New-York tribune., 1920-06-08
Closed Port Is
Unions Threat
To Merchants
Appearance of First Open
Shop Truck Will Mean
Strike of 10000, Says
Longshoreman President
Deep Sea Piers Affected
Business Men Reply They
Will Go Ahead With
Their $5,OOO,OOO Plan

Union leaders declared last night
that the first appearance of the open
shop trucks on the street, which the
commercial interests have announced
they will operate in an effort to break
the freight blockade at the coastwlse
piers, will be the signal for tie-up OF
the entire port.
John Riley, president of the New
York District Council of the Interna-
tional Longshoremen's Association, de.
fes the merchants to go through with
their $5,000,000 program - move goods
in and out of the city on the open
shop principle.
Threaten to Close Harbor
"The business men, as represented
by the Citizens transportation Com.
mittee,' declared Riley, "have said
they are not against unions or organ
ized labor. Their announced determi
naticn to use non--nion truck drivors
10 move their goods off and on the
ciers, however. can be interpreted in
Only one way, akG that is that it he
beginning Of an anti-union movement
1t can lead to only one thing, aad that
is an industrial war. The first appeav.
ancc OF the non-union trucks at the
plels will result ir an immediate strike
OF mere than 10000 longshoreme;1 and
nn on freight handlers and the closing
up of the harbor."
sea piers had been told that non-union
trucks would call for goods there and
that they were to continue working just
the same. These piers are used by the
international Mercantile Marine Com
pany for transatlantic trade. AS the
present strike affects only the coast
wise piers. it is the first time that the
deep-sea docks have been brought into
the controversy. Riley says that the
longshoremen will be ordered to refuse
to handle goods brought to the piers
b' non-union drivers.
You can say" he concluded, "that
239 labor bodies in New York City are
watching the developments with open
eyes. and that they will be ready to 90
TO bat at the sound Of the gong"
Lining Up for Conflict
That the various interests are grad
ually lining up for the threatened in
dustrial conflict was evident from the
attitude of Frederick W. Toppn, vice
president and general manager of the
International Mercantile Marine. "We
have contract with the longshore.
men working on our PIERS" said Mr.
Ioppin yesterday. "and we shall call
upon the Union chiefs to hold the men
to this contract. There was no stipu.
latlon IN our agreement as to whether
merchandise must be moved by union
or non-union trucks, and l hold that
H. l.
cuse for violation Of our agree
ment."
Mr.. Toppin added that the troubles
In the harbor have resulted in cutting
down export business to about 65 per
cent Of normal.
There were indications, too, that the
unionized workers are already taking
individual action in combating the eff
forts of the merchants to break the
strikers grip on the ports commerce.
John Delaney, an organizer for the
iongsnoremen. referring, to the con-
tribution of several hundred dollars to
the merchants fund b. employees of
the Rogers. Peet Company, said that
while he had always purchased goods
from that firm. he would no longer do
80, intimating that similar action
would probably be taken by hundreds
of other union men.
Following a meeting of the oper-
ating committee of the citizens trans
portation committee in the offices of
the Merchants Association, in the
Woolworth Building, it was said the
efforts of the committee were now
mainly directed toward obtaining
drivers for the hundreds of trucks
now available to give impartial serv-
ice"
Molitor Not Frightened
Colonel F. A. Molitor, in charge o1
the trucking program, declared he
was in no way frightened by the
threats of the longshoremen's leaders
to tie up the port, and that they were
going through with their program
just the same
1t was learned that a shortage Of
cotton goods has resulted from the
strike on the coastwise piers. Tn,
Old Dominion Line annually trans
ported more than 168,580 tons of cot
ton goods for period Of three year,
prior to its recent suspension, while
other lines affected also carried large
quantities from Southern mills. With
this method Of shipment gone whole
salers and consumers have reported {
scarcity of the commodity. Whatever
stutfs are sent here by rail command
high prices because of the extra
freight charges.