Evening star., 1939-11-25
Bridges Denounced
By Mayor Rossi in
Water Front Strike
Charges Communist
Labor Leaders Attempt
To Wipe Out Business
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 25.-Peace
prospects appeared dimmest in
many days on the water front today
while complaints over the latest port
tie-up grew louder from business and
farm leaders in the interior valleys.
Harry Bridges, California c. I. O.
director, blamed water front en-
ployers for a new impasse in con-
tract negotiations between striking
ship clerks and the Dock Checkers
Employers Association.
He described a meeting yesterday
of $50 Chamber of Commerce repre-
sentatives from Northern California
cities, to confer on the shipping
blockade, as an employer move to
WOO support of IAN open shop cam
paign."
Mayor Angelo j. Rossi, reelected
this month for another four-year
term, denounced Bridges in scorch-
ing terms before the Chamber AS
sembly. He charged Bridges and
other Communist" labor leaders
were deliberately trying Ito wipe out
private business
Urges Federal Action.
Almon E. Roth, president of the
San Francisco Employers Council
commended the Rossi speech, urging
that the Federal Government crush
Communism" and said he had heard
nothing sweeter." He said the
problem was much bigger than
merely settling the immediate dis
pute.
"We have yielded again and
again. he said, Shall we continue
to yield, or shall we do something
about it?"
Alfred j. Lundberg, president of
the Oakland Chamber, suggested
that each chamber represented send
a telegram to President Roosevelt
urging him to intervene in the dis
pute. Mayor Rossi said he had had
no answer to the one he sent Mr..
Roosevelt more than a week ago.
The associated farmers, who an
nounced earlier they were warning
their county units not to try to ship
through San Francisco Harbor,
called meeting here Monday.
Holmes Bishop president, said MANY
farm groups already had accepted
invitations to attend.
I'VE are fighting now" said Mr..
Bishop, mot only to save agriculture
and the fundamental American right
OF transportation, but We hope to
save the San Francisco which once
was so much part of U.s."
No Progress Reported.
No progress was reported in at
tempts to settle either the ship
clerks strike or that of Oakland
warehousemen against the munic-
ipally-owned port there. The Ship
Clerks Negotiation Committee re-
ported employers had rejected nine
compromise proposals on the prefer
ential hiring issue, and then had
declined to continue negotiations.
Employers said they were willing to
continue if they could see future pro-
pOoolo AI WI1Il1S III 81 anu 1OullQ
that any of them altered the funda-
mental demand of the union.
The request of union leaders to at
tend the chamber meeting was re-
jected. Marshall Dill president of
the San Francisco chamber, said the
meeting was not debate" How
ever, he read in full the letter
Bridges had written him about it.
Bridges charged in it that prof
fers and position of the unions had
been distorted in reports made to
farmers, shippers and customs brok-
ers. He said there we're plenty of
docks not affected by the clerks
strike where produce could be moved
that the unions had offered to trans
fer all perishable stuff to such docks
and that water front employers had
''intimidated' freight terminal op-
orators and shipping contractors who
had shown willingness to cooperate
with the unions.