Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-10-01


THE NAVY YARD EMPLOYEES
Acknowledgements Assembly met last night,
Mr.. j. II. RalstOn in the chair, and John Chris
fian, secretary. Resolutions adopted at re-
cent meeting of the Navy Yard mechanlcS
excusipg the civil engineer of the yard for
employing mechanics aud laborers contrary
TO law, were read.
Mr.. Wayson, from the special committee to
investigate Irregularities at the Washington
navy yard, submitted a statement supplement-
airy to the report read one week ago before the
assembly. The paper submitted states thai
this action is forced from the committee by
the action OF the sOcalled worklngmen of the
bureau of yards and docks. reported in the
local press of Wednesday last that the resoIu
tons adopted by those persons do nos deny
the facts stated in the report of the committee
OF the Workingmen's assembly, but claim that
an exaggerated statement mas been made
that 1.-The engineer of the affair is one Arnold
CleeVeS. clerk of the naval stores OF the bureau
OF YARDS and docks, not mechanic, and who,
being undoubtedly the author of the reSoiu-
tons. has been working aSSiduouSly to Obtain
Signatures and get his papers presented 10 the
Navy department. previous to those Of this
assembly. In this effort he has used intinlida-
ton without stint. and yet we defy him tc
show one man on his list fotfler than the So
called 'bOssesO who are at the present time
receiving trst- class schedule wages. There is
not one master workman Grated as such) en-
Ployed IN the bureau. 80 lar as we can learn.
Here, for instance, is a sample Of the manner
In which men are employed: Andrew Neville,
himself foreman Of masODS.' Now, the
schedule OF rates says foreman OF ma5Ons
shall. according to law, receive 81 80 per diem,
yard as special foreman Of laborers, aud as
such receives So 50 per diem. There
are two other foremen of laborers in
And this man N esiIs bosses sHi the e. paiessrs
bricklayers, stonecutters, plasiererS PAYERS,
and labOrerS, none of the skilled WOrkmen
having any other foreman than himself. Those
rG0 fhn nv1d hfc ftl,o
Diego and the Irishman) know full well that
the latter is only the tool which the former
uses to accomplish his dirty purposes. Pope,
we are so informed, receives only STA per
diem or q cents over the second class joiners
when the law says such services Shall be paid
= cents over rst-class joiners, or at the rate
class jOiners Is $2.75, but only one man in that
shop gets 1t. There are men working at car
penterins and joining who only receive $3.50
receive but $l75 per day-less than second
class wageS-and others who are on the labor
ers' roll and working at joining. Il. w. Rich
receives but 80 % per day, wien the law SAYS
he. should have g. John Nokes, leading
painter. receives but $2.25 per day; when the
schedule rate is 81 50 for first. class. The sche-
dule rate for .piasterers is g So but not one
man employed at that trade receives more
than S2.25, the majority only 50, some having
received even as low as sl.25: Timers, ths
from $50 to 81 %. Thus it will be seen that in
every instance the law is disregarded and the
WOrkingmen defrauded OF their lust dues al
Iotted them by the laws Of Congress. These
statements are facts, which this man MenOcal
cannot deny, and which demand Il remedy
This we ask at the hands of the Secretary Of
the Navy, and stand prepared 10 prove all we
state" Signed by the committee.
EIGHT HOUR LAW
Mr.. Christian, from the PiastererS Union,
repOrtedthat the mechanics in this branch are
now working on the eight-hour principle.
COOPERATION.
Mr.. RalStOn. from the committee on cO-ope-
ration, made a statement showing that the
committee were busy arranging a system to
to carry out the plans. He asked that all the
members CT the committee attend the meet
1ngS and fall into the movement. He moved
that one delegate from each union be author
lied to be appointed by the several unions
upon this committee on cooperation.
member asked MI. RalStOn to explain the
purposes OF the movement and what was
meant by cooperation in connection with this
assembly.
Mr.. Ralston explained that it was sufficient
to say briefly that it meant in the end to give
their labor, instead of giving it all to con-
tractors and bosses.
ORGANIZATION.
MIR. EmmOnS asked to hear from the com
mittee ON organization. 1t appears to be a
very quiet and innocent affair. The services
the machiDists department of the Washington
navy yard. He did not desire any longer to
represent body which has so fimSy and
weak all organization. This committee should
take this matter in hand. He did not propose
to attempt hereafter to represent union
which IS not fully and thoroughly organized.
Relief of Yellow Fever Sufferers.