The sun., 1919-10-27
$4,000 BUTLER
DOCK WORKERS
OFFICIALLY OUT
Miners and Railway Men
Will Be Asked to Aid
Port Tieup.
MANY TO RETURN TODAY
Vylan Blamcs 0'COnnOr for
His Failure to Break the
Deadlock Here.
MANY TO RETURN TODAY

More than $4,000 longshoremen, led
nv Dick Butler, declared themselves
last night to be officially on strike and
took steps which they claim will lead
N a general strike Of the port. The
action was taken after a five hours
meeting of the strike committee at the
headuuarters of Buffers local, S66,
Tventy-fourth street and Thirteenth
avenue. Twenty-four locals, it is
claimed. were represented by ac-
credited delegates.
The men claim they have the SYM
rathy Of the Marine Firemen's Union
Of oilers and Water Tenders of the At
lsntic and Gulf Coasts. and if the
10000 members of that organization
can be persuaded to strike they will
lie up all oceangoing shipping on this
side of the continent. Efforts will be
made II was said, to enlist the SYM
psthies of the miners and railroad men
at the convention of these two unions
in Scranton Thursday.
man who said he was James
Howe, representing local No. SGT. Ho-
boken, said at the meeting that 200
stationary grain elevator men in west
ern New York were striking in SYM
pathy with the port workers. Accord
ing to Butler. at is going to be fight
10 the finish" After the meeting the
delegates departed for their respective
locals to call special meetings to ar
range for men to picket the docks and
warn all men who have returned that
the strike has been Officially declared
on again"
Butler when asked what the status
Of the strikers had been previous to
the strike vote said, they were just
out on vacation" F. Paul A. Vacca-
rel, speaking. he said, not as labor
man, but as member of the Com
mission OF Cancellation, appointed by
Secretary OF Labor William B. Wilson.
declared earlier in the day:
Present strike a "Vacation."
THE present strike of the pier work.
ers is being termed by them a 'vaca-
ton II the companies do not agree
10 meet the men again they will de-
Clhre real EeHeTdi SlTlke. Inc Hle1l
have now stated what they want and
II the companies grant this request the
strike can be settled in less than no
time. The men are showing their will
ingness to negotiate with the companies
and the companies should appreciate
this fact by sending committee and
making am effort to have the strike
definitely settled.
The men are now showing the COM
panies way to end this strike and
Il continues the men cannot be blamed
for not having evinced willingness TO
DO all in their power to have the strike
settled without further delay"
Mayor Hylan last night made pubic
long statement placing the blame for
the strike on T. V. O'Connor. There
are twenty-seven locals of actual long
shoremen in the port. Others Of the
ftty-three claimed by O'Connor. 1t was
stated, are simply allied unions.
William ]. Smith. secretary of the
strike committee, and Butler admitted
there might be truth in the statement
that several thousand longshoremen are
expected to return to-day. especially at
the piers of the Cunard Line, French
Line and White Star Line. They said
II was apparent that unless drastic ef-
forts were made at once to prevent
NHLs NI4e HlOIdlt OIL the OlucT cll lhCl
would be weakened.
The vote of the strikers was taker
after stormy debate and after II
was announced that the steamship in
terests had fatty refused Mayor Hylan's
request for another hearing with the
men. The appeal was made after the
Mayor consulted the grievance commit
lee Saturday night Thomas McQuade
fn employing stevedore, was authorized
to ask representatives of the shipping
men to meet at City Hall at 9 80 O'Clock
this morning.
Discussion Time Past.
P. S. A. Franklin. president of the
International Mercantile Marine; Fred
erick Toppin, vice-president, and II.
Raymond. president of the American
steamship Association. said they haC
not yet received the invitation. bu
would not offend In any event. Mr.
Ioppin. who usually is delegated as
Inc spokesman for the steamship inter
tsts and is a member OF the Nationa
adjustment Commission, said:
There is nothing now to discuss