The Washington times., 1902-01-28
NAVY YARD MEN
CANNOT AGREE
Some Want Thirty Days
Leave, Others Do Not.
A MERRY FIGHT In PROGRESS
Vacation Hnvc Addressed
Letter to Congress.

Navy yard employees who are satisfied
with fifteen days annual leave are at
dagger points with other workers who
will not be content with less than thirty
days. A merry fight is already in prog
ress. and may eventually be carried be-
fore Congress.
The unusual spectacle presented is
made more extraordinary by the fact that
the employees who are content with fif-
teen days leave far outnumber those who
wish twice that much.
The ''fifteen-day" faction is that of the
International Association of Machinists.
In their local lodge. Columbia. No. ia,
the members recently voted upon the
question of leave, and decided that it
would be unfair to ask Congress to grant
fifteen additional days time in view of the
immense amount of legislation before the
present session in which labor is inter-
ested.
Organized Mnchinists Satisfied.
Fifteen days leave was granted navy
yard and arsenal machinists by the last
Congress. The organized machinists are
satisfied with this amount. They explain
that they wish to see Chinese exclusion,
the eight-hou law, and other labor pro-
tective measures passed, and that they do
not care to burden Congress with re-
quests.
Congressman Mudd of Maryland has in
troduced in this Congress a bill giving
the employees of the Government navy
yard thirty days instead of fifteen days.
Organized labor in Washington is
against it. Even men in the organization
admit that this is hard to believe. Never
theless they are opposed to it. They will
not take fifteen days more of legal alb
sence from work. 1t would not be fair,
they say.
Letter to Congress.
Now a movement is on foot, launched
by certain unaffliated machinists at the
yard, to have the passage of Mr.. Mudd's
bill assured. They have addressed the fol-
lowing to Congress-:
Whereas the International Association
of Machinists has disapproved of bill
before the House and Senate to grant fif-
teen additional days leave of absence to
navy yard and arsenal employees, and as
said association only represents ABOUT
one third of the working force of the
Washington Navy Yard, the remaining
two thirds being majority. protest
against their action as unfair to them.
They also request the passage of said
bill"
President O'COnneIHs Explanation.
Mr.. James O'Connell, president of the
International Association of MachiniSts,
explained the situation last night. He
said that the men who are urging the
passage OF an additional fifteen days
leave law are not in harmony with the
local association of machinists.
THE machinists succeeded last year in
securing the passage OF law giving them
fifteen days annual leave" said Mr..
O'Connell. This year, in view OF the
fact that they are interested in the eight
hour day law, Chinese exclusion, and
other matters of interest to organized
labor they concluded not to request so
much of Congress at one time.
"Four-ffths of the navy yard ma
chinists are members of the organization.
The ones who are urging the passage of
a law giving fifteen additional days leave
are not more than l per cent of the ma
chinists employed at the yard"