Evening star., 1949-08-02
Hawaiian House Votes
Bill for Government
Stevedoring Company
By the Associoted Press

HONOLULU. Aug. 2.-Hawaii'
House of Representatives last
: night voted, "a to 6, to put the
Territory in the stevedoring busi-
ness until the end of the dock
strike-a move one legislator
warned might mean bloodshed.
The bill goes to the Senate i'm
mediately. One proponent pre-
. dicted it would pass the upper
house by tomorrow.
Under the House bill. the ter
ritorial government would be pro-
hibited from hiring striking CIO
international Longshoremen and
Warehousemen. Neither would
employees of the seven struck is
land stevedoring firms be en-
ployed.
But the territorial governments
would be permitted to rent steve
doring equipment from the struck
firms.
Tense Situation Created.
The 94-day-old strike has
brought about a tense situation.
The islands are dependent on
shipping for most of their essen
tials. The strikers are demand
ing a 32-cent increase to their
prestrike. $1.40 hourly wage.
Minority spokesmen in the leg
islature protested the Territory
should be given powers to seize
stevedoring property to operate
efficiently.
Gov. Ingram M. Stainback. who
called the special session of the
legislature last week, asked Sat-
ufday for the right to use trained
dock workers to meet the emer-
gency. He called a ban on them
"vindictive." But the House last
night ignored his plea.
Groundwork Seen for Veto.
Republican Representative No.
rito Kawakami, whose seizure
amendment was voted down, said,
"It may be weeks before the ports
open Ito commerce" He said the
Territory needed management
know-how and the skill of expert
enced dock workers to operate
efficiently
Mr. Kawakami asserted the
Governor had laid the groundwork
for a veto of the bill if it passed
by the Senate.
Democratic Representative Earl
Nielsen said if the bill is signed by
the Governor, it means blood
she'd"
Democratic Senator William H.
Heen. a sponsor of the bill in the
upper chamber, predicted it would
pass the Senate 81. The Senate
would need 10 votes to override
a veto.
Cooling Off Period Set Up.
The House bill sets up cooling
of period of about II days. Under
1t when workers vote q strike, the
territorial government may obtain
an injunction holding them. to
their jobs 60 days.
If workers strike after thes60-
day Injunction, the governor, under
the bill, may set up a Government
stevedoring firm. Strikerssare pro :.
hibited from interferina.with Gov
ernment operation. Penalties of 4
$1,000 fine and one year imprison-
ment, or both, are provided.
Sponsors of the bill said the gov
ernor, because of the advanced
stage of the current srtike, would
have the power to put the territory
into the stevedoring business i'm
mediately without resorting to
cooling off period and injunction.
No Progress on Settlement.
ILWU and employer represent
stives met briefly yesterday on
the strike question but reported
no progress toward a settlement.
Meanwhile. nine more AFL
teamsters we're suspended for re-
fusing to cross an ILWU picket
line. The teamsters were ordered
by Theo. H. Davies to pick up car
go unloaded by. Hawaii Stevedores,
Ltd, an open shop firm.
AFL teamster pickets continued
on the dock In front Of the barge
Oregon Pine III in Honolulu har-
Dor. The barge's cargo of news
print and cattle feed has been
partially unloaded as an emer-
gency.