The New York herald., 1921-05-11
CONGRESS TO HEAR
MARINE WAGE PLEA
Negotiations With Ship
ping Board Fail-Seyeral
Agreements Signed.
RECRUITING INCREASES
Shipowners Confident OF
Filling Berths Deserted
by Strikers.
SAILINGS ARE IRREGULAR
One Vessel Transferred From
Company Signing With
Unions at Old Rate.
RECRUITING INCREASES
SAILINGS ARE IRREGULAR

Failure OF the attempt TO persuade
Admiral Benson and the ship owners
that wartime wages should be con-
tinued has caused the striking marine
unions to carry their fight TO Con-
gress.
hearing before the Appropriations
committees will be sought by William
s. Brown, president OF the Marine
Engineers Beneficial Association. lie
hopes to prove that the Government,
through Chairman Benson of the Ship
ping Board. is shouldering the burden
of the private owners. He also wishes
TO present figures intended to prove
that because of idle ships the strike
is costing the Government lot OF
money.
Bert T.. Todd and Thomas B. Healy,
spokesmen for the New York Locals
oe engineers in the inconclusive con-
ferences az Washington, returned 10
this city last night and told their fol-
lowers in meetings at 26 Park place
and Is Whitehall street about the
dropping of negotiations. The tax III
these, meetings mostly favored Keep
ing the strike going on the old OASIS
Meanwhile Capt. irving l.. Evans ma
tional director of the Shipping Board
recruiting service. reported that WORK
ers were being put aboard vessels IN
greater numbers than month aso'
when there was no strike.
"We are gaining. There's no DOUBT Oh
Il This has been our best day since
the strike began" Capt. Evans saia iast
night. Reports from the agencies OF
the Sea Service Board at the principal
American ports show that the bureau
nIaced from May to Mey :, inclusive
the first seven days of the STRIKE l.oh
men, of whom 1,512, or sos per cent
we're Americans. Sixty-eight were ensi-
necrs. During the first week in April
the bureau placed 1852 men. OF whom
fcrty-four were engineers
The union leaders read this optimistic
summary and comparison without blink
ing. and then countered with an asser-
ton that the list of ship operating COM
panies with whom they have signed
agreements at the old unreduced wage
now number twelve. Three Of these are
members of the American Steamship
Owners Association. which was sup
posed to be an mpregnable combina-
ton. These are the China Mail Steam
ship Company of San Francisco, which
has two vessels under the Am srican
flag the China and the Yanking: the
Peninsula and Oriental small New
Orleans company. and the Eastern
Steamship Company. which has fifteen
boats on the New England coast and in
Long Island Sound. and with whose
president. Calvin Austin. the engineers.
so they say, signed a contract on Mon
day. The Gulf Navigation Company OF
New Orleans made its peace with the
unions yesterday.
The meagreness Of the tonnage repre-
sented by these companies as compared
with that of the approximately eighty
members of the American Steamship
owners Association who have agreed
not to yield TO the strikers was pointed
out by Winthrop L. Marvin. the asso-
cations vice-president and general man.
ager. He remarked that the Eastern
Steamship Company's traffic was largely
of the summer variety. and of the de-
fections generally he said:
I'VE are not surprised by the reports
that they have signed with the unions
We uAdtlEhdHu litciT PUcllAOH anu tucft
Is no resentment"
The owners found something TO please
them In the report that in the referen.
dunn on Sunday the engineers OF Gal.
weston. Mobile and Pensacola, dissent
ing from the decision of their comrade;
elsewhere, voted to accept the Is PEI
cent. reduction.
Effects of the strike continue to b.
seen In delayed and irregular sailings
Six American steamships sailed iron
New York yesterday. They are tn,
Santa Marta, United Fruit Company
for Kingston the San Juan. New Yorl
and Porto Rico Steamship Company, 70
San Juan; the West Segovia. Shippinl
Board. for Norfolk: the Mskianza, Nc
Allister Bros, for New Orleans the 81
Mihiel army transport, for San Juan
md the Comus. Southern Pacific Com
pany for New Orleans.
Departure OF the Clyde liner LAX
Fariston for Cape Hayti was postpone,
to tomorrow. Other ships that expecte
TO sail yesterday but did not up to las
night. included the Clyde liner Apache
for Jacksonville: the Colon. Panama
Railroad Steamship Company. for tn
Canal Zone, held up since last Friday
the Clyde liner. Algonquin. for SAINT
Domingo, and the City OF Savannah
Ocean Steamship Company, for Havans
The engineers union revelled In bi