SHIPPING DELAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22831, 16 March 1936, Page 9

SHIPPING DELAY

CABINET MEMBERS DISAGREE MUTINY CHARGE PROPOSED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 14. (Received March 15, at 7.5 p.m.) A sharp clash of opinion over the handling of the recent Pacific coast shipping strike has developed within the Roosevelt Cabinet.

From March 2 until March 5 striking members of the crew delayed the sailing of the steamship California, of the Panama-Pacific Line, from San Pedro tor New York. The Secretary of Labour (Miss Frances Perkins) personally intervened, and, after an hour’s telephonic negotiations from Washington, a basis of arbitration was reached and the vessel sailed. It was revealed to-day, however, that the Secretary of Commerce (Mr D. C. Roper), whose department controls shipping, insisted that the crew was guilty of mutiny and has turned the case over to the Department of Justice for prosecutions. Miss Perkins still insists that the incident was' merely a strike and, therefore, perfectly legal. Mr Roper bases the mutiny charge on the contention that the action of the crew jeopardised the safety of the passengers, even though the boat was docked and was not on the high seas. So far as can be recalled there is no precedent for a mutiny charge involving such circumstances, and labour leaders feel that the conviction of the sailors could be used as a powerful weapon by shipping interests in the event of similar strikes in the future. Miss Perkins indicated that her department would do all that was-possible to prevent the arrest of the sailors.