New-York tribune., 1919-10-13

O'Conner, who mas consistently held
the strike unjustified and unauthorized,
1t seems still problematcal if the rank
and file will follow the advice of their
local leaders. Their influence so far
lss been Intellectual. A mass meeting
of the longshoremcn will be held to-
night ard the question will be placed
before the men for ratification or re-
lection.
The governments determination that
vessels in the transport service shall
be unloaded and loaded despite the
longshoremcn's strike was carried out
yesterday with the arrival of the
transport Northern Pacific, witt, Colo
mel E. NJ. House on board. While the
longshoremen had agreed to handle
the baggage of the colonel. none was
around when the vessel pulled in the
Hoboken pier at 1915 p. m. The
steamer was docked by army labor
units.
More Labor Units Coming
From Washington came the an
nouncement that additional labor units
of the army from Camp Merritt. Tena-
to take the places of the groups of
longshoremen that are usually en-
ployed in docking the government yes
sells.
The conference with the railroad Off
cials was held in the office of A. J.
Stone, chairman Of the New York Con-
ference of the United States Railroad
Administration. 80 Church Street. Rep
resenting the strikers were Thomas l..
Delahunty, head of the Marine Engi-
neers' Association; Captain William A.
Maher, head of the Masters, Mates and
Pilots Association; William Fink, of
the Harbor Boatmen's Union: Joseph
Stanton, of the Port and Terminal
Workers. and about thirty others. The
Harbor Boatmen, while not on strike,
do the same kind of work as the port
and terminal workers, and have made
the same demands.
Mr. Delahunty asserted that the
union men attended the conference to
conciliate matters and not with the idea
of extending the strike. The port and
terminal workers struck, he said, In
contravention of their agreement be-
cause they were unable to make ends
meet as the result of the high cost of
living. AS to the other organizations,
he explained that they requested the
government to settle the matter of back
pay which they claimed was due them
on o retroactive clause in the agree
ment of last March with tho railroad
administration.
Predict End Tomorrow
O'Connor and John +. Riley asserted
after the meeting of the district coun-
ell of the longshoremen yesterday that
unless their guess is wrong the strike
of the pier workers will be over by to-
morrow morning. While facing at first
an antagonistic audience, who occa-
sionally fired epithets at him, O'Con-
nor reiterated his contention that the
strike was the work Of l. ". WIS in
Brooklyn. He appealed to their sense
Of fairness and justice and told them
they would forever discredit them
selves in the eyes OF the public if they
did not abide by the decision Of the
National Adjustment Commission.
At the end Of the meeting the senti-
ment of the delegates turned to his
view of the matter, and with the assist
ance of Riley a pledge was won from
them that they would go back to their
locals and make every effort to induce
the men to resume work. The mass
meeting to be arranged for tonight
will also decide il the longshoremen
will move the large stocks of perish
able foodstuffs piled up at the freight
terminals and in holds of vessels de-
tanned in the harbor in the event they
refuse to call off the strike.
All was quiet along the waterfront
yesterday, little or no freight being
handled The only ferries operating
were the Lackawanna lines running
from Twenty-third Street. Barclay and
Fourteenth streets to Hoboken; the
Brooklyn and Municipal ferries to
Staten Island, and the Fort Lee ferries
Twelve vessels arrived in port yes
terday. further aggravating the serious
congestion existing in the harbor. OF
these, the Saxonia, Of the Cunard Line
and La Savoc, Of the French Line
we're able to dock through the assist
ance Of their own crews.