The New York herald., 1921-05-10
PARLEY IS OFF IN
SEAMEN'S STRIKE
Benson Declares Is Z. C. Cut
Must Stand; Men Refuse
to Accept.
HOPE IN BONUS PLAN
Premium for Service and
Efficiency Suggested by
Davis and Hoover.
PICKETS USE LAUNCHES
Marine Union Men Raid
Breakers Quarters-Clash
Reported at Charleston.

btilh6 Wd6 ICSOioCu ia ooiAi6 lOi
yesterday. Following an announce
ment from Chairman Benson of the
Shipping Board that the Is per cent
wage reduction must stand. Secretary
of Labor Davis, who has been trying
to restore peace, discontinued his con.
ference with the union leaders. and the
latter returned to their home ports.
That Mr.. Davis may formulate q
new proposal to be offered the Ship
ping Board and the private operators
was indicated in a despatch to THE
NEW YORK HERALD from Washington
last night. 1t may include a detailed
plan for paying bonuses for efficiency
in operation, which has been suggested
but not made specific heretofore.
The strike continues without any great
amount Of violence. but clashes in New
York and Charleston, S. c., were re-
ported yesterday. Fifty men, som. Of
whom wore buttons Of marine unions,
rushed the loft of the Pioneer Industrial
Service, 329 East Twenty-sixth street
and cleared out 200 strikebreakers they
found there. Clarence Davidson, a negro,
g,
jumped out Of a window twenty feet
/ above the ground and was SO badly nurt
/ that he was taken to Bellevue Hospit a |.
! Nine strkebreakers from Savannah were
attacked by strikers at the Union Sta
! tion in Charleston. The police arrested
! two strikers.
Eighteen saiIInEs Since strike.
Only two American steamships left the
/ port of New York yesterday They are
the Hamilton OF the Old Dominion line,
with which the unions claim settlement,
and the Virginian OF the United American
lines. which came up from Norfolk. an
chored in Gravesend Bay and proceeded
to Alexandria Egypt with, the company
said. full complement of officers AMI
men signed at the new SCALE including
the 15 per cent cut.
The ocean branch of the engineers
union says that from May l. when the
strike began. to midnight of Sunday.
only eighteen steamships OF American
| registry have left New York The
Naval Communication Service has listed
twenty-five departures in that time
The unions are the only group involved
In the strike which offer any COM
prehensive figures at all. The Shipping
Board has contented itself with saying
that sixty-seven of its vessels sailed
nearly normal" The American Stea m
ship owners Association gives no
figures.
! In yesterdays meeting with Secretary
Of Labor Davis the joint committee OF
/ the engineers, acting also for the other
4 marine unions, reported on the action
OF the engineers in their gatherings at
various ports on Sunday. William s.
Brown. president of the Marine En-
| gineers Beneficial Association. said that
| the committee had made the best
proposition possible" to the Shipping
Board and ship owners through Mr..
Davis and that no further concessions
would be made. The proposals were
not made public. but 1t Is known that
refusal of the IS per cent reduction in
wages was one OF them. Mr.. Davis COM
muncated with Admiral Benson and
later said that as efforts had proved
unavailing the conference was discon-
tinued until there was a sign that re-
sumption would be warranted.
Benson Offers Protection.
Chairman Benson said that whether
| or not an agreement was reached he in
tended to provide vessels of the Shipping
Board with some system which would
| enable men showing efficiency to get the
btHtIlN ol Ilt TtSIildHI SdNlHE III the
form Of extra compensa tion. A bonus
system has been suggested 10 both sides
Of the controversy by Secretary of Com
merce Hoover. Admiral Benson sent
this telegram to Capt. Irving L. Evans,
director of the Shipping Boards recruit
ing service:
Board will protect in their positions
men who come to Governments assist
ance by manning ships at present time.
regardless of outcome of present contro-
versy. No arrangement which requires
the discharge OF such men or any dis
elimination against them will be agreed
to by the board"
Pickets of the deep sea local No. so
of the Marine Engineers Union have
| canvassed the port of New York in
| launches. their officers said yesterday.
Their report Is that there are $50 Ameri-
can flag ships in port, OF which 312.
mostly Shipping Board craft, are idle
| or laid up, that 27S are technically in
| operation, and that of the active"
| ships forty are under steam. The union
says further that of the eighteen ves-
sells leaving New York since May l. ten
| sailed with fun crews and eight with
/ part crews. They say that the normal
/ average daily number of sailings is
/ fifteen. and that in the eight days of
the strike period the total should have
been 12o.
Applications for berths aboard Amer
can seagoing ships are being received
1 from licensed engineers describing
| themselves as Americans formerly in
| transport or convoy service in the war,
according to Winthrop l.. Marvin. vice.
president and general manager OF the
American Steamship Owners Associa-
I ton. Some.sof these have been members
OF the anion. said Mr.. Marvin. but
/ feel that they are absolved forever from
all union obligations by what they re-
! gard as the un-American stand taken by
that organization in the present emer-
gency. These American engineers are
particularly Interested In the report that
tho striking unions. having failed to
prevent the sailing of American overseas
ships. are now endeavoring to arrange
4 with labor unions In British and con-
tinental ports TO deny dockage and dis
charge facilities to American ships
when they arrive at their destination.
In the view OF engineers who have re-
manned loyal to the Shipping Board and
American shipping companies this action
by the unions is a conspiracy OF foreign
| crs against America that will result IN
the final breakup OF these organizations
or the abandonment Of them by those
members who can honestly claim Ameri-
can citizenship.
Admiral Henson and Cant Evans ~