The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-12
TRIED TO CRIPPLE OUR SHIPS.
THE WORK or UNION MEN ~ THE
SPiNISH-iM ERICiN WAR.
They Went Aboard Two ships That Mere
BEING Fitted out ri the Crsnip Yards
and Seriousi, Disarransed Their Via.
chincry Before the senate
Committee on the EiEht.Iiour 1911.

| WAsHkSGTON Dec. II Mr.. j. II Null,
ASSISTANT man.g.r of the Cramp ship
yards, vino stated in the yards twenty
three years ago a. an apprentice and worned
his wa up u iii be reached his present en-
| lueuCe, gave testimony b fore the Senate
, Committee on + 4tcdlion ana Labor, which is
considering the bill lming work on all
| Government contracts To- ght hours day
Mr. Null created u slir VIE n. IN 0en"uhc-
| ing the methods of labor organllG-
| tons, he referred to an act alleged to lave
! been perpetrated 10y men.l cTs of the liner.
national A. sociation of Ma chinists during
the span shAmeTican War. when the
United S.a cs cruiser Alabama and the
| transport Thomas were being fitted out at
the Cramp laiLs in Philadelphia.
Mr.. Null said that the International As
ISOLATION waS endeavoring to preciptate
-trlk" in the yards, and in order to en-
barrass the shiphullder. a. much a. pos
,ible several Of the Cramp workmen belong
ing 10 the association went on board the
ALBANIA and seriously disarranged her
machinery, which act. had it not been de-
covered in time. would have severely trp-
Piled the ship after she had got out to
sea. They played the same dastardly trick,
| -, 'S W. ''' ''''' y ''"'''"'"' va ~"
| Thomas.
we iiau O''n id'"iiflS on 'he sh'ps uay
gnu "sh'' ea'u VII NUN, our men nr"d
WV" pa'iio'ic Heai' "orhihS uhl'I 'hey
""Pptu IN 'heir TRACKS ana yet, gentle
i'""' 'heSe HehIlers OF the International
ASSOCIATION oil Machinists Americans. all
VI 'i'c'i except one, am ashamed TO say
uS''d every EFFORT In their power to cripple
'l1'~' ships III an endeavor to demonstrate to
ne pubHc that strike was ahectii US
seriously
DO you mean to tell mo, demanded
| hartman Mc'oinas, with great earnesthess.
mat some OF ihcS" men were Americans! !
cannot relieve II.
WIN e'ahd Nv every word say, re-
phed MI MuII emphatically. w" did no,
max" Inc matter public at the time because
OF the moral eh"ct II insight have upon the
community Dut the war department knew
al ahou' u ana '"i. bIrd sent an Inspector
10 fhllahephia To inNestlgat" IN" matter,
ana ne iouhd what nav" stated here 10 lie
Iru"
Mr.. Mulls statement seemed Ia impress
the senators greatly, number Of whom
mad never heard oi this incident before. the
afalr beng buried IN the archives OF the
War Department
| MT r. > tramp IN his testimony said:
IF this ..G"t-hour law had been en-
acted twenty years ago the battle Of San
tago would never have been fought
| Il refer modestly. bat with considerable
PRIDE said Mr.. tramp, "to the fact that
one-half of tine American natt!eships which
participated III That battle were built in
the tramp yards. Not only that. but
consider that this country was saved from
yellow fever plague by utilizing those
magnificent steamers the St Paul and the
81 Louis, which carried 300 American
soldiers northward on each trip at a speed
| Of twenty knots per hour, away from the
dangers meEacing their health and that of
the country around Santiago
| These ships, gentlemen he concluded
| imprc-sively, would never have been
built bv Us if this law had been effective
twenty years ago for 1t would have been
impossible for H. 20 have done the work
for the Government which We have done
ana II 4, 10 work for the Government that
the great success of American shipbuilding
NAV be- aScribed Il was the Impetus given
To -hiphuilding by the rebuilding of the
American Navy, which stimulated the pro-
duct,on of ships capable OF increased speed
that has led to the upbuiiing OF the Anne =
lean merchant marine, and this Is always
gwen "a one of the reasons for an increased
navy, that it helps the merchant marine"
| Mr.. Cramp proceeded to show that, in his
| opinion. this bill was aimed chiefly at the
| shipbuilding and armor-pate interests of
| the country. senator Met Oma~. chairman
OF tn" committee. admitting that, under
| his construction of the bill. but few other
| interests would b" affected
Without making IA special plea for protec-
tiou for th"~" industries, Mr.. tramp brough,
out very clearly the animus which inspired
those advocating tine bill, who sought to
cripple two of the greatest industrial in
stitutions IN the United States. the Cramp
shipyardS and the Homestead steel works.
In neither institution Is union labor rccog-
ni1ed, and all attempts to organize the ship
yards or the steel works have failed. and
"a the labor organizations are unable to
reach them through the men they seek
to cripple them 10y the enact ment Of
WI Nia"'p "'9" H,'"'' '''a' 'i' advocates
or,n,oy.., or tbo institutions which ,n',,,
|