Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-21
CARPENTERS AND JOlNERS
Secretary Longs Reply to Their Represen-
tative as to Certain Grievances.
No Necessity Exists for the Appoint
ment of n Quarter
man,

Secretary Long has addressed the follow
ing self-explanatory letter to Mr.. Norman
c. Sprague of this city, representing the
Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and
Joiners:
Referring to your call at the depart
ment, presenting certain grievances OF
tOiners employed at the Washington navy
yard. the matter was referred to the COM
mandant of the yard for report, and has
been returned with the following indorse-
ments:
g From the superintendent OF the naval
gun factory:
The pattern and Joiner shop Of the
gun factory is essentially pattern shop,
and the Joiner work is nearly always that
belonging to low-erade mechanics, or
what are known mill hands in private
esta adjustments
There are now nine f1rst-class joiners
ana eight second-class joiners, which fully
represents the proportion of those grades
which the work in the pattern shop should
employ The leading force at present in
that shop IS master pattern maker, a
leading man who served his apprentice
ship In these shops and is thoroughly COM
petept to do all classes of work but was
rated as a first-class pattern maker at the
time that he was made n leading man, and
leading man who is Joiner by trade
and who was a first-ClaSs Joiner al the
time he was made leading man.
Quarterman Not Needed
Any addition to the leading force
would be useless to the department, and, In
my opinion, the appointment of a quarter
man in charge of joiners would be IN
justitiaple and a detriment to the smooth
working of the shop.
The few men who have investigated the
letter fail to appreciate that the majority
OF Joiners are doing mill mems work: that
they have steady employment. regardless Of
the weather. and are always in comforta able
quarters. If men Of a higher rating We're
employed on this work the department
would not be justified in doing it, as it
would bring the cost above what It could
De Gone by outside parties, and it would be
to the interest Of the government to con-
tract for he work although in my opinion,
1t should be confined to the yard. where it
can he inspected during the process of it's
manufacturer
From the commandant: The total force
IN the pattern shop is io4. and in superiu-
tendenCe the master pattern ker two
leading men and special mechanic would
seem to be ample, considering that practi-
calIy all of the men work in one shop on
the same floor. The pattern makers are
carpenters of high order, and are
equipped To superintend such joiner work
as is carried on in that shop. | do not rec
ommena any change in the organization
nor 90 | think there is any Just cause for
the complaint as to the wages paid to the
Jolhers working there, or in their failure to
be promoted to a higher class. II may be
tru" that some Of the men working are
capable of doing work which would be
proper for men Of higher rates of pay, but
| do not think that the work that they are
engaged on is work Of that character
In view of the above" SAYS Secretary
Long, lit would appear that the complaints
of the Joiners are not well founded