The Washington herald., 1921-05-03
Admiral Benson Willing
To Meet Satisfactory
Settlement Plan.
REPORTS ONLY TWO
BOARD SHIPS HELD
Hoover Says Long Tie-Up
Would Disrupt Trade
Contracts.


belief expressed by government Of
ficials. following a day of confer
ences.
Secretary Of Commerce Hoover
and Secretary of Labor Davis. to
whom President Harding Mas dele
gated the work of effechng an ac-
justment, were in session with Ad
miral. Benson. chairman of the
United States Shipping Board, for
more than an hour yesterday.
While Admiral Benson refused TO
modify the boards order for Is
per cent reduction in wages. it is
understood that he Will accede to
any plan of settlement found salts
factory to Secretaries Hoover and
Davis.
Davis Is Optimistic.
Following this conference. Secro-
tary Davis went into session with
william $ Brown. head Of the Ma
rine Engineers Union. Hugh L.
Kerwin. chief of the division of
conciliation department of Labor,
also was present. Secretary Davis
was extremely optimistic. After
the conference he said he was
going to stick it out until settle
ment is reached
Brown Is said 10 be standing out
against any compromise, while An
drew Furuseth, head of the Inter-
national Seamen's Union. is repre-
scented as willing to agree to any
fair" compromise.
1t was reported last night that as
soon as Brown indicates his will
ingness to compromise, SccI etaries
Hoover and Davis will ask the en-
pIoyers to get together TO lay the
basis for an adjustment satisfactory
to both. .-...
Harding Won't Interfere. ~
President Harding has declined
to interfere in the marine labor
controversy and the Shipping Board
directed its efforts yesterday to
keeping its ships in operation in
spite of the strike. The board pur-
poses to fill the ranks depleted by
refusal of employees to work.
Only two Shipping Board ships
were unable to leave port yester-
day because of lack Of help, Ad-
miral Benson reported. He de-
clared that while he was not seek
ing negotiations with the men.
they were free to come to him and
discuss the situation. The board
in effect is standing for the open
shop" policy with regard to en-
ployment.
Hoover Hopes for solution.
Secretary of Commerce Hoover
expressed concern over the sirua-
tion.
There is nothing that will bring
more difficulty TO the American
commercial situation at this time
than long-continued marine
strike" said Mr. Hoover. 1T will
cause the breaking Of foreign con-
tracts and create a great deal of
unemployment outside of the indus
try itself. 1t comes at a time when
we can least afford any interruption
in our foreign commerce. am
in hopes that we will find some so =
luton that will bring the matter to
satisfactory conclusion"
Owners Defy Unions.
NEW YORK. May o.-Counting on
the Loyalty" OF the engineering
staffs and disdainful toward the
strike of seamen and the stewards
forces. the American Steamship
Owners Association Monday bade
the international Seamens Union
to do its worst. and declined to sub
NIT the dispute to arbitration by a
committee of three nonoficial ref
erees to be appointed by the gov
ernnhent. as proposed by the Secre-
tary of Commerce.
Officials of the union claimed that
$4,000 men had walked out on the
Atlantic Coast. II. H. Raymond,
President Aswell. of the America
Steamship Owners Association, said
he did not know Of single ship
tied up on account of the strike.
Many ships lie idle. but the
steamship owners say scarcity of
freights is the reason.
Proposals Rejected.
A tentative proposal said to have
emanated from the office of the
Secretary of Labor, to the effect
that the wage reduction of approx
mately Is per cent be halved and
accepted by both sides was turned
down by the ship owners and the
men in the same informal manner
in which the proposal was COM
municated. Thomas B. Healey.
business agent OF the engineers
union, said the men had now de-
cfdcd to demand an increase over
the 1920 schedule, which is the
basis of comparisons. amounting to
from SIS to s25 per man per month.
Further, Healey, claimed that the
Scandinavian-A American and two
lines with home off1ces in Norfolk
had signed agreements continuing
the 1920 scale. -
Estimate ,10.oo0 Idle.
According to winthrop L. Marvin,
vice president of the American
Steamship, Owners Association,
there are 200 or 800 ships in New
York harbor which. are in a posi-
tion to be affected by. the strike,
but which have not vet been af-
fected. The shipping bulletin is
sued by the government lists sixty
vessels now here loading to. sail on
or before May 90.
Union officials estimated that TO-
900 men were out in New York,
and were hoping for $4,000 to 80, 900
idle, hands hy Tuesday morning
They expected 175.Do0 to be out ulti-
mately on both coasts and along the