The New York herald., 1921-05-09
Engineers Send Committee
to Washington With COun-
ter Proposals for Sec
i retary Davis.
ONE BRANCH YIELDS
Union Men Open to Any
Reasonable Agreement
and Give Officials Full
Power to Act.
SETTLEMENT FORECAST
Attitude of Owners Also Be-
lieved to Be Favorable to
Speedy End of the
Deadlock.
SETTLEMENT FORECAST

A settlement of the marine strike
this week was forecast yesterday. One
of two indications that the unions at
tempt to keep the men on strike we're
failing came in dispatches from Gal
weston, where the Galveston branch Of
the Marine Engineers Beneficial AS
sociation agreed to accept the final
proposition of the owners and the
Shipping Board-a wage reduction Of
approximately Is per cent. with re-
tention Of the eight hour day, and the
reinstatement of all striking engineers.
At meeting Of the Marine Engi-
neers Beneficial Association branches
in this city compromise proposals,
emanating from the Department Of
Labor at Washington, were rejected,
but at the same time the men en-
powered their officials to resume nego-
tiations looking toward immediate end
ing of the strike.
simultaneously with these two meet
ings marine engineers in all American
ports met and discussed the situation
and the proposals. There were no des-
patches from other cities to indicate
which way the local conditions were
turning, but the union leaders assem-
bled at the Continental Hotel here said
that all the meetings took the same
stand as the local meeting, at least in
opposing the wage cut and the pro-
posed bonus system.
Last night officials OF the marine
engineers organization, headed by
Timothy b Healy. left for tho Capital
with q series of counter proposals.
These win be presented to Secretary
Of Labor Davis this morning They
mental, but their nature was not made
known
Efficiency Wage Favored.
One of the compromise proposals put
before the meeting at Cooper Union
was that the 15 per cent wage reduc-
ton be accepted. AS this was the
principal point which led to the call
ing of the strike week ago they
voted mo" The assurance that the
wage cut would be offset by the pay
ment of bonuses for efficiency was re-
garded sceptically by the men. sys-
tenn OF bonuses. 1t was pointed out, has
worked fairly we'll on the Standard
oil ships, but conditions on other lines
and in other forms of shipping are
different.
An efficiency wage" now is being
talked Of 10 take the place OF the pro-
posed bonus The term, as explained by
union leaders. means that a marine en-
gineer will get fixed wage and. in ad-
dtion. fixed percentage of what he
can show he has saved the company by
efficient methods IAN engineer can be
wasteful or he can cut close" said Mr..
Healey. Such system. II was pointed
out, would encourage engineers to save
all they could. knowing that their pay
would lack the natural uncertainty of a
bonus system.
1t was asserted last night by man
high in union affairs that the officials
would meet in Washington this morning
with the express purpose, not of quib-
bling or bluffing, but OF settling the
strike as soon as possible. The commit
tee has the power to do exactly what It
thinks best. he said. and will be open to
any reasonable compromise proposals.
even to agreeing to a small cut In
wages The efficiency wage" probably
viii be agreed upon to offset the reduc-
tioE.
The seamen's and other unions will be
guided by the action of the engineers.
Regard Harding ms Friend.
The belief was expressed by leaders
of marine engineers that Secretary Davis
and Secretary OF Commerce Hoover, as
well as President Harding himself
were disposed kindly toward the strikers
and sympathized with their position.
There was laughter when Mr.. Healey
said:
president Harding has the creates.
regard for the marine engineers. AS an
inducement to settling the strike | am
assured that the committee will be per
mitted to have it's picture taken on the
White House steps"
Members of the American Steamship
Owners Association remained unchanged
yesterday In their position that they
would keep In effect the 15 per cent
wage cut and would sail their ships
with strkebreakers IL necessary. Like
the unions. they claim that victory is
theirs. They deny that shipping has
been seriously interrupted. though they
admit several delays in sailings The
unions on the other hand. declare that
they arc well satisfied with the effects
OF the strike so far that the men are
ptandinR together In refusing to accept
the wage reductions, and that all ports
are virtually tied up. On the Pacific
Coast. according 70 Ernest f. Pegg,