The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-05-08
MARINE STRIKERS
VOTE TO-DAY ON
WAGE PROPOSALS
Prediction Made That Is 2.
G.. Cut Will Be Rejected
by Engineers.
OWNERS STAND FIRM
Sailings Continue in Al
most Normal Number, Says
Shipping Board Head.
ARRESTS In BROOKLYN
Three Men With Clubs Ac-
cused of Trying to Intimi-
date Crew of Ship.
ARRESTS IN BROOKLYN

Members of the Marine Engineers
Union in all American ports will meet
to-day and go through the form of
voting on compromise proposals from
Washington, three of which already
have been rejected by the American
Steamship Owners Association. The
New York meeting will be held in
Cooper Union at 2 r. M.
AS the proposals include a 10 per
cent. wage reduction, against which
the strike that began last Sunday Is
principally directed, union leaders pre-
dicted last night that the decision in
to-day's referendum will be mo"
The unions profess TO be satisfied
and to be in no mood for compromise.
Although American vessels are sail
ing every day, albeit in reduced num-
bers, the strike leaders insist that
everything is alright" In Washing
ton yesterday Admiral Benson said
that sixty-seven Shipping Board ves-
sells had sailed from American ports
in the last week and that this number
was almost normal
Fl. II. Raymond, president of the
Clyde Mallory lines and of the Ameri-
can Steamship Association, dictated
this:
There is every sign that the at
tempt of the engineers and unlicensed
unions to paralyze American shipping
is fast breaking down. American ships
with full crews continue to go to sea
from New York and other ports.
Ship Owners Unshnken I'm stand.
I'VE do not hear of any further con-
ferences in Washington, for the situa-
tion Is clearing Itself. Therc is abso-
lutely no change in the attitude of the
American Steamship Owners Associa-
tion. We stand by our proposition of
May for 15 per cent reduction in
wages and the elimination of overtime
The Shipping Board is standing une-
quiyocally with us. We heartily en-
dorse Admiral Benson's declaration OF
to-day that we are operating our ships
on the new scale: men who remain loyal
Will receive every consideration from
US"
Seven steamships got away from New
York yesterday Saturdays sailing list
is usually considerably larger. One of
the seven. the jefferson. belongs to the
Old Dominion company, with which the
unions say they have reached settle
nent. Others are the Montauk. A.
lantic Transport line, for London: the
Munson liner Lake Beacon, for Nor
folk the Ward liner Mexico for Ha-
yana; the City of Montgomery. Ocean
Steamship Company, for Savannah, and
the Deerfield of the Elder Steel Steam
ship Company. for London.
Three men with clubs were arrested
in Brooklyn yesterday and charged
with trying to intimidate the crews of
two Bull-Insuiar snlps, the Helen and
the Carolyn. which were due to sail.
In Charleston, s. c., two National Guard
companies have been modified as q
precautionary measure and ordered to
patrol the waterfront and guard mer-
chantmen.
How far the union leaders have gone
in accepting. subject 10 referendum,
the proposals to be voted upon to-day is
problematical. They say that Secretary
of Labor Davis is the sponsor for the
suggestions, and that they. the leaders,
are merely acting as Intermediates in
passing them along to the rank and file.
The suggestions reached New York in
a telegram from the union heads in
Washington, who have been comforting
with Secretaries Davis and Hoover, and.
TO a lesser degree, with Admiral Benson.
Anyway, they constitute a pr osed basis
OF settlement.
Bonuses for Efficiency.
The proposals are, In brief:
The unions accept fifteen per cent.
wage cut which. they are told, would be
offset by the payment of bonuses for
efficiency.
The basic eight hour day is retained
and workers are TO be paid for over
time on n pro rata basis.
There Is to be years contract
Union men are not TO be dlscrimin-
ated against Those who struck are to
be restored to their former Jobs or Jobs
equally as good. Collective bargaining
Is to be retained.
The 1920 classification of ships Is to
be retained.
The three points rejected Dy tne Amer
ican Steamship Owners at meeting OF
its executive and wage committees on
Friday were overtime. bonus and a
years contract No offer Of the unions
to accept lower wages has been received
by the owners. according to Winthrop l..
Marvin. vice president and general man
ager OF the association.
The result Of the referendum to day IL
IN no reported to Secretary OF Labor
Davis by 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.
Whatever II il, he hopes to have another
series of conferences in Washington this
week.
Bert L. Todd. head of the deep sea
branch OF the engineers, Local No. so,
said yesterday that the puzzle as to how
some ships were enabled to sail In the
face OF the strike had been solved. He
asserted that the Sea Service Bureau OF