New-York tribune., 1920-05-25
|conferees Act !,
|ToBreak
In City Freight
Rail Managers, Shippers and
government Take Part i'm
Meeting and Committee
to Wage Fight Is Named
Harbor Situation Worse
roo Lighter Captains Quit
and More Firms Divert
Vessels TO Other Ports

Railroad managers, shippers and
..,.essptatives Of the Interstate Com
wa Commission conferred here yes
,.-sav in a concentrated effort to free
y.w York from its long existent
...;rh. congestion Similar meetings
,.rr called in Washington and thirty
.ser congested ccnters throughout the
,aau.ry by W C. Kendall, manager of
.ss car service department of the
,aericaat Railway Association.
The conference here was in the Offices
n the American Railway Association, rs
church Strct, with ". j. McGarry, rep
r,senting Mr.. Kendall, present A CO.
,peratiye committee was tentatively
chosen the personnel of which Will not
be made public for day or two.
Among the questions considered were
he prompt loading and unloading of
seuipment: the loading of all cars to
.gN capacity: placement Of car orders
Ir accordance with necessities; reduc-
ton Of use Of equipment in trap or
rsnsfer service when movement can be
made By motor truck or wagon; devel-
oUment Of practical arrangements for
txpeGiting through merchandise cars
and the general increase of efficiency
n available equipment. The committee
bopes TO increase the efficiency of the
railroads at least % per cent.
Harbor Situation Worse
The railroad men declared an I'M
Droyement was noted in the general
situation, with some of the roads re-
portine excellent progress The har-
scr situation, particularly with respect
70 coastwise trade. however, was de-
,lared TO be in worse shape than ever
because Of the walk-out of 300 lighter
CAPTAINS yesterday in sympathy with
:.riking longshoremen.
These men. who belong to Lighter
Captains Union. Local 996. will lighter
70 freight 20 any o. the coastwise piers
IL New York harbor and will haul no
cargoes from railroad piers TO coast
Tse lines The action of the lighter
ssptains is expected TO tie up the ship
Ping lines
report that the strike of marine
workers on the floating equipment of
the railroads had been settled was de-
dared without foundation by Thomas
Haley. presiden Of the Marine Work
RS Afiliatiou and Captain William
Nsher, Of the Masters Mates and Pl-
The union leaders, however. made
.-5iic communication addressed to
H. RIre. chairman of the Railroad
eli for the first time they offer tc
a7t their men back to work if the
lroal vl restore them to theil
-fr iatus and then meet .unior
a ~ adjust their grievances.
dee &red by one of the rail
d Of cials ,hat the companies would
re.eae lrom their stand that the
's- Was unjustihed and that they
s nor Treat with the men until
ha! conc back to wefk. 80
Vessels Seek Other Ports
The stripping troubles in the port
are resulted la additional diversions
ivan sajlantlc cargo carriers t.
her cities Two more steamship
mnanies whose vessels formerly
cared solely from New York an
mced yesterday that difficulties
re have forced them to send their
esseis 70 other ports. The Kerr
eamship Company, Of II Battery
ace. which leads in trade with Ger
many and DanZig. says 1t has diverted
wenty OF its ships 10 Baltimore and
aadelph a.
WR. Grace & Co., who have feet
fourteen vessels, declare they have
.snt two 81 their carriers 10 Baltimore