Evening star., 1937-01-19
STRIKING SEAMEN,
SATISFIED, LEAVE
I'VE Have Accomplished
What We Came For"
Leaders Say.

After noisy maSS-meetlng IN the
park across Fifteenth street from the
Commerce Department. in which
their leaders claimed We have ac-
complished everything We came here
for" 1000 striking seamen left
Washington last night in fleet OF
trucks, buses and private automo-
biles, breaking a Today siege OF
picketing the Commerce Department.
Leaders Of the demonstrators as
sured the men by means of portable
public address system they would not
have to carry the Fink books" which
formed one Of the chief items Of
complaint on the part of the sea-
men against the Copeland act. The
Fink book is the continuous discharge
record which each seaman would be
required to carry and which they
claim would result in blacklisring Of
union seamen.
I'VE don't have to stay in Wash
ington any longer" the men were
told by Joseph Curran. chairman of
the New York Strike Committee.
I'VE have accomplished what We
came for and we can go back to our
home ports. We want to remember
however. that the guys who have Fink
books are not seamen and We don't
have to recognize them as seanen.
Under no circumstances do We accept
the Fink book Is that agreed?"
There was a thunderous chorus of
cheers from the tired, hungry sea-
men, many of whom marched all
last night on the road from Balti-
more and stood all day on wet streets,
unfed except for coffee and sand
wiches given them in the Commerce
Department by order of Secretary Of
Commerce Roper.
Back to Picket Lines"
Now" Curran added. we go hack
on the picket line against the ship
owners"
Curran assured his fellow demon
strators tina. we have accomplished
more by coming here today than We
could accomplish by staying on strike
20 years. We have shown that sea-
men do not want the Fink book.
And" he added in a confidential
voice, Il don't think we're going to
have to take them"
There were laughs and cheers.
For stamina and staying power
Curran said, II don't think there Is
any group deserving more credit than
the seamen who have marched on
Washington. Now Washington can
get the seamen out Of the way and
60 ahead with the Inaugural"
Members of the seamen's COM
mittee, who called at the White
House and the Capitol and con-
ferred with Secretary Roper and
Secretary Of Labor Perkins, also
spoke via the loudspeakers.
They told their fellows they had
sympathetic hearing by Marvin
Mcintyre. secretary to President
Roosevelt, and were assured their
troubles were known to the Presi-
dent and that he would give i'm
mediate attention to their wishes.
They said Senator Copeland of New
York. author of the bill to which they
objected. had admitted to them that
the continuous discharge book might
have provisions which might result
In blacklisting" and that he had in
mind an amendment to correct the
possibilities Of such evils.
Hearing Is Promised.
They said they have been assured
that the National Labor Relations
Board will hold a hearing Friday on
the seamen's strike situation and that
full public hearing will be given to
the complaints against the ship
owners"
They also expressed a belief Con-
gress will enact the Sirovich bill.
which would suspend enforcement of
the Copeland bill for six months
pending q complete study of the
whole situation.
As the meeting broke up at dusk,
fleet of Is Civilian Conservation
Corps trucks and 10 National Capital
Park trucks, some of them with park
benches lashed into dump bodies.
pulled up with motor cycle escort
to carry the seamen away to Balti-
more. There also were q number Of
private cars driven by seamen, bear
ing license tags of Massachusetts,,
New York, Texas and other States.
The truck train was started for
Baltimore and was followed soon
afterward by chartered busses carry
ing the New York delegation.