CLASH ON NEW YORK WATERFRONT

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 197, 18 May 1936, Page 9

CLASH ON NEW YORK WATERFRONT

Police Charge Pickets NEARLY THIRTY PERSONS INJURED By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received May 17, 6.30 p.m.) New York, May 16. Sporadic labour trouble along the New Y’ork waterfront reached a climax to-day when 2000 maritime union pickets and sympathisers engaged in a dash, which lasted tin hour, with police. Twenty-five pickets were injured, some seriously, and two police were injured, while 55 strikers were arrested. For some time the left wing of the union, which is said to be affiliated with Mr. Bridges’ organisation, has been striking against several steamship lines operating between the east and west coasts. To-day a picket line was formed in anticipation of the sailing (l f the line,- Virginia for San Fran cisco.

According to the police, the pickets ignored a warning not to cross police lines, and when they did the battle started. Mounted police repeatedly charged the pickets, swinging their batons freely. At least five women pickets are among the injured.

Despite the disorder, the Virginia sailed according to schedule, although the strikers claimed that she was undermanned and made a specific assertion that two of the engine-room crew were one-armed men.

The strike originated following the California incident, when Miss F. Perkins, Secretary for Labour, resisted the intention of Mr. D. C. Roper, Secretary of Commerce, to charge a group of strikers on a ship with mutiny, although Mr. Roper's charges were not pressed.