The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-12
Presidents Appeal by Cable
to Work Pending Award
Is Complied With.
OLD SCHEDULE STANDS
Union Heads at First Re-
fuse, but Majority Finally
Vote to Resume.
HEARING HERE MONDAY
Navy and Shipping Board
Prepared to Operate Tugs If
Men Had Held Out.
HEARING HERE MONDAY

The strike Of harbor boatmen OF
the port of New York was called of
last night upon request of William Is.
Wilson, Secretary Of Labor. and the
$1,000 marine workers who have been
idle and have paralyzed the traffic
since Thursday morning are back on
the ferries, tugs and towboats.
The slow, cumbersome machinery
of the Government started whlrrlng
yesterday as soon as President Wilson
cabled the National War Labor Board
to take Jurisdiction over the strike
situation. Promptly the Army, Navy,
United States Shipping Board and
Railroad Administration chiefs as
sured the War Labor Board of their
support in enforcing any verdict 1t
should make, and upon this the Sec
retary of Labor wired Benjamin NJ.
| Squires, his representative here, to
present the Government action to
the strikers.
| Strike Leaders Split.
In three hour conference last night
the strike committee heard Mr..
Squires's plea for the mon to go back
to work Immediately. and then the
leaders split. Some asserted they
would not sanction any letup in the
strike until the War Labor Board as
sured the men an eight hour day and
a satisfactory increase in wages. A
ma ajority, however, held that the strike
should be called of at once and the
men work under the old schedule until
La decision be rendered by the War
Labor Board. At 10 o'clock last night
the vote to call of the strike was made
unanimous.
Announcement OF the strike commit
tees action met with no little grum-
bling on the part of the crowd OF work
ers who jammed the room outside the
committees office but the fact re-
mains that the men will go back to
work as soon as they can get on the
boats, and tomorrow the port will he
Just as busy beehive Of water traf1I'
as II was before the tieup last Thur
day. What men are needed to man
boats for Sunday traffic will be on
hand to-day.
The Pennsylvania and West shore
ferries resumed operation at midnight.
The War Labor Board, of which Will
liam II. Taft and Basil NJ Manly are
Joint Chairmen, will hold a hearing to-
morrow morning AT 10 o'clock in the
city Hall on the demands OF tho strik-
ers The meeting viii be in the Board
of Estimate chamber,
l What threatened to be severe pro-
tlongation OF the serious strike situation
followed receipt OF the Presidents ca
blegram yesterday. when both strikers
and boat owners issued statements
smothering any hope that the Govern
ment could interfere in the harbor ticup.
A. IL. Smith. Regional Railway Director
upon reading President Wilson's cable
gram, addressed u letter which he de-
lvered by special messenger TO the six
leaders of the striking marine workers.
1t follows:
president Wilson. having directed
the War Tabor Board to take up the
case of the mar!ue workers strike for
the purpose of adjusting the differences,
the Railroad Administration has signed
Jointly with the War and Navy De
partments and the shipping Board "a
request upon tho War Labor Board to
proceed accordingly. stating that they
will all be bound by the decision OF the
War Labor Board
| "lnasmuch as this will undoubtedly
effect a complete rcadjustment of the
entire controversy, | request and urge
resumption OF work pending the hear
ing and finding Of the War Labor
Board. so a. to avoid further iucouve-
nience TO the public. Please favor mo
with prompt reply"
| Rejected by the strikers.
The strikers committee. meeting in
&c Park place heard the message and
would have nothing To 90 with It. They
tabled tho letter. Likewise the boat
owners assumed a belligerent attitude,
and asserting Chairman Manly of the
War Labor Board was blasscd their
counsel. Paul Bonynge. issued this state
ment:
The value of the Presidents sug-
gestion depends upon the precise infor-
nation before him when the suggestion
was made. II the authorities in Wash
| ington omitted to advise him that Joint
Chairman Manly Of the Nationa! War
Labor Board had already committed
| himself upon the issues involved IN a
scurrilous ex psrte attack, repeated
, again only yesterday, upon the boat
owners, that omission would seriously
: undermine the value OF the suggestion
| II is n very elementary principle that
every controversy is entitled 10 an i'm
partial hearing before an unbiased
Judge, At this moment | can d. no
= more than indulge IN a shrewd guess
that the boat owners viii not conscut
to arbitration OF any matter before a
t board numbering Mr., Manly among its
. members."
; 1t is just possible that Mr. Manly
3 may not come to New York tomorrow
Z with the War Labor Board to hear tho
v strike case. But should he come the
matter Of whether the boat owners will