The sun., 1919-07-12
BOTH SIDES FIRM
IN MARINE STRIKE
Steamship Line Head Asserts
That Closed Shop Cannot
Be Granted.
MEN CLAIM VICTORIES
Brooks Steamship Company Is
Said to Have Agreed to
All Demands.

Both parties to the controversy be-
tween steamship owners and their fire.
men and seamen were inclined yesterday
to be cautious in presenting their claims
According to c. Thorson, chairman Of
the seamen's strike committee, large
number Of the seamen and fremen In
New York and other Atlantic ports have
quit, but neither Mr.. Thorson nor any
one else at Seamen's headquarters. 81
South street. would make an estimate
Of the number OF men actually on strike.
At the headquarters Of the Cooks and
Stewards Union, ~ Water street, there
seem to be little enthusiasm Dor a
strike. Tho Pantrymen's Union has
agreements with all the steamship lines
under which they have operated sue
cessfully for several years and their
members have voted no strike and have
made only demands for certain minor
adjustments in the wage schedule, but
they are now faced with the prospect
Of serving non-union crews in the event
that the ship owners decide to fight the
strike, or seeing all hands except their
own members receive substantial In
creases In pay IL the owners give In
to the demands Of the deck and en-
gineroom men.
May Seek British Help.
Joseph Enright, business agent OF the
hremen's organization, said that In case
the strikers are unable to reach an
agreement with the Shipping Board and
the American Steamship Association, an
appeal will be made for sympathetic
action by the British. Seamen's I'm
lon. which has Jurisdiction over the
crews of most of the passenger liners
plying between this country and British
ports He also stated that there were
n about $4,000 men involved In the
general coastwise strike.
Franklin d. Mooney, president of the
New York and Porto Rico Steamship
Company. said at his office. IL Broad
way, yesterday afternoon that there
would probably be delays on all the
lines until men could be recruited to
take the place Of those who went out.
The demands OF the men, he said, were
virtually for the closed shop and that
could not be conceded by the owning
companies though they were willing to
concede some increase in the wage
scale.
II. H. Raymond. president of the Ship
owners Association and of the Clyde and
Mallory lines, declared yesterday after
noon that the shipowners would not dis
cuss the closed shop policy with the
strikers. To adopt 1t. he said, would
mean the discharge Of thousands Of men
VINO have been in the employ of the
steamship companies for years. The as
ISOLATION. he said. is willing to take I'D
wages, working conditions and hours of
labor.
William s. Brown. international presi-
cent OF the marine engineers: John H.
Fruit. president Of the Master and
Mates Association. and Thomas L. Della
hpnty. chairman of the Marine Engin-
GERS Benevolent Association, issued a
statement yesterday afternoon in which
they outlined the progress of negotia-
lions with the steamship association and
the United States Shipping Board.
Wage Increase Declined.
They declared their organization had
refused the preferred Increase of 10 DER
cent. because the shipowners had re-
fused to equalize the rates of paw of
captains and chief engineers. The ma
tional president of the organization has
been instructed to communicate the is
sue Of the negotiations to the member
ship Of the organization throughout the
country. which is tantamount to a call
Tor strike vote. In the meantime In
structions have been issued to the en-
gineers not to work with non-union men.
At the Seamen's Union headquarters
the claim was made yesterday that one
line already had capitulated and that
negotiations which promised favorabiy
were in progress with several other con-
Germs. 1t was said that the Brooks
steamship Company had agreed to all
the mems demands. including three
watches for seamen. and that their YES
sells had been released from the strike.
According to c. Thorson of the seamen's
strike committee the company owns
about thirty-five boats, four Of which
are at present In this port and several
others In Philadelphia. He refused to
reveal the names of the other lines
which have begun conferences looking
toward a settlement.
Pending the outcome Of the conference
In Washington between the union heads
and officials of the Shipping Board, the
state Department of Labor began an at
tempt to adjust the controversy yester-
day when Michael ]. Regan, a concilia-
tor. invited both sides to confer with him
on the situation
Through an error 1t was said in THE
SUN yesterday that the Old Dominion
Line service to Norfolk has been reduced
TO tri-weekly sailings since the war. The
fact Is that the Old Dominion sailings
are daily. except Sunday. from both Nor
folk and New York. and tho service at
no time has been curtailed on account
of the war.
KTVE AAI Y~FYnAyc D~uxnK