New-York tribune., 1921-05-14
Complete Tie-Up of Har-
bor is Threatened if
Towboat Crews Agree to
Blacklist Unfair Ships
N. Y. Line Will Give
Benson Court Battle
Company That Yielded to
Union to Fight Order
Withdrawing 6 Vessels

The possibility Of complete tie-up
OF all shipping in this port arose yes
terday as further complication in the
transportation difficulties engendered
by the nationwide shipping strike. It
arose out of the request made to the
tugboat men in this harbor to refrain
from handling all unfair ships dur
ing the period of the marine struggle.
Whether the men will accede to the re-
quest could not be learned yesterday.
They are still operating under a wage
agreement that does not expire until
the end of the year.
Thomas B. Healey, head of the har-
Dor marine engineers, who returned
from the conference with Secretaries
Davis and Hoover in Washington, said
Engineers Of towboats have re-
sponded favorably to the request OF
their organizations to refrain from
handling unfair ships. This is a new
and effective handicap to the ship own
ers in their desperate efforts to get
their ships away"
Benson Order To Be Fought
s Another complication has arisen out
of the action of Admiral William S
Benson, chairman of the United States
Shipping Board, in taking away the six
steamships from the United Transport
Company because the company had en-.
tered into separate agreement with
the unions. An action concerning these
six vessels is already pending in the
Federal courts, and an injunction order
against the Shipping Board restraining
it from interfering with them is still
standing. R. o, White, president of the
company, said yesterday that further
legal proceedings would be instituted
Immediately to recover the six ships.
Three American steamers succeeded
in sailing from this port yesterday
They were the tanks Josiah Macy
bound for Tampico, and Nora, which
left for Port Lobos, and the steamship
Mohawk, which sailed for Charleston
In the face of the statements by tht
steamship owners and the Shipping
board officials, Bert L.. Todd, secretar.
of the ocean-going local of the Marin.
Engineers Association, yesterday as
serted that there were 257 active ship;
tied up in this port ready for sea with
cut any crews.
Say Men Have Left SO Ships
It also was stated by him that ninety
eight steamships of American registr,
had arrived in this port since tn
strike order went into effect on May
last, and that without exception the as
sistant engineers had left all thes
vessels. The chief engineers of all bu
seven of the ships had resigned also
he said. During this period thirty
| nine steamers had sailed with strik
breaking crews out of the total o
| slxty-four sailings.
The action of Admiral Benson i
taking away six steamers from Charlie
w. Morse's United States Transpor
| Company is likely to involve a length,
legal battle. r. D. White, president o
the company, yesterday issued the fol
| lowing statement:
"Thjs company arranged with tn
| Shipping Board to purchase, through
the Virginia Shipbuilding Company,
number of vessels. There has neve
been any violation of the purchas
agreement. Several months ago tn
Shipping Board endeavored to prevsn
|
vessels between ports on the eas
coast and ports on the west coast o
the United States.
! Says II Violates Court Order
"The United States Transport Com
pany, Inc, at that time obtained an ir
| junction in the United States Distric
| Court of Virginia stopping the Shir
ping Board from interference with tn
| operation of our vessels. The injune
tlon still is in effect. The action of tn
Shipping Board is a violation of thj
| injunction, we believe We presum
/ that the controversy will be adiuste
in court.
"Our agreement with the unions I
renew the 1920 agreement included
stipulation that when a settlement WE
reached between the Shipping Boar
and the unions. vessels of this con
pany would operate under the ne
agreement"
Mr.. White said the six ships repr,
sented an aggregate tonnage of owe
$4,000 dead weight tons. The shiy
are the E. A. Morse at New Londol
Conn; The Anna Morse, at San Fral
cisco; the Colin Fl. Livingston at Val
J couver; the G. G. Morse, at Baltimore
/ the Jennie r. Morse, at New Londc
and the Vanada, at Alexandria, Va.
/ He said that the company had pu
chased the ships from the Emergenc
Fleet Corporation at S225 per des
weight ton. All payments to date ha,
been met, he stated