New-York tribune., 1921-05-22
Davis, Benson and Union
Delegate Make Tenta-
tive Decision Involving a
Wage Cut About Tsp.
Engineers Will
Act ON 1t To-day
Two Elements to Oppose
lit; Labor Secretary May
Be Allowed to Talk

a tentative agreement for the settle
ment of the nationwide shipping
strike was reached yesterday at con-
ference in Washington attended bv ren-
resentatives Of the Marine Engineers
benevolent Association, Secretary of
Labor Davis and Admiral William 8
Benson, chairman of the United States
Shipping Board. Immediately after the
conclusion of the conference repre-
sentatives of all three parties departed
for this city and arrived here late last
night.
Serious opposition to the proposed
agreement was threatened by one sec
ton of the marine engineers associa-
tion on the one side and by the Ameri-
can Steamship Owners Association on
the other, despite the fact that the
Shipping Board has accepted the pro-
posals.
Ihe proposals include an accordance
by the men of the Is per cent reduc-
hon IN wages, in return for which there
VIII be compromise upon the general
working conditions and the question of
overtime, which will bring the actual
reduction III wages somewhat below IL
per cent. The terms of the agreement
however, will not be made public until
they have been accepted by all parties
to the strike. 1t is understood that the
compromise will be retroactive as from
May l and will continue IN effect for
one year.
Breach Between Two Unions
The agreement is likely to widen the
breach that has already opened up in
the relationship of the two marine
engineer organizations in this citv,
Thomas B. Healey has said he womb
urge the men to reject the agreement
at the mass meeting which will be held
TINS afternoon at Cooper Union.
Ernest Pegg, chairman of the Pacific
Council, who Is in this city, said last
night that he would not under anv
circumstances sign the agreement if it
included the acceptance of the Is per
cent reduction in wages.
Il have been given positive instruc-
t1ons from San Francisco on this
point" he said, "and our men out there
necessary we will carry on the strike
out there single handed until we win"
The other snag in the proposed
agreement is the attitude of the Amer
lean Steamship Owners Association,
whose members chiefly operate their
own vessels. This organization has
voted unanim ously to refrain from
signing any agreement with any sea-
mans labor organization, and in the
future to continue its operations on an
open-shop basis. This was reiterated
again Yesterday by Winthrop L. Mar
win, vice-president and general
manager.
In the dispatches from Washington
it was said that the radio operators,
who were represented by Benjamin
Beckernlan, said their president would
accept the agreement that was accepted
by the marine engineers. Andrew
Furuseth, president of the seamen's
union, will sign a similar agreement
for the seamen, fremen, oilers and
stewards.
The parties to the conference in
Washington for the marine engineers
were W. S. Brown, president of the as
ISOLATION; Bert L. Todd. head of the
N. Willeys, of Boston; C. E. T'hurston,
of Norfolk; James B. Dukes, of Phila-
delphia, and William Hymen, of Bal
timore. Both Healey and Pegg refused
to take any part in the conferences
The representatives who arrived here
from Washington last night, besides
the above, were Secretary Davis and w.
S. jenkins. of the United States Ship
ping Board.
Lively Meeting Expected
Whether Secretary Davis will be per-
mitted to address the striking engi-
neers at the mass meeting this after
noon was undecided last night. On last
Tuesday, when he was in the city and
mass meeting was being held there,
both Healey and Todd declined to per-
nit him to go into the hall and talk to
the men. In any case the meeting is
expected to be quite a lively one.
The tugboat men who went on strike
at Newport News in sympathy with
the marine strikers returned to work
yesterday, and towing operations in
Hampton Roads became normal again.
Reports from Portland, Ore, said
that an injunction had been issued
against six marine unions there re-
straining them from picketing vessels
in Portland Harbor during the strike.
The order was issued by the Federal
Court after several Filipino seamen on
the steamer Coaxet had fallen into the
river following disturbance.