Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-09
N. Y. BOATMEN
TIE UP HARBOR
Strike of $4,000 Marine
Workers Hats All Man.
ner of Transportation
BIG SHIPS ARR HELPLESS
Ocean : Going Craft Cannot
Sail-Shortage of Food and
Fuel Menaces City
BY the Associated Press


New York. Jan. Except for a
ANAL fleet of ~ferryboats, tugs and
lighters engaged in ~debarkation of
Homecoming troops and loading Of per-
ishable supplies for the American ex-
peditionary forces, harbor shipping was
at a s~tandstill today as the result OF
the strike OF $4,000 marine workers In
an attempt TO force arbitration of their
demand for higher wages and an eight
hour day.
Not only privately owned craft. but
the boat of the railroad administra-
ton, 1900 in number, were tied up and
the sailing or berthing of ocean steam
ships. as well as the ferrying OF pass
engers between Nj nhattan and its
n%eighboring boroughs and suburbs, was
impossible.
Ferry Service Virtually stops
Suspension Of ferry service left Staten
Island, New York city's great midhar-
Dor borough, completely isolated eN-
cept for two small boats operating to
and from Perth Amboy, on the New
Jersey shore. and launches able to carry
only small groups of passengers. From
New Jersey and Long Island the only
ACCESS 10 We" 1OIh was " "us - b''
East River bridges and the subways
and tunnels under the East and North
Rivers, in which trains were OVID
and entrances choked with delayed trav-
elers throughout the war.
The railroad administration erouted
New Jersey committing trains in an ef-
fort to relieve the congestion after the
closing of the ferries. West Shore pas
engers were sent TO the Erie terminal
at Jersey City. affOrding connection with
the Hudson tubes, and travellers on the
Central Railroad of New Jersey from
points beyond Elizabeth We're trans
ferred there to Pennsylvania trains. run
ming direct to the tunnels. However.
nearby Jerseymen using the Central
were detrained at the ferry termina
and were forced to journey more than
a mile afoot or in crowded trolley cars
to the under-river railroad.
Foodstufs Halted
At all the New Jersey ard Long Island
ferry barns long lines of trucks, many
CT them laden with perishable foodstuffs
for New York markets, awaited a change
In the situation which might land them
in the streets of the metropolis. The tie
up left New York with a limited stock OF
fresh foods and the milk supply. already
seriously curtailed by the strike Of the
New York Dairymen's League, was fur
Their threatened when shipments from
New Jersey halted. Movement Of coal.
essential to- maintenance Of the limited
supply which the City's storage faclli-
ties can accommodate, also was sus-
pended.
At noon the Lackawanna Railroad.
whose ferry crews have n union of their
a.Va Lal I--1fya, = s.tt. H. .1 "a r. s
the marine workers. afiiliation. and the
company's boats were carrying passen-
gers between Hoboken and the New York
side.
40 900 Persons stranded
The harbor men carried out their
threat to tie up not only the railroad
and privately owned boats. but also
those in the municipal service. As a re-
suit Staten Island had its last passenger
ferry and also it's last batch of mail early
this morning. Forty thousand persons
who labor IN Manhattan were left
stranded on the island. a few of whom,
after hours Of delay. reached the city
on launches or by way Of New Jersey
or Brooklyn.
In the isolated borough also live sew
eral hundred army and navy officers
who were brought to their offices in Man
haitian on navy tugs and launches. They
will be housed here, it was stated. until
normal transportation is resumed.
Hundreds " sightseeing craft, which
had been taking passengers around the
warship feet anchored in the Hudson.
turned &c ferrvinG between the Man
hatta md New Jersey shores, partic-
ularly in the uptown districts. and reap
ed a ready harvest Of fares. Among
the first passengers were soldiers from
Camp Merritt, y. j., on leave in the city,
End who were detained many hours past
the termination OF their liberty.
S~hipbuilders, bound for the emergency
feet plants on staten Island. were un
able to report for work. More han
/ 0 of these men were forced to turn
back home from Battery Park when the
Observation-Disclosures which
MY TO and from the shipyards We're de
serted by their crews.
The union leaders declared thoy would
tic up the city fire and police boats, hut
municipal officials professed 10 feel no
uneasiness in his regard, The crews,
they said, were uniformed men, under
city pay and regulations. aud not SUBJ
iect 10 uuion orders.
Paul Bouwnge, attorney for the New
York Boat owners Association, admit
ted the harbor strike was very COM
plete.
when the authorities in Washington
are ready TO send an cmissary who will
talk straightforward and tel us to our
faces what he thinks, then the boat
owners stand ready to meet him in con
ference" he said. Under no conditions
will We have any further dealings with
Basil NJ. Manly. chairman of the wal
labor board, We are through with
him"
A. II. Smith, eastern regional dl