work on ten hour basis, with
the question of wages to be arbitrated by
a board composed of four from each side.
Boat owners acclaim the settlement
a complete victory. Since the vote for a
strike on railroad boats the leaders OF
the marine workers have been anxious
boat owners. Thomas L. Delahunty
consistently through all the negotiations
held that no settlement could be reached
unless the private owners conceded the
eight hour day. The men on the rail-
road boats have the eight hour day.
The settlement came Unexpectedly.
When Paul Bonynge. counsel for the boat
owners. conferred with Mayor Hylan
Yesterday morning he told him that the
boat owners would refuse to grant any
working schedule less than ten hours and
refused 70 submit this question TO arbi-
tration, and on the other issue. that OF
reinstating the strikers whose places
have already been filled by 100 crews
MFR. Bonynge said:
I'VE cannot discharge men we have
brought here from Norfolk. Jacksonville
and other Southern ports" He added.
however, that the owners would try to
md Jobs for the strikers whose places
are not open now. The Mayor asked
that the boat owners and the labor lead
ers wait in his Office while he talked TO
the men. They were assembled in the
union headquarters at rs Park place.
and he made this appeal to them:
81 ask you in the name of the people
OF the city of New York to make some
concessions, so that we may end this
strike The differences between the boat
owners and the marine workers seem 80
slight that feel that they owe aNduty
10 the people Of New York to iron out
these slight differences and end this
strike The port of New York Is losing
commerce and hundreds of thousands OF
dollars are daily being lost to the city.
thousands Of men are out OF employ
ment because of this strike. Building
material is being delayed to contractors
and the construction of buildings and
homes is being retarded. Thousands OF
soldiers back from the war are unable to
procure employment. The rent prof1teer
IL gaining from the suffering of the peo-
pie because of the lack OF sufficient
number of homes to properly house the
people
1.-THE representa- ve OF the Central
Federated Union stated yesterday that
he feared that workers in. many other
trades would go out in sympathy with
tire marine workers unless this trouble
was settled The majority Of the boat
owners and marine workers live In New
York city and owe a duty to the people
Of the city. II this strike cannot be
settled and It extends to other trades
there is no telling what the outcome
may be. We know OF the serious con-
ditions in Europe because of misunder-
standings and disagreements, and 1 am
quite sure that the boat owners or men
do not want tn be responsible for SINH
lar condition here"
The men took a vote. and large ma
jority were in favor of returning to the
boats Immediately on the ten hour basis
The committee on arbitration will be
selected on Thursday afternoon, and
hear the question OF wages. There
hardly will be a hitch on this issue, for
the boat owners already have made Of
fers of substantial! pay increases.