SHIPPING STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1936, Page 5

SHIPPING STRIKE

MR. ROOSEVELT

DECLINES TO INTERVENE.

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph--Copyright).

(Received this day at 11 a.m.) NEW YORK, November 7

Miss Frances Perkins, Secretary for Labour, announced that President Roosevelt has declined to , intervene in the strike which is paralysing the Pacific, Atlantic, and G.ulf traffic. Miss Perkins added that the Atlantic tie-up, which was merely a sympathetic demonstration, presenting no demands, might be extended to a general maritime strike.

UNIONISTS HOLD MASS MEETING'

TENSION AT HIGH PITCH

NEW YORK, November 7

Six thousand Bethlehem steel dry dock and shipyard workers in the San Francisco Bay area announced that they ■ would strike this morning. The ■strike !is ' connected with the marine tie-up.. A mass meeting of the rank and file' empowered, the* strike-committee to ! calli a. genera], shipping : strikes,. The eoinmittee voted ‘the,strike.; effective at midnight, i( and began, j formulating demands] to submit .to the. shipowners for parity ] of,. on: the Atlantic and .the .west.coast.,i

However, the. liner Santa Barbara left fdr South America at midnight guarded by 75 policemen and a police launch.

The liner American Legion, bearing Mr Cordell Hull (Secretary of State) and Mr S. Welles (Assistant-Secretary) to South America, cast off with a union crew and a police guard, in spits of strikers’ pickets, but' she halted at the Statue of Liberty, awaiting six complementary members of .the crew. . Five other large vessels with union crews departed during the day. Tension' between the International Seamen’s Union and the strike) committee is still at the highest pitch. Mr i«f. Curran (leading the “rump, command”), said that 7000 were striking of whom 6000 were registered.

The west coast situation continues to ;be quiet'. Apparently both sides are awaiting 'Washington develop-

ments. ; Mr Harry Bridges continues to h e active behind the scenes, though lie is outwardly uncommunicative.- He attends most of the committee meetings, principally concerning himself with the victualling and policing of the ■ strike ofi army lines. The unions are said to have four warehouses of food.