The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 2, 1901, Page 1

Tall, VOLUME XC—NO. 63, —— - SAN FRANCISCO, FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1901. PRICE FIVE CENTS. LABOR LEADERS AND EMPLOYERS SANGUINE OF EARLY SETTLEMENT OF DIFFICULTY AND A RETURN OF INDUSTRY TO NORMAL CONDITIONS THIS DAY MAY SEE THE END OF STRUGGLE . S [ Belief Is Growing That the| Strikers Will Be Back at| Work Monday at the Latest | A 1 | | | Teamsters Draft Agreement | That May Be Submitted to1 the Draymen’s Association || et ORCES are at work to bring about | an settlement of the con- | n the Employers’ As- and the City Front Fed- n and there is prospect of | eing put to the strike soon, pos- Labor leaders and prom- ants are alike hopeful that e latest will see peace re- red and that on Monday the strikirg their former | early return to Phelan has in his possession a | Front Federation asking for more light upon some features | on which the . This letter will be laid | Smployers’ Association this Numerous conferences will be the day and men of all class riy disappointed if by night- understanding between the industrial war is | of the terms of peace oyers ir ies to the local therhood of Teamsters, In-| the general opinion that the | e strike is near and persuaded merchants who are trying to of the controversy, prepared yesterday a draft of an agree- ment to which they would bind them- | selves. This was done in anticipation of | & possible request from the Draymen's Association that such an agreement be presented. Michael Casey, business agent | of the brotherhood, said last night that such request had not been made as yet and that until it was the agreement drafted by the union would not be made public. Furuseth Looks for Results. Mayor Phelan sald last night that the situation seemed much more hopeful than | &t any other time since the general strike | was declared. Leading merchants, he eaid, who desired that for the present their names be withheld, were co-operat- ing with him to secure careful considera- tion of all phases of the question and to bring employer and employe to an under- standing of each other’s attitude. Andrew Furuseth, secretary of the Sail- | ors’ Union, said late in the afternoon that a day or two should bring a solution of the problem. “Negotiations are on foot,” continued 8ir. Furuseth, “that may be expected to bring results that will be highly grati ing to all who regret to see labor and cap- ftal at war. The end will not come to- night, but the outlook for peace is brigh’ The City Front Federation held action on many plans in abeyance in the belief that the end of the strike was at hand. The leaders decided that no other unions #hould be called out unless present nego- tiations should not prove successful. Strikers Organize Patrol. By way of hastening things, however, | the executive board of the federation | adopted, at its afternoon meeting, a reso- Jution to the effect that “‘all requests for concessions in favor of any organization or employer of men in the district falling @nder the jurisdiction of the City Front Federation must be submitted to the ex- Continued on Page Two. FILIRINCST TWAITING TO HIRED.* BE. * TR ISCEIMERTS STEAMSHIP SIERRA SAILS WITH ALL THE FREIGHT SHE CAN CARRY Vessel Leaves Her Dock Only Twenty Minutes Late Despite the Difficulties Under Which Her Cargo Was Handled, the Delay Being Caused by Non-Arrival of British Mails HE first real victory of the ship owners since the inception of the strike on the water front was scored by the Oceanic Steamship \ Company yesterday when the Sierra, loaded to the gunwalés with freight, with every cabin and berth oc- cupied, pulled away from the Pacific- street dock only twenty minutes after the time set for her departure. The slight de- lay was caused by failure of the postal authorities to get the British mail on board the vessel in time. The sailing of the Slerra marked an epoch in the strike. When the longshore- men walked out they left hundreds of tons of freight on the dock. To procure men to handle and properly stow the thousands of boxes of merchandise seemed an im- possibility. Difficulty after difficulty pre- sented itself and the sailing of the steamer for Australia on time seemed ab- solutely impossibie. The owners of the vessel were not dis- mayed, however. They had resources of which the strikers knew nothing, and while -the owners of other vessels har- assed by the same difficulties were fran- tically running up and down the water front searching for men and boys the Oceanic people went quietly to work and | | betore the strike was on a half day had secured help enough to assure them that the Sierra would clear on time. Passengers Were Anxious. The people who were booked for passage on the Sierra feared that they would be compelled to remain here for an indefinite time and besleged the office of the steam- ship company with inquiries as to the probable date of sailing. The same answer was given to all. They were told to come to the Pacific-street dock yesterday morn- ing as the Bierra would sail at her usual time. They were informed also that she would leave with a full cargo, and that there would be no danger of any of their baggage being left behind. Even this failed to convince the passen- gers and when they assembled on the dock yesterday morning many of them thought they would have to return to thelr hotels. They saw the wharf covered with freight and gangs of men working like beavers getting it aboard the vessel The men were a nondescript lot &nd few among them had any knowledge of the work of the longshoremen. They had been brought from all sections of the city and though many of them were light, slender fellows, totally unfit to perform the la- borious duties of a dock hand, they ac- complished the task given them and at 9:30 a. m. their leaders announced that the last box of freight was in the slings. The passengers gathered aft on the steamship and watched the final prepara- tions of the officers. At 10 o'clock the word was passed to get’ready to cast off the lines. The mail was not aboard, how- ever, and until this arrived the ship could not leave. It was not a long delay, for at 10:20 the Sierra pulled out into the stream. Hawaiians Sing a Farewell. A pretty sight was presented as the ves- sel left the wharf. The dock Wwas thronged with friends of the passengers, Continued on Page Two. & I 11 | H | Il E SIERRA. LEAVING | PoRT YESTERDAY | SEIRANESEL W TR 4 ' ITH PASSENGER.S. | * + ' |PROGRESS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS TO AVERT CONTINUANCE OF STRIKE . +|Frequent Conferences Held During the Day and Labor FERRAL - BAs - Wirn FURK Leaders Ask for Enlightenment on Some Points of the s e it Terms of Peace Submitted by Employers’ Association FWERCHANTS ASK ; g i e eprory b et e THAT DRAYMEN ACCEPT TERMS Conditions of City Front Federation May Be Acced- ed To With Maodifications HE effort tp secure a settlement of the questions at issue between the draymen and teamsters on the basis of the agreement articles advanced by the City Front Fed- eration made little headway yesterday. It is known, however, that certain influential merchants whose names are withheld for the present have begun-the work of bring- ing individual members of the Draymen's Assoclation and the striking teamsters formerly in their employ together in the effort to adjust their affairs on the lines laid down by the federation in their com- munication to Mayor Phelan. The federation asks that the Employ- ers’ Assoclation shall not discriminate against any employer of labor because such employer chooses to employ unjon men only. The assoclation is also asked to take back all locked-out employes, or those who have quit work since the strike began, at the expiration of the present Continued on Page Two. N labor difficulties did not progress very rapidly yesterday, and yet the results were most gratifying to those who have interested themselves in the effort to bring about an agreement between employers and employes. “Con- ferences were numerous, but there was no attempt to bring together the two par- ties to the contest, and, in fact, no move whatever was made by the Employers’ Association. Individual merchants, how- ever, were actlve In trying to bridge the chasm. The executive council of the City Front Federation was in session morning, after- noon end evening. The most important result attained was embodied in another letter to Mayor Phelan. This was drafted at the afternoon session and was sent to the Mayor late in the afternoon. The contents were not made public, but it is known that the labor leaders ask that the Employers' Assoclation elucldate some of its contentlons, They do not understand the import of some parts of the first re- ply made by the association to the propo- | sition made by the federation as a basis of settlement, and to which reference has been since made as the “letter of July 2. In order to be sure of their ground the labor leaders agk for fuller statements of certaln points. Mayor Phelan was unable to get the ex- ecutfve committee of the Employers’ As- soclation together in meeting after he re- celved the letter submitted by the City The Industrial conciliation committee of the Municipal League was also active yesterday in seeking to bring about the desired peace. As in the case of other conferences, no statements were given out.. The members of the committee, as well as prominent merchants of the city, apparently believe that most can be ac- complished at present by working upon individual employers who are influential in the assoclation. Mayor Phelan gave out yesterday morn- ing the full text of the letter written by M. F. Michael, attorney for the Employ- ers’ Association, in reply to the terms of peace submitted Wednesday by the City Front Federation. The letter concludes, after quoting the “letter of July 2" as follows: I am instructed by the directors of the Em- ployers’ Asscclation to advise you that in their opinlon a lasting -settlement of tha present controversy can be effected upon the terms set forth in the above statement If the repre- sentatives of the labor union are sincerely de- sirous of peace, AT, Financial Aid for Teamsters. At the meeting of the Brotherhood of Teamsters held last night at the Turk- street Temple a telegram was received from International Secretary George Inns of Detroit, conveylng the information that the International Brotherhood is ready to provide financlal support for the striking teamsters In this city, The team- sters will not for the present avail them- GOVERNMENT WILL PROTECT INSPECTORS United States Attorney Em- powers Temporary Em- ployes to_Arrest Offenders Interference With Federal Draymen Is Punishable by a Fine and Imprisonment —_— L. TILDEN, president of the Overland Freight Transfer Company, addressed a letter to Customs Collector Stratton yesterday, calling his attention to the fact that repeated assaults have been made upon inspectors of customs re- cently appointed for temporary duty in moving bonded freight In San Francisco. ‘The following are abstracts from the let- ter: On Thursday evening. July 25, four United Stites Tnspectors, while zoing to dinmer, wers assaulted by a large mob at the corner of Fifth and Bryant streets and several of them were severely beaten' and bruised, and the mob re- peatedly threatened to Kill them, and the mob was restrained only by the display of pistols. On Friday morning, July, 26, another United States Inspector, named Block, was assaulted and beaten in the street by an irresponsible mob. On Saturday, . July 27, another United States Inspector named Force was assaulted and roughly handled, and he had alse been pulled off from his team on the day before, and the mob had then threatened to Kill him, and again on Monday he and varlous other inspec- tors were threatened with violence. On Tues- day, July 30, United States Inspector Just was assaulted and beaten by a mob. On Wednesday, July 81, another Inspector named Peart, while going to his work, was as- saulted on-the public street at the cormer of Fourth and Bryant streets, San Franeisco, and ‘was knocked insensible and badly beaten. Ree peated threats had been made to take his life, During the past ten days at numerous times and places verfous United States Inspectors en- gaged in handling bonded goods have been threatened with violence and the mob has re- Deatedly interfered with and sericusty impeded the progress of Government work. An utter @isregard of the guthority of the United States has been shown In this dehalf; that all the in- spectors assaulted and beaten wore in & con- spicucus place a badge showing that they were United States Inspectors and they were kmown to be such by their assallants, but that such assaults have been mads in willful disregard of all law, and In onder to prevent the said in- spectors from performing the dQuties of thelr office. These facts are respectfully called to your attention in order that the officers and agents of the United States may be accorded full and complets protection in the discharge of their duttes. Yours respectfully, C. L. TILDEN. Special Deputy Hamilton, in the ab- sence of the Collector, addressed the fol- lowing to United States Attorney Marshall B. Woodworth: Under authority conferred upon the Collee- tors of Customs by law, I have appointed the drivers of the United States Drayman tempo- rary inspectors of customs, without compensa- tion from the Goverament, In order that they might have Government protection. I reported to the devartment that the strikers were in- terfering with the Inspectors, whereupon I was instructed to report the matter to you, I now inclose & letter from the Drayman notifying me of several cases of Interference with his men thus censtituted Inspectors, and T have to re- quest that you take measures to ascertain who the parties were from Mr. Tilden and then prosecute them under section 54{7 for interfer- ing with customs officers in the discharge of thelr dutles, United States Attorney Woodworth thereupon issued several “John Doe” war- rants, which will be served on the first opportunity. The penalty for interfering with customs Inspectors is a fine ranging from $100 to $2000, or imprisonment of one year, or both such fine and Imprisonment. In cases where deadly weapons are dis- 9 selves of the offer of the international | played or otherwise used, the penaity ls body. imprisonment for ten years at hard labor,