The sun., 1919-10-12
FERRY STRIKE CUTS
OFF FOOD SUPPLY


for weeks, he SAID. and voted to strike
at a meeting Friday night
Messengers were sent from the meet
ing room at white Eagle Hall, Newark
avenue near Fifth street. Jersey City,
to the ferry houses on both sides of the
river to call the night crews off the
boats as they reached their piers. when
the firemen. bridge handlers and deck
hands quit the pilots and engineers were
helpless.
The strike was voted on a basis of de-
mands for an eight hour day. six day
week and rs per cent. wage increase.
The men now work seven days a week
and 800 a month Is a wage average.
All Of the North River ferries except
the Fort Lee ferry from 13oth street
and one at Dyckman street are railroad
ferries. With the exception OF these and
the three ferry lines of the Lackawanna
from Hoboken to Barclay. Fourteenth
and Twenty-third streets the North River
ferry service was completely tied UP be-
ginning shortly before midnight Friday.
The deckhands and nremen employed
on railroad tugs and lighters did not
report yesterday morning.
The ferry lines that were tied up COM
pletely were the two of the Pennsylvania
Railroad from Jersey City to Cortlandt
and to Desbrosses street two of the Erie
from Jersey City to Duane and to
Twenty-third street; two of the New
Jersey Central from Jersey City to
Liberty and to Twenty-third street two
of the West Shore from Weehawken to
Cortlandt and to Forty-second street
and one of the West Shore from West
New York to Forty-second street.
Lackawanna Keeps On.
The Lackawanna was able to keep
from six to eight Of its ferryboats in
operation throughout the day because the
deckhands' union has had little success
In enrolling it's men, who have an organ,
iEation Of their own But few quit and
Superintendent Emery replaced them by
drawing men from other work to service
at the landing bridges and on the decks.
The Long Island Railroad ferry from
East Thirty-fourth street to Greenpoint
was crippled. The other East River fer
ries are privately owned. No attempt was
made by the declShands' union to inter-
fere with them. Had they been stopped
the effect hardly would have been felt
because Of the facilities of the East
River bridges and tubes Strikers, how
ever. put severe kink in the lighterage
department OF the Long Island and New
Haven railroads In the East River. This
service plays q not unimportant part in
the city's food supply.
Mayor Hylan and Grover A. Whalen,
Commissioner of Plants and Structures,
returned from Atlantic City as soon as
they received word that the harbor
strike had spread to the railroads ma
rine workers. The Commissioner went at
once for an investigation of the situa-
ton on the municipal ferry between
M Tel
said he found no evidence of an inten-
ton on the part of the municipal en-
plcyees to strike. but II they did they
would be replaced by policemen as they
were during the spring strike.
Hylan Offers His Aid.
Mayor Hylan called the leaders Of the
Marine Workers Affiliation to the City
Hall and offered himself as IN arbitrator.
The party was enlarged to include T. "
O'Connor, leader Of the longshoremen.
Thomas L. Delahunty. president OF the
Marine Workers Affiliation and of the
engineers union, and Capt. William A.
Maher, leader of the Master. Mates and
Pilots Association, were present. Della
hunty and Maher explained that their
unions were not on strikA and that the
members were idle because of the strike
OF the deckhands union.
Delahunty and Maher went from the
Mayors conference to a meeting of the
! Marine Workers Affiliation in it's rooms
at 20 Park place. The meeting was at
tended by five or six hundred men and
was representative OF all the many
| unions into which the men who main
tain the harbor traffic of the port are
organized.
Delahunty presided. A disposition to
| question the course he and associate
| leaders have followed in the negotia-
| tons with the Railroad Administration
since the spring strike was manifest
and there were numerous displays OF
| ruffled feelings. II became evident that
| q numerous group made up of repre-
sentatives of all the unions was eager
to make trouble over the retroactive pay
| issue. This group was insistent that
the back wage controversy be forced on
| the attention Of the Railroad Admin
istration at the conference to-day The
point was won to the extent that Della
hunty gave approval to a proposal to
have a special committee of the affilia-
ton that has had the matter in charge
for it be made a party of the labor del
egation at the conference.
Sentiment in approval of the quickly
| carried out decision of the deckhanos
to strike was dominant. Several voices
among the captains were raised, how.
ever. in advice to go slowly and show
come respect toward the feelings of the
public. Tho motion committing all mem
bers of the affiliation against working
with "scabs' was passed by vocal vote
that was far from vociferous, but wher
nays were called for there was no re-
Spouse.
Radical Drive Failed.