New-York tribune., 1919-04-06
Hughes, U. S. Labor Depart
ment Representative, Re-
sponsible for Attempt to
Settle n. Y. Harbor Strike
Faction Breach Widens
Delahunty Group Will Not
Recognize Individual Set
Elements by O'Conner

Representatives of the striking boat
met last night at the Hotel Manhattan
in an effort 20 settle the strike. The
meeting was arranged by James l..
Hughes, of the United States Depart
ment of Labor. The Boat Owners
Association was represented by Paul
Bonynge, Fl. N. Lee, Joseph H. Moran, j.
j. Glatzmeyer and four others. The
strikers were represented by Thomas
L. Delahunty, William A. Maher, F.
Paul A. Vacarrelli and five others.
The meeting was arranged after
Mr.. Hughes had notified leaders on
both sides that they had fooled" long
enough and that the time had come
when, in the interests of the public as
we'll as their own interests, they
should get together and come to some
agreement.
While Mr.. Hughes was working with
the boat owners yesterday the breach
between the two factions of harbor
workers grew wilder, the majority, led
by Thomas L. Delahunty, president of
the Marine Workers Affiiation, in
slsting that his organization would
not recognize individual settlements
made through T. V. O'Conner, interna-
tional president of the Longshoremen's
Association, while O'Conner insisted
that these settlements would have to
stand and the other harbor workers
recognize them.
Smith Supports O'Conner
In this he had the assistance of A.
ii. Smith, regional director of rail-
roads, who in a letter to Mr.. Della
hunty declared that in refusing to tow
boats manned by members of the Tide
water Boatmen's Union the affiliation
was breaking It's agreement with the
railroads. Mr.. Delahunty stood pat
and the coal boats remained unmoved
II told Mr.. Smith," said Delahunty,
that while O'Conner and John Bren-
nan have the right to settle their in
dlvldual affairs with the private boat
owners, they have no authority to set
tie the affairs of everybody else. Thev
have not, and they will not have, the
power to settle all the matters in dis
pute, nor to put the Marine Workers.
Affiliation or its loyal members out
of business.
Any attempt on the part of O'Con-
ner and Brennan to end the strike
without the consent of the engineers.
sA~S~oAo, iholco anu pllOtS, narDOr
boatmen, port and terminal workers,
lighter captains and hosting engi-
neers will result in nothing but disap-
pointment to those boat owners and
others who may take them seriously."
LOngshoremen Ordered to Work
O'Conner's contribution to the con-
troversy was notice that he had or
dered. longshoremen. to. work with
barges or lighters that might have
members of the Tidewater Boatmen's
Union or the Lighter Captains Union
on board.
~ have issued orders" said he.
shat the longshoremen must load or
unload any lighter or barge that may
have union captains on board. That is
all there is to that"
Under this ruling longshoremen NAV
be asked to load or unload barges and
lighters that have been towed by non
union tugs. This, according to men
most familiar with the conditions OBJ
tanning along the waterfront, would be
likely to precipitate a real clash on
Monday.
''If the longshoremen are ordered to
work with non-union boats" said one
of these, cit is very doubtful if O'Con-
ner can keep them permanently on the
Job. 1t may result in test of strength
between O'Conner and subordinate Off
cials here. In the past the local men
have not hesitated to defy O'Conner
and strike or not, as it pleased them"