Steamship Washington, Inman Poulsen Mill, December 23, 1934: One gang finished lumber at 8:30 p. m. ordered to reduce from 13 to 9 men, to work piling. Gang refused to make reduction and struck. No replacement available at that time of night and the piling was loaded by another gang of nine men, after they had finished the work in their hatch. In this case no actual delay or extra expense to ship involved and incident is cited merely as another case where the men make use of the strike to enforce demands; contrary to the N. L. B. award. Steamship Montanan, American-Hawaiian S. S. Co., December 18, 1934: Longshoremen went on strike against the American-Hawaiian vessels in Portland because of a dispute between clerks and checkers and the company; a demand was made in writing to the longshoremen through their labor relations committee to return to work; employers pointing out that clerks and checkers had recourse as provided in clerk's and checker's award to adjust grievances. This vessel arrived in Portland on the 18th but no work was accomplished on account of the clerks' dispute. Discharging was completed on the 19th, the American-Hawaiian taking the four disputed men into the office pending a settlement. The vessel was idle for schedule reasons on the 20th, and on 21st, loaded lumber at the S. P. siding, where no difficulties were encountered as no checkers were employed. On vessel's return to the general cargo dock (terminal No. 1) on December 22 and the clerk's dispute not having been settled the longshoremen refused to work and this vessel remained idle until 8 a. m., December 27, when work was resumed. Steamship Admiral Halstead, Pacific S. S. Co., January 2, 1935: This vessel was working five gangs. Fred Spaulding, who had been designated by the I. L. A. as dock steward, stopped the work of the five ship gangs at 9:45 a. m., contending that the dockmen were performing longshore work at dockmen's scale of wages. Operations were resumed at 10: 15 a. m., as it fortunately happened that the I. L. A. labor relations committee were contacted without delay and through Mr. Negstad the work was ordered resumed. Net result, one-half hour delay to vessel, but no extra expense for overtime as labor relations committee decided that men would have to work the lost half hour to make up the full 6 hours straight-time period. Steamship Oregonian, American-Hawaiian S. S. Co., January 24, 1935: January 24, discharged cargo and on January 25, shifted to Crown Mills dock to load flour. Before work was started the dock was picketed by members of the I. S. U. The crew was called off the ship and told by the I. S. L. delegates that they could remain aboard to eat and sleep but no work was to be done. Longshoremen ordered to work the vessel that morning would not go aboard while the dock was picketed. Picketing continued until January 31, 2 p. m. Longshoremen were ordered through the hall at each hiring period, i. e., three times a day from January 25, to January 31, but they refused to work. In the meantime the steamship Ohioan, with cargo to discharge from the east coast and the steamship Willsolo to load east-bound freight to South Atlantic ports were held at anchor because of the strike. All three of these vessels were seriously delayed with heavy expense to the operators and inconvenience to receivers of cargo. During this time the steamship Nevadan was also in port awaiting schedule connections and her crew likewise was ordered by the I. S. U. delegates to leave the ship. PHILIP H. CARROLL, MEMORANDUM OF REACTIONS TO MARITIME STRIKE OF CONTACTS MADE IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON TRIBUTARY TO PORTLAND BY C. H. CASTNER PORTLAND OREG., January 3, 1937. During the past 60 days, circumstances have made it possible for me to cover considerable territory in Oregon and Washington, and during that time I have had occasion to contact many producers, shippers, manufacturers, bankers, and other business people, and to learn at first hand from these sources the effects of the disastrous maritime strike which is now paralyzing shipping on the Pacific coast. The effect of this strike is reaching constantly further inland to the area tributary to the various ports and is seriously affecting agriculture and industry, as well as everything else which has heretofore relied upon maritime commerce to reach its consuming markets. Having discussed the results of my observations with the Hon. Joseph K. Carson, Jr., mayor of the city of Portland, he suggested that I put this data briefly into written form, and submit same for the consideration of the Hon. Charles E. Martin, Governor of the State of Oregon, with the thought that these observations might be of interest to him, covering as they do considerable area, and representing the numerous views of many different types of people here in the Northwest. In considering the effects of the strike, I have grouped the various areas by districts as follows: Hood River: Fruit, pears, apples, turkeys, and canned goods. The Dallas: Fruit, cherries, flour, grain, and stock. These mid-Columbia communities are particularly interested in the orderly marketing of their products and have suffered greatly through the maritime strike and the tie-up of water transportation for their export shipments. They are keenly alive to the fact that they must have a water outlet for their products, or else raise their prices to conform to rail movement, with the attendant loss of markets. They realize that while there may be two sides to the present labor dispute, in the meantime the producer and the public, generally, is being penalized. They are interested in starting remedial legislation, both State and National, to prevent a reoccurrence of present conditions. Arlington: Grain, sheep, and cattle. Pendleton: Grain, sheep, flour, cattle, and horses. This district produces mainly grain and livestock, and its shippers use ocean carriers to reach markets with their wool, grain, and grain products. There are vast quantities of grain stored at points of origin because the strike has prevented assembly at tide water for shipment by water. This is causing great hardship on both the grain dealers and the producers. Both groups are prevented from marketing their products in a normal way and are interested, as innocent victims of the strike, in having some type of legislation passed, both at Salem and in Washington, D. C., to insure against a repetition of present conditions. Athena Grain, flour, and canned peas. Milton: Fruit and canned peas. Freewater: Fruit and canned peas. Walla Walla, Wash.: Grain, flour, fruit, and canned vegetables. Dayton, Wash.: Stock, grain, and canned peas. This area is very diversified in its products, and has suffered tremendously in the marketing of its products because of the strike, more especially in the delivery of its peas and other canned goods. Canning is a comparatively new enterprise in this district, and a large sum of money has been invested in canneries. However, with the tie-up of water traffic at the height of the shipping season, the movement of canned goods has received a set-back from which it will be hard to recover. All persons contacted are very much interested in seeing something done in the form of legislation to prevent a repetition of present conditions. Kennewick, Wash.: Stock, fresh fruit, and grape juice. Yakima, Wash., and Yakima district: Fresh fruits, dried fruits, canned fruits, vegetables, and sheep. This is one of the largest fruit-producing districts of the Northwest and had an opportunity this season to recuperate financially, but with the cessation of water shipments these districts will take a severe loss on this season's business. These districts have large canned- and dried-fruit plants and a large portion of this produce moves by water in foreign intercoastal and coastwise traffic. All producers and shippers in these districts are looking forward to some kind of legislation to obviate the return of present conditions. Newberg: Canned and dried fruits and farm products. McMinnville: Dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruits, and farm products. This community is largely agricultural and produces mostly fresh and dried fruits and farm products. Due to the strike there has been almost a complete paralysis in the dried fruit industry. The feed situation for poultry has become very acute, with the reduced output of the flour mills in Portland and eastern Oregon, and there has been a very large increase in the price of mill pack which works a hardship on the poultry raiser. All persons contacted in this district were keenly alive to the fact that the public, as victim of the present labor trouble, should initiate some type of remedial legislation. Stayton, Salem, Silverton, Woodburn: Canned fruits, dried fruits, brine cherries, poultry and farm products, and canned vegetables. This district is the largest canned- and dried-fruit section in the State and is suffering greatly from the standstill of water transportation. As nearly as can be determined, about 65 percent of the canned and dried fruit produced is shipped by water carriers, either coastwise, intercoastal, or foreign, and when a maritime strike occurs that particular business suffers accordingly. The shippers of the Salem district want some remedial legislation to protect them from a repetition of the conditions that exist at the present time, and which were thought settled with the end of the 1934 maritime srike. Lebanon, Albany, Corvallis, Eugene: Canned fruis and vegetables, turkeys, stock and manufacturing of woodenware, feed and flour, and seed grains. This district is largely agricultural and produces large amounts of fruit and vegetables, as well as livestock. This area is suffering because of the lack of proper water transportation, and fears a back-up of products on hand this coming year unless water transportation is resumed. The increased price of stock and poultry feeds is also working a hardship on this community. All are anxious to see something done at the coming session of the legislature to prevent a repetition of present conditions. Roseburg, Oakland, Drain, Cottage Grove: Dried fruit, fresh fruit, turkeys, general farming, flour and feed. This district is suffering greatly from the effects of present labor troubles, more in fact, than any district contacted in the State. Dried prunes are moving only on Government orders, and turkeys are lower than they have been in several years. The feed situation is very acute and the stock and poultrymen are now paying, as a result of the strike, substantially more in price for their feed. The people in this district are very anxious that something be done to preclude a repetition of conditions that prostrate their business, and want to see some form of legislation that will definitely settle labor disputes. Medford, Grants Pass, Ashland: Fresh fruit, canned fruit and vegetables and turkeys. This district is suffering by the lack of proper shipping facilities by water at this time. This section sells its Bartlett pears in bulk to California and is fearful that there will be no demand for their crop in 1937. They still have a large portion of their late pear crop in cold storage and hope to clean up before another season starts. There was a large turkey crop that sold for less than the cost of production. This district is very anxious that something be done to prevent labor disputes such as now exist on the Pacific coast. Tillamook: This district specializes in the manufacture of cheese. They ceased using water transportation several months ago, as they suffered a great loss during the maritime strike of 1934. They want the shipowners and maritime workers to get their house in order before they will resume water shipments. There have been many other industries hurt financially that have not been referred to in this memorandum, and if the strike continues for any length of time, there will be many more individuals and firms damaged, especially in the wool and sheep business. The type of people contacted have been producers, shippers, manufacturers, and bankers and they are all of the opinion that the Governor of the State and mayor of Portland and all other constituted authorities have done all in their power to handle a delicate situation intelligently and have nothing but praise for the way this problem has been met thus far. Further, those contacted, with few exceptions and in spite of the financial loss they have thus far sustained, feel that any makeshift settlement such as followed the 1934 maritime strike will only result in a repetition of today's paralysis of water commerce. Likewise, those contacted all expressed the fear that, unless the present dispute results in the setting up of adequate arbitration machinery to preclude any further stoppage of work in the maritime industry, the "march inland" will ultimately engulf all interior enterprises associated with or dependent upon water-borne, commerce. Those with whom this problem has been discussed, furthermore, contend that the public should demand that disputes between steamship operators and their employees be arbitrated without strikes, lockouts, or stoppage of work. While water shipments of lumber from the Northwest have stopped and much other tonnage, normally of volume, has ceased to move because of the strike, it seems apparent that our shippers who have been able to avail themselves of British Columbia ports are more fortunate than other producers of the Northwest and California who could not ship through Vancouver or New Westminster. From the foregoing summary of opinions, as encountered throughout the various districts visited in Oregon and Washington, it is very apparent that there is rapidly development demand on the part of the public at large for enforceable legislation with penalties which will permit the settlement of labor disputes with fairness to all, and will relieve the public from the losses and hardships to which it has been so ruthlessly subjected. In conclusion and as an indication of some of the direct loss sustained by United States ports on the Pacific slope during the present strike, there follows data covering American tonnage diverted through British Columbia ports during November and December 1936. These figures are conservative estimates from a most reliable source. Vancouver, British Columbia, has received 40.000 tons of bulk corn and 3,000 tons of newsprint destined to the United States Pacific ports. Vancouver, British Columbia, has handled approximately 350 cars of apples from the United States. Practically all European and oriental shipments destined for the west coast of the United States have been diverted to British Columbia. Exclusive of shipments from the Pacific Northwest which have been routed via Montreal, conservative estimates indicate that British Columbia, through Vancouver and New Westminster, has handled, in and out, some 500,000 tons of cargo. This volume, in addition to the regular tonnage of these ports, has congested terminal facilities to the point where operations are unprofitable, while the facilities along the Pacific coast south of the Canadian border are idle and deteriorating from disuse. Senator THOMAS of Utah. Mr. Chairman, I have received four telegrams, all from San Francisco, addressed to the Senate "Committee on Commerce and Labor." These telegrams protest the holding of secret sessions. We want the telegrams inserted in the record, and we will ask the clerk of the Education and Labor Committee to answer the telegrams and call the attention of the senders to the fact that the sessions have been executive, and not secret. In fact, many things have been published that have come out in those sessions, and the interests of no one have been hurt. (The telegrams referred to are as follows:) SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., January 19, 1938. SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND LABOR, Senate Chambers, Washington, D. C.: The Inland Boatmen's Union of the Pacific in convention assembled, representing every man employed on all inland craft on the Pacific coast, have been informed that your committee is holding secret sessions and taking testimony in secret in regard to maritime labor matters. The convention protests hearings on this all important matter being conducted in this manner. The most vicious criminal is given open hearings in open court, surely citizens operating the merchant marine of this country cannot and must not be deprived of the fundamental right of facing and answering vicious and slanderous testimony aimed at depriving them of their constitutional rights through oppressive legislation. CONVENTION INLAND BOATMEN'S UNION OF THE PACÍFIC, By C. W. DEAL, President. SENATE LABOR COMMITTEE, Washington, D. C.: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., January 18, 1938. Members and permit men 5,000 strong of International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union protest secret hearings of your committee, held ostensibly to investigate maritime working conditions, but excluding representatives of maritime unions and public. Reports make clear secret hearings being used to vilify maritime workers and unions and thus attempt to force Congress to pass legislation detrimental to maritime unions. Definite indications on Pacific coast that employers taking advantage of secret hearings to carry out intensive drive to cripple and destroy maritime unions on coast. We demand present hearings be opened to maritime union representatives and public and that un-American and antiunion activities of employers here be immediately investigated. SENATE COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE, HENRY SCHMIDT, President, I. L. W. U. Local. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., January 18, 1938. Washington, D. C.: Warehousemen's Union, Local 1-6, I. L. W. U., vigorously protests the secret hearings of your committee and the manner in which investigation is being handled as an obvious attempt to intimidate Congress. We demand an impartial and open hearing with complete publicity on names of ships and details of events. WAREHOUSEMEN'S UNION LOCAL 1-6. I. L. W. U. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE, Washington, D. C.: Members and permit men, 5,000 strong, of International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union protest secret hearings of your committee held ostensibly to investigate maritime working conditions but excluding representative of maritime unions and public. Reports make clear secret hearings being used to vilify maritime workers and unions and thus attempt to force Congress to pass legislation detrimental to maritime unions. Definite indications on Pacific coast that employers taking advantage of secret hearings to carry out intensive drive to cripple and destroy maritime unions on coast. We demand present hearings be opened to maritime-union representatives and public and that un-American and antiunion activities of employers here be immediately investigated. Senator ROYAL S. COPELAND, HENRY SCHMIDT, President, I. L. W. U. Local. NEW YORK, N. Y., January 17, 1938. Senate Merchant Marine Committee: In view of the malicious and unjust statements in the press on Sunday, January 16, the National Maritime Union insists in the interests of fairness on a hearing before your committee to refute these statements. JACK LAWRENSON, Atlantic and Gulf District Committee, (The following letter was submitted for the record by the chairman :) COMMITTEE FOR INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION, Washington, D. C. Senator ROYAL S. COPELAND, DEAR SENATOR: The manner in which testimony was adduced at the recent joint executive hearings of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Committee on Education and Labor indicate an underlying motive that cannot, in my opinion, be reconciled with an attitude of impartiality. The secrecy which surrounded these hearings can by no stretch of the imagination be called conducive to open and frank discussion of the basic issues con |