New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-03
I est in Ship
Strike Here
Is Due Il tlay

y
will depend entirAly upeG tho attitude
| Of the marine engineers. who are high
/ " trained ofiicers. Should they ouit
their vessels In sufficient numbers. and
should their comrades, who arc already
idle a. . result OF the general shipping
depression. also refuse to sign con-
tracts to sail, the tia-up Of Americas
merchant marine will be complete.
The first day Of the strike Indicated
that 1t would not be dificult to I'LL the
places Of the striking seamen, stew
ards and framen.
/ It was generally conceded by both
sides yesterday that 60 per cent Of
the American merchant marine is in
operation. and the other 40 per cent
was idle before the strike was called.
The strike, if successful, will affect
approximately $4,000 men.
The action Of the American Steam
ship Owners Association in refusing
| to listen to the suggestion Of Secretary
Hoover for the appointment Of COM
| mission of three, which was unani-
mousiy adopted at meeting last
night, was in resolution form, as fol-
| lows:
"Now therefore be it resolved, That
4 to place in the hands other than their
4 own the decision of vital issues involv-
| ing the success or failure of their
business undertakings, particularly in
tho present depressed condition of the
/ marine industry, would be contrary to
sound business judgment, principle and
PRECEDENT
! The premamble to this resolution
\ covered threee typewriter pages and
| revealed some Of the demands made by
representatives of the unions during
the recent joint conferences that
failed, as follows:
Ax.A~ =
stewards declined to discuss either
wage scale or working rules until they
had received satisfactory assurances on
the following points:
A. The abolition Of the Sea Service
Bureau.
B. The enforcement Of Section No
ii OF the seaman's act, especially Che
language clause.
c. The enforcement OF Section No
Id of the seamen's act covering life
saving equipment, especially on foreign
ships.
4 D. The enforcement Of Section No, Q
Of the seamen's act covering the divi-
sion Of watches.
! e. That preference be given to union
| members.
/ F. That the unions were to examine
the men and not to admit to member
ship any not reasonably qualified
Ship Owners Position
F The position OF the ship owners on
these points as outlined in the resolu-
ton preamble is as follows:
A. The abolition Of the Sea Service
! Bureau is a matter to be determined
by the United States Shipping Board
u, G and D. The enforcement of the
seamen's act is matter in which the
Department Of Commerce is clothed
with authority.
E and F. Consent to union prefer
ence cannot be given.
At the present moment there are
slxty-one American steamships in this
port loading to sail before May 20
next. OF these, seven are scheduled to
sail to-day and eleven are preparing to
leave on Saturday. The only two yes
sells. scheduled to sail yesterday sue
ceeded in doing so, They were the City
of st. Louis, Of the Savannah Line,
which sailed for Savannah, and the
left Bayonne for Mexico with a strike
breaking crew on board.
Union officials are preparing to make
their headquarters in this city to con-
| duct the strike, and seven officers of
the International Seamen's Union took
1 up their quarters at the Hotel Cont
mental, headed by General Secretary
/ Gus Brown. Andrew Furuseth, presi-
dent of the union, remained over in
President Harding in reply to the APP
peal made by the union for his inter-
vention.
| At the Hotel Continental yesterday
it was said that Furuseth would come
| on to New York to-day If the President
does not take any action by midnight.
The representatives Of the seamen's
union there said they were making
every effort to come to some under
standing before the entire merchant
marine was tied up.
n Winthrop Marvin, vicc-president and
secretary of the American Shipowners
Association, last night said that ap-
proximately 260 ships sailing to and
from this port would be affected by
the strike. Most of these are some.
where on the high seas or in foreign
ports.
Points Out Loss to British
In outlining the stand Of the ship.
owners in their determination to reduce
the wages, he said that American ships
one year ago were carrying SO pei
To-day he said they were carrying bu
80 per cent Of the exports and imports
due to the inroads made chiefly b,
British Shipping as result Of lower op
Grating costs and wages.
n. IA. Raymond, president Of the IS
ISOLATION, stated: The American shi,
owners will stand by faithfully 1Yitl
all the engineers who prove loyal, ant
! they will be protected in every way.
Thomas +. Healey. chairman Of tn,
| Atlantic and Gulf Conference of the
Marine Engineers Beneficial Associa
I ton, declared yesterday that within
| forty-eight hours the coastwise ship
| ping along the Atlantic seaboard wouf,
be 100 per cent tied up by the strike
| He stated that all members Of the az
| sociation were Loyalty standing by tn
decision to resign" from their vos
| sells and were leaving as fast as the,
| could.
Healy stated that his organizatio,
had made peace with the Polish-Amer
1 lean Company, which operates vessel
/ between this port and Danzig. Th
steamer Gdansk is scheduled to leav
hers for Danzig this week. He ais
stated that similar arrangements ha,
been made with other shipping com
1 panies in other ports who had agree,
not to reduce wages.
boats Now Loading Here
| The following Is list OF the Unite
States Shipping Board and privately
owned steamships flying the America
| flag which are now loading at thi
port:
| Vessel .pestination. settling Date.