The sun., 1919-01-25
Boat Owners Assert Tides Pre-
vent Proposed Three
Shift Plan.
THREE LINES MAY QUIT
Running Fight Between En-
ployees' Counsel and Chair
man Of Hearing.

tying up OF craft to piers, thus rendering
the eight hour. day impossible OF accom-
plishment, according to emphatic testi-
mony given yesterday by boat owners at
the hearing OF the subcommittee OF tho
| War Labor Board which IL sitting IN
| City Hall to investigate the relations be-
| tween the owners and employees. 80.
There were many other determining
| factors testified to which precluded the
| possibility of an eight hour day being
| feasible in the harbor of New York. Con-
dltions here are not as elsewhere, 1t IS
| said. where the eight hour day Is In
practice. In fact, boat owners testified.
! that II is just possible to, move the
| freight accommodating daily here within
the twenty-four hour period. II the
| eight hour day were put In practice u
would necessitate three sets OF crews TO
operate during the twenty -four hour pc
Rod. And the boat owners declare they
| could not get competent men to supply
the additional crews which they esti-
mate would be between $50 and 500.
There are more than 500 tugs plying In
the harbor now and the amount OF ship
ping is growing daily. even though It Is
| falling or in some lines, it was stated.
Boat Owners' Opinion.
The composite opinion Of the boat
owners is that It Is impossible to change
| the time. They give the Illustrative Ak
ample bearing out their claims as fol-
| lows:
Suppose a lighter working on an eight
! hour schedule should leave at O'Clock
| in the morning for ship TO put freight
aboard. The river Is rough. high vino
| and other interferences to pacific marine
operation keep the lighter from making
| fast for two or three hours. The boat
oh
crew. Three hours are lost through no
fault OF the owner or crew. leaving only
Ave hours for the eight hours work.
When the end of the eight hour day
comes at o'clock he lighter Is only
fve-eighths unloaded. II the crew quit
according to schedule the lighter must
| let go and tie up elsewhere, wait over
night and come alongside next morning
TO finish unloading or else the crew
must be taken OF and fresh one sup
piled to complete the first crews labor.
But IL the first crew works overtime
and completes its labor the crew or
dered to 20 on at o'clock is Idle for
three or more hours before II can take
possession OF the lighter-and their pay
goes on Just the same"
Menace to Port vcnred.
And with this possibility an ominous
note crept into the hearing when steani-
ship men declared the plan would result
| in such great waste Of their valuable
time that probably much OF the overseas
shipping would seek port elsewhere. 1t
was not threat. but mentioned as Il
possibility As conditions are now the
| cost OF operation of steamships is so
great that three lines operating out of
New York viii suspend within a week,
Edward a. Kelly, an agent for the Clyde
and Mallory steamship lines. testified.
He explained that these suspendinG lines
cannot meet the cost of operation with
the present freight rates. II wages for
employees are raised. together with the
waste Of time the eight hour day, II
adopted will involve that will cause
steamships TO seek other ports, is his In
| ferred opinion.
! A. Lockhurs'. a deep sea captain. ex-
| pla.ned graphically now disastrous the
| eight hour day would be TO the overseas
! shipping.
! NJ. Walsh adopted his most antago-
n.z.ng tones and attempted TO hold the
! captains opinions UP TO ridicuie and at
1 the same time tried to trap him by
! leading questions. The captain avoided
the traps gracefully. II began to tell
upon Mr.. Walsh. He became belligerent.
but the Eng.ishman laugh!nEly parted
| all tho whle--and had the audience
with him even the employees whom he
| lad dealt an effective blow admired his
! skill and showed it.
| Capt Lockhurst laughed and smiled
until NJ, Walsh had exhausted the d.
rect examination material and r'diculed
the Englishnan's lack OF knowledge of
/ his company's financial affa!rs-the
! International Mercantile Marine.
! And you don't even know the amount
OF their bond issues!" Mr.. Walsh said
! n sarcasm.
| You are getting rather small" the
Ergiishman coudescendingly replied.
Mr.. Walsh ceased 70 glare Al him long
/ enough 10 direct his gaze to the shaking
figure OF the afternoon chairman, .. Il.
Michael, who was slowly smotherinG
| with repressed laughter.
And. Mr.. Chairman, wat IS your asi-
| tation'" Mr.. Walsh asked resentfuily
The chairman couldn't reply, His breath
was doing double duty In his diaphragm,
II was Il minute before he could speak
without exploding And when he did
speak he Furgled "Noth-ing-inG--"
| Mr.. Walsh glared around him only IA
glimpse III concealed smiles, stood in
| though, a moment and excused the wit
ness. who took his leave courteous!y and
made hs way out
| 10 ht added to a fairly evenly halarced
| bill. Maurice Edelman Of certain well
established mems furnishings store gave
! tho astounding testimony that clothes
arc now at least s TO 10 per cent cneapo
than in July; n reduction in prices" he
put IT, Everybody Easped and made a
mental note Of his Arm Mr.. Walsh
smiled weakly and let him go without Il
question. The testimony was supposed
to show that an Increase in wages for
, the employees isn't necessary because o,
I the high cost of living. which Is shedding
down Hill now. His attorneys didn't
press him for emphasis.
A Gay Life on sI.2b Per Day.
! And another attempt was made tc
show the ideal life OF the barge captain
A graduated captain. who earned enough
on Si.25 Il day--and supported his wife
. TOTO buy "A couple OF canalhoats and
who is not yet NIFTY years Of are, limned
glorious picture OF the NE ideal afloat
ON a coal boat.
/ His Nife's health improved anoat and
his too, since Re came aboard at the are
Of weeks. 81 certainly do Ike It.
Capt Herbert Coe enthusod as the barge
, captains arrayed in solid formation be
I hind Mr.. Walsh, Rlared. He then shovel
IN lurid tues and atmospheric splashe.
how beautiful islthe life and how niser.
able IN comparison IL is ashore
CAPT John Brennan, the best com,
plainant yet heard against the life
wanted 10 crosse examine the man al
. beautiful thoughts he looked as II hi
, wanted TO take him apart and see how
| he was made,
Girls Fire Driii Cans-s Alarm.