New-York tribune., 1920-06-19
Merchants to
InyOkeLaw in
Truck Boycott
Evidence Gathered Against
Common Carriers Refus-
ing to Accept Freight
Hauled by Non-Union Men
Goods Moved Steadily
roneshoremen's Chief Ex.
meets Settlement at Palmer
Conference Next Week


N. Citizens Transportation Commit
.... announced yesterday. after a meet
INC in the Offices of the Merchants As
,oeiation, tina. the committee is gather
;nv evidence against common carriers
which refuse to accept freight carried
by non-union tru ks.
Should the evidence reveal any ac-
.;vs discrimination of the kind pro-
.;bited by law and condemned recently
{, the decision of Justice Fawcett in
,ha Burgess case in Brooklyn, Mr..
Merritt said the Citizens Transporta-
,ion Committee will go after the heads
Of the guilty companies.
although we have taken no legal
action as yet against any steamship
eomuany or other common carrier that
has Disseminated against freight
iauled bv our trucks, we most certain
iv will" declared Mr.. Merritt. cat
nreseu. we are just waiting to collect
facts and statements and when we
have enough evidence to make q real
,sst case we shall proceed. When we
io we are going after the heads of the
eompanies. We don't intend to try to
throw the blame on some subordinate.
Freight Continues to Move
Removal of congested freight by the
.ncks of the Citizens Trucking Com
mittee continued steadily and without
interruption yesterday. Colonel Fred
srick A. Molitor, in charge of opera
lions. said that ffty-two trucks were
IN operation and total of $4,000
nounds, or ia tons, of freight was
moved. Nine trucks operated at
savannah Line piers. from which $4,000
rounds of freight was cleared; twenty
trucks were at work at the Clyde Line
niers. moving 10000 pounds Of
freight, and twenty-three trucks were
smployed at the piers Of the Morgan
line. from which 100000 pounds of
freight was taken.
The committee continued yesterday
10 receive Endorsements from business
organizations commencing its efforts to
solve the problem of freight conges-
tion arising cut If the strikes aHect-
;ng the activities of the waterfront.
The following officers were elected
BY the Citizens Committee: William
GLOVES Morgan, president; Bertram
H. Borden, vice-p president, John X.
Young. secretary; Lewis I. Pierson,
treasurer, and John Z. Carlson, assis-
tant treasurer.
II was said ter loads of cotton sent
by the committee on Thursday from
the Margan Line Pier, No. At, to the
army transport piers were not received
there. The checkers on duty at the
army transport piers said they were
willing to check off the goods, but were
TOO busy" The cotton was returned
to the Morgan Line, where it will re-
main for the present.
Settlement Believed Near
William NJ. Smith, one Of the mem
bcrs Of the committee of longshore-
NEIL who returned from Washington.
where a conference was held with At
torney General z liner and the Inter-
state Commerce Commission on meas
ures to bring the local port conflict
to a settlement, was optimistic on the
possibilities for settlement entailed
in the forthcoming conference between
Attorney General Palmer and I. Y.
0Connor, president of the Interna-
tional Longshorernen's Association, in
next week Mr. Smith, who returned
from Washington Thursday night, was
engaged yesterday in assisting the
pickets Of lorgshorenlen and teamsters
along the waterfront.
With the help of Attorney General
Palmer ne said we put our case be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and We think that they will
decide to rase the rates o. the coast
wise steamship companies and that
the men Will get their wage demands.
"A committee Of estern shippers,
however, that also appeared before
the commission were opposed to the
increase, and we feel that the shipping
interests in general are behind them.
We feel that the situation is hope
ial' and our appeal for a public hear
Tag on the question has been granted
ior some time early next week At
.oEney General Palmer has wired to
!. V. O'Connor in Montreal and asked
HIN TO come TO Washington"
The longshoremen are complaining
o. the offer made by the members Of
tAe American Flying Club to the Citi-
trucks.
"A number of our men were in the
sif service said Joseph Riley, presi-
gent Of the District Council of the
International Longshoremen's Associa-
oon, and We believe they are going