The New York herald., 1921-05-14
MARINE UNIONS ASK
IADOF TUG ENGINEERS
Want Them to Refuse to
Handle Freight of Any
Unfair Vessel.
CONTRACT is IN WAY
Agreement With Tugboat
Owners Does Not End
Until January Next. p
NO BREAK YET IN STRIKE
Winthrop L. Marvin Declares
Cases Of Violence Continue
to Be Reported.
NO BREAK YET IN STRIKE


blockade of American shipping, which
In New York harbor at least has not
been as conclusive as they had hoped,
the unions are now trying TO get the
tugboat engineers to join the strike.
The idea of the leaders is that the
tugboat men will not quit work, but
will simply refuse to handle any "un-
fair vessel, which means any vessel
the wages OF whose crew have been
cut in conformity with the decision of
the Shipping Board and the private
owners, effective May l. This CO.
operation of the engineers OF the tugs
was obtained by the marine strikers
in other American ports several days
ago. but was not seriously sought in
New York until yesterday.
The trouble with the project here is
that the union engineers are under a
years agreement with the tugboat own
ers and 1t does not end until next jan
uary. The owners say that refusal to
handle unfair" vessels or any other
vessel to which tug is assigned by the
owners would be violation OF contract
and that the unions could speedily be
brought to terms by court injunction and
penalties.
Most Of the tugboat engineers are
members of Local No. 80 of the Ma
rlne Engineers Beneficial Association.
Thomas p. Healey. the business agent
of that local. said they had been ire
quested'' to steer clear, not only of ''un-
fair" American ships, but OF foreign
ships bearing cargoes transferred from
strikebound American ships. To what
AaYz noF fc haf1 hnnI Ia1
not apparent yesterday. None of the
steamship lines reported any shortage OF
tugs.
Admitting that a tugboat strike would
cause some annoyance, Winthrop l..
Marvin vce-president and general man
ager OF the American steamship Owners
Association, said 1t could not last long.
"Tugboat men went out In Boston a
few days ago." he remarked 'but now
they are back at work. 1t would be the
same here"
The strike continued yesterday with
out sign of a break on either side. Sec
retary OF Labor Davis stopped over on
his way to Boston and talked briefly
with AIR Healey. who said later that
neither man had any new suggestion TO
make. only four American ships sailed
from this port the Clyde liner Mohawk
and the Nara belonging to w. r. Grace
a Co the United American liner Dako-
tan and the Standard oil vessel Josiah
Macy, but Fridays sailin2s are always
few. The big Red Star liner Finland is
one OF the nine scheduled to go out to-
day. Several postponements were an
nounced.
The unions say that several unfair
vessels which have succeeded In leaving
port have been disabled at sea because
the new crews don't understand the ma
Chinery. Strike Leader Healey said that
the Mount Clay was being towed to Hall
fax. the X. I. Luckenbach was towed
into Boston and the United Fruit boat
parismina had been compelled TO put
into Havana.
"rhe most distinctive triumph thus
far won over the striking union" In
the words Of Mr. Marvin. was 4-,3rs-
DAYS achievement of the United Ameri-
can Lines. which sent five ships 10 sea
I'M one day Mr.. Marvin said that cases
OF violence continue to be reported. He
declared that a young radio operator
on his way to his ship was beaten sense
less BY thugs in Battery Park and
chief engineer Of a Coastwise line at
tackled in the same way In broad day
light near the North River"
The United states Transport Conn
pany. controlled by Charles w. Morse.
relies on the courts to compel the Gov
crnment to return TO II the six ships
seized by Admiral Benson because the
company signed crews at the old scale
These ships are the T.. a. Morse, Anna
Morse. Colin II. Livingston, G. c.
Morse, Jennie r. Morse and Vanada.
The company bought them from the
Emergency Fleet Corporation through
the Virginia Shipbulldng Corporation at
S225 deadweight ton. according TO X. o.
White president. and has met all the
payments The Shipping Board tried
to prevent them from going into the in
tercoastal trade between the Atlantic
and the Pacific but was prevented by
an Injunction obtained by the company
in Virginia.
Mr.. White said he thought that the
seizure violated this Injunction. but the
company had not yet decided what
course il would adopt to get back its
feet. II signed a years contract with
tho union mariners NJ tho old wage.
but. explained Mr.. White, with verbal
understanding that the ultimate wage
would be whatever was generally agreed
upon when the strike should be settled.