Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-23
REPLY TO Mr.. O'CONNELL
CONTENTION REGARDING PASSAGE
OF ANNUAL LEAVE BILL.
Navy Yard Employees Association
Listens to Reading of Letters-Mr.
SimerinE's Statement.

The second meeting of the Navy Yard
Employees Protective Association was held
last night in McCauley's Hall. A good at
tendance was present and many new names
were added to the membership roll. The
meeting was an adjourned one, held to re-
ceiye the report of the special committee
on bylaws, but this committee reported
last night that it's labors were not yet COM
pleted The meeting was given up TO ex-
pressions of opinion regarding the purposes
and future of the organization. Many in
formal speeches We're made, In which the
sentiment was expressed that the
organization was in way antagonistic
to organized labor The association was
defined more as a combination of all navy
yard employees on business and social ba-
sis than a labor body. 1t was desirable, it
was stated, to have a combination OF in
terests, so that whenever legislation be-
came necessary for the good of the en-
ployes such action could be initiated and
sustained by the men whole, both
financially and morally.
Secretary Miller reported that he had re-
ceived communications from Springfield,
Mass, and from an employee of the Norfolk
navy yard, both asking for particulars Of
the organization, and both expressing dis
satisfaction with the machiniStS' organiza-
ton. Mr.. Miller said he had answered
both letters, advising that independent or
CARNATIONS be formed, and that later an
utilization might be effected.
Replies to MIR. O'COnnell.
Mr.. John Simering took the floor and
replied to the published interview with
President James O'Connell of the Interna-
| tional Association of Machinists which ap-
peared in The Star shortly after the first
meeting of the navy yard employees. Mr..
Smering paid particular attention to the
claim of Mr.. O'Connell that he and PreSi-
4 RI 81 nrtn
| Grafton of Labor had used their influence
to secure the passage of the fifteen days
leave bill for navy yard and arsenal en-
ployes at the last session of Congress. Mr..
Simering said he was member of the
committee from the local machinsts union
which had that bill in charge, and that
both Mr.. O'Connell and Mr.. Gompers had
tried to stop the work of his committee at
the capital on the ground that the chances
of the eight-hour bill were being injured.
Mr.. Simering then read letters from Sem
ators Hanna and Elkins and Representative
Dayton. These were the men, he said, who
in both House and Senate, and he had writ
ten them to know exactly what Mr.. O'Con-
nell and Mr.. Gompers had done in it's be-
half.
The Letters Read.
The letter from Senator Hanna was
dated Cleveland. August 10, 1901, and read
Your letter of the 18th instant has been
received, and your request noted. have
to say in reply that neither Mr.. O'Connell
nor Mr.. Gompers ever called on me with
reference to the fifteen days leave bill"
Senator Elkins writes from Elkins, w.
Va, on the same date:
Your letter of the 18th instant received.
l note what you say about the bill grant
ing fifteen days leave of absence. / do
not remember having any correspondence
with Mr.. GomperS or Mr.. OConnell in this
come ction. They never called upon me
in person, and. SO far as l can recollect,
they never sent any one to me in the in
tereSt of the measure. The committee
from the Washington navy yard and your
self were the people who were most active
in setting forth to me the merits of the
bill, and it was largely your suggestions
that l followed. Certainly you and your
associates awakened my interest in the JUS
tce of the measure, in favor of which I
was very glad to make the effort which re-
suited in it's passage"
Representative Dayton of West Virginia
writes:
IF either James O'Connell or Samuel
Gompers called on me touching the fifteen
days leave bill 1 have no recollection of
it. 1 would not say positively that they
did not, because SO many men talked to
me about this measure whom / did not
know; but l hardly think they did, be-
cause / have no recollection of any ac-
quaintance with either of the gentlemen"
The reading of the letters was greeted
with hearty applause, particularly that of
Senator Hanna.
nation of Charles Watermeyer was accepted
as vice president and w. H. R. Martin, a
blacksmith at the navy yard, was elected
10 that office