New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-26
Unions Break Off Wage
Farley, Order 10000
to Leave Vessels Idle:
Not a Strike, They Say
Government Acts
To Block Walkout
All Factions Summonedto to
Meet Benson, Hoover,
Davis at Washington


rine workers and the private steamship
interests of the nation failed to reach
an agreement here yesterday in the
dispute over proposed wage cuts and
revised working conditions.
The union leaders, following the
breaking off Of negotiations, instructed
their men not to go to work on May
l under the conditions proposed by the
ship owners. These instructions, how
ever, were not intended as strike or
der, 1t was explained, but merely an
injunction that the employees were to
sit tight pending further development.
In view of the serious turn the con-
troversy has taken the government for
the first time has taken an active hand
in the situation. Determined to avert
a nationwide tie-up of American ship
ping, Admiral Benson, chairman of the
United States Shipping Board, which
controls four-sevenths of the country's
shipping, last night called a conference
of the operators and union leaders in
Washington fer tomorrow morning
Secretary of Commerce Hoover and
Secretary of Labor Davis'are expected
to participate in the proceedings. The
Federal authorities, it was intimated,
are in no mood to brook a Gripping
of the nations commerce at this time.
and there is a general feeling that
settlement will be effected by May /,
when the agreement between the ship
-- Engineers Quit Conference
The break in the negotiations came
when the representatives of the 10,-
900 engineers in the marine service met
the owners in the morning at II Bat
terry Place to discuss the six counter
demands Of the men submitted in re-
ply to the owners proposition. The
shipping interests suggested reduc-
tion Of 20 to 80 per cent in wages,
elimination of overtime, a return to
the ten-hour day and other changes
in working conditions.
The workers demanded the abolition
Of the sea service bureau Of the
United States Shipping Board, a
stricter enforcement of the La Fol-
lette seamen's act with respect to
various safety appliances, and prefer
ence to union employees. They de-
clined to discuss the questions of
wages until their six demands had
been disposed of. The owners in
sisted they could not grant the coun
ter demands Of the engineers, where
upon the latter declined to consider the
wage questions and left the confer
ence room. Similar action was taken
by deputations of fremen, oilers and
water tenders and the seamen, whose
y ~
the engineers.
Darragh Delaney, director of indus
trial relations. and w. P. Keen, Of the
division of operations, of the United
States Shipping Board, were present
at the conferences merely as observ-
ers. At the conclusion of the meet
ings Mr.. Delaney announced that Ad
miral Benson had called all those in
terested in the dispute to conference
at Washington tomorrow morning.
Order Men to Stand Pat
William S. Brown, international
sociation; Ernest F. Pegg, represent
ing the Pacific Coast district, and
Thomas B. Healey, head of the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts sections, repaired to
their headquarters at the Hotel Marl-
borough where they Immediately ad-
vised their members of the develop
ments end issued instructions that the
engineers stand pat pending further
orders.
Andrew Furuseth, president of the
international Seamen's Union, repre-
senting the 10000 unlicensed workers
OF the American merchant marine,
headed the committee representing the
firemen, oilers, watertenders, seamen,
cooks and stewards.
Winthrop L. Marvin, vice-president
Of the American Steamship Owners
Association, characterized the action of
the employees as an attempt to wreck
the American merchant marine"
"The marine engineers refused abso-
lutely to consider even the slightest
reduction in their pay scale" said Mr..
Marvin, who was one of the representa-
tives of the ship owners at the meet
ings. Captain Eugene E. O'Donnell,
chairman of our wage committee, ap-
pealed to the engineers to get together
and work out mutually satisfactory
Continued on page four)