New-York tribune., 1920-06-12
Truck Fleet
In Pier Fight
Jumps to 40
Colonel Molitor Is Confident
the Freight Congestion
Will Be Cleared Up by
the End of Next Week
Unions Marking Time
Leaders May Declare War on
American Legion for AL
legged Aid to Merchants

The feet of volunteer trucks oper
ated by the Merchants Association ane
the Citizens Transportation Com
mittee with the aid Of former servic,
men from the 165th Regiment was in
creased yesterday from fifteen tt
forty-nine. The trucks, operated under
police protection, worked steadil,
throughout the day and moved 1876 o.
the 5000 tons of freight accumulated
on the waterfront as a result-of the
protracted strike of longshoremen ane
truckmen.
Colonel Frederick A. Molitor. II
charge of operations for the Citizen:
transportation Committee, and Colone
Charles D. Hine, in charge Of tn.
Merchants Associations plan to rails.
a fund of $5,ooo,oOO for the organiza
tion Of an independent trucking sys
tenn. said last night they were vel
satisfied with the progress being made
to relieve the congestion. Colone
Molitor is confident he will have al
the help he needs by to-day and thai
the congested freight will be cleared
by the end of next week.
No trouble was experienced at the
piers yesterday in the movement OF
the freight. Each truck was unde,
protection of a policeman, but the
drivers themselves were not armed
The police of the Beech and Charles
streets station, where policemen were
kept in reserve for any emergency
reported they had received no reports
OF any disturbances.
Unions Are Marking Time
The unions were marking time yes
terday and would not reveal their plans
to meet the action of the Citizens
transportation Committee and the
Merchants Association. Leaders of the
longshoremen and teamsters attending
the convention of the American FEEDER.
alton of Labor in Montreal. were KEEP
Informed of the latest DEVELOPMENTS
committee of teamsters left the cit,
for Montreal last night to present the
situation before the convention ane
demand definite action from the FEEDER.
alton. The committee was composed
OF j. j. McKenna, of the Board OF
Business Agents of the international
Brotherhood of Teamsters ard busines.
agent of the van teamsters; William
Brown, of Transfers Local, 8O7; Ed
ward McAfferyy, chairman of the
transportation Trades Council, repre-
senting $4,000 longshoremen and A.,
600 teamsters; Joseph Tobin of the
market drivers, and Joseph Monahan
OF the piano teamsters.
Hitter raSontn1ept moo
yesterday by union leaders at the
alleged cooperation by the American
Legion to the Merchants Association
in its efforts to break the strike. Johr
+. Riley, chairman of the Greater New
York District Council of the Interna-
tlonal Longshoremen's Association, was
particularly vehement in denouncinp
the Legion.
May Fight American Legion
- A statement issued by Wade H
Hayes, state commander of the Ameri.
can Legion, denied the Legion was in
any way cooperating with the mer.
chants and declared the members OF
the American Legion who are manning
the trucks of the Merchants Associa-
ton are doing SO on their own re.
sponsibility
Mr.. Riley said that what he called
the interference of the American
Legion in the situation was reflected
IN the vote taken by Locals 895 and
1911 of the longshoremen not to re-
turn to work pending the granting OF
increased freight rates to the steam
ship companies by the Interstate Com.
merce Commission.
Ten thousand of our men took part
IN, the great war, either in the army
or navy" said Riley. eff the Ameri.
can Legion does not keep it's hands off
tins fight we are going to tell our men
who are members that they will either
nave to get out of the American Legion
or sever their connection with our
union. There is no other alternative ,
Despite the vote of 1000 longshore
men of Local 915 Of the international
Longshoremen's Association and OF
stevedores and foremen at Greenwich h
Hall, christopher and Hudson streets
last night, not to return to work pend.
ing the action of the Interstate Com
merce Commission on the question OF
increased freight rates, Mr.. Riley was
confident the committee of the long.
shoremen now in Washington to present
It's case before the commission will
meet with success. He is sure the com
mission will grant an increase of 81
per cent in freight rates. and that with
this increase the wages of the LONG
shoremen Will be increased to permit
them to return to work. The long.
shoremen expect an increase in wages
to 80 cents an hour and $1.25 for over
time.
Vote on Returning to Work
The coastwise longshoremen are now
taking their vote on the proposition OF
returning to work in all the ports of
the Atlantic Coast. While the vote in
New York will be in the negative. judp-
ing by the returns thus far, it ia ex-
pected that the majority of the six bio
ports involved will vote in favor Of po,
ing back to work and resting their case
with the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion. majority vote in favor of return.
ing Will compel the longshorcmen in
this port to resume work
Mr.. Riley said >he has been in recent
Of telephone messages from Washing
ton from James Reilly and William
Smith, two of the longshoremen's rem.
resentatives, that they and other labor
leaders Will have a conference with At
torney General Palmer and the Inter.
state Commerce Commission to-dav re-
garding the local situation, and par-
ticuhrly the phase touching on the
strike OF the members of the Marine
workers Affliation, men who work on
harbor craft run by the railroads in
tins port. A. L. Jauss, business agent
Oh the Marine Workers Affiliation. said
yesterday the affiliation will take no
actlon on the Erie Railroads refusal to
accept the application of the Adamson
elght-hour law to harbor craft men, as
n n nd