Evening star., 1934-07-12
Action Tightens Maritime
Workers Blockade of
Commerce.
POLICE PATROL VESSEL
FIRED ON AT PORTLAND
Teamsters Take Steps in Spite of
Appeal by Federal Labor
Disputes Board.
BY the Associated Press.

BY tne Associated Press,
SAN FRANCISCO, July "a
Threats of a general strike increased
today as 3,700 truck drivers of San
Francisco Bay cities walked out to
tighten the commerce blockade Of
striking Pacific Coast maritime
workers.
The action of the teamsters unions
of San Francisco and the east bay
cities of Oakland, Berkeley and Ala
media came despite an appeal OF a
Federal labor disputes board, which
reported its first definite step toward
possible settlement of the strike
which has crippled coast shipping.
Union after union on both sides OF
San Francisco Bay and in Portland,
Greg, fell IN line toward possible
general strike by delegating authority
for action to strategy" committees.
Police Boat Fired Upon.
The San Francisco water front, pa
trolled by National Guardsmen. was
quiet, but at Portland. where blood
was shed for the first time since the
longshoremen started the strike May
9. shots were fired at police patrol
boat. Four men were wounded by
buckshot from police guns yesterday.
The Portland City Council demanded
that Mayor Joseph Carson remove Po-
lice Chief B. K. Lawson from strike
duty after the shooting and urged
dispute is settled.
Despite the teamSters' walkout,
which it had hoped to avert, the Fed
eral board said it would proceed with
a referendum among maritime unions
on its request for volunteer accept
ance of mediation. Water front en-
ployers of major ports and AZ ship
ping companies submitted uncondi-
tionally to arbitration yesterday.
The referendum among the steve
dores will be taken under supervision
of the board, William H. Lewis, Pacific
Coast president of the international
Longshoremen's Association, an
nounced. o. K. Gushing, member OF
the Federal board, said replies from
all of the unions on the mediation
referendum PROPOSAL were expected
today.
Arbitration Held Impossible.
Harry Bridges, chairman of the San
Francisco Joint Maritime Strike Com
mittee, declared, however, that moth
ing was changed" and that there could
be no arbitration of the mems demand
for complete control of hiring halls.
San Francisco teamsters cheered
Bridges as he addressed them before
they shouted confirmation last night
of their strike vote of last Sunday
The confirmation ended the time limit
set by the teamsters for progress to-
ward settlement of the maritime dis
pute.
Leaders of the teamsters said they
we're striking in protest against use
of non-union truck drivers on the
San Francisco water front, the calling
out of National GuardSmen and police
action against the maritime strikers
The walkout of teamSterS par
alyzes heavy commercial trucking, in
cluding movements of gasoline, whole
sale groceries and other food sup
plies and fuel. Some exemptions
were announced, such as supplying
hospitals and providing deliveries of
gasoline to police and fire depart
mentS.
May Delay Lighter Service.
Milk, bakery, laundry and retail
delivery trucks and taxicabs are not
affected hit officials said shortage
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