The Washington times., 1903-04-22
SHIP AND NAVY YARD
ELECTRICIANS ASK
FOR INCREASED PAY
Demands of WOrkmen Laid
Before Department.
AGREEMENT EXPIRES JULY |
Congress to Be Asked to Pass Legisla-
tion in Interest of Men on
Vessels Of War.

All electricians employed At the
Washington Navy Yard have asked for
al increase in wages. The matter will
be placed formally before Secretary
Moody. Friday. when the president OF
the International Order of Electricians
w H. Sherman, returns from Toronto
where he went several days ago TO settle
q dispute
The poor pay OF electricians employed
on ships of the navy is also under dis
cussion. Tt is probable that the next
session OF Congress will be asked to pass
a law increasing the pay
Present Wages.
The ''wiremen' at the yard receive at
the present time $2.SS day. which they
say is less than is paid by private firms
throughout the country. The electrical
machinists. the best class Of men, now
receive $500 day. The increase asked
amounts 70 about Is per cent.
On board the warships the chief cleo
tricians receive only $50 month, de
spite tho fact that they are In charge
Of the vast amount OF electrical ma
chinery on the huge vessels. which, in
complicated mechanism, equals that IN
the largest factories in the country
where the man in charge receives
monthly wages Of several hundred dol
lars
Electricians Of the first class receive
$50 month. those of the second class
$40, and those OF the third class $50 a
month The chief electrician is respon-
sible only to the executive officer of a
ship. taking no orders from the other
officers. His responsibility is practical
" equal to that of a commissioned Of
fcer. It was said today that Congress
would be asked to increase their pay
about 90 per cent.
Calls at the Navy Yard.
National Organizer ". E. Kennedy, Of
the International Brotherhood Of Elec-
tricaI Workers. called a the Navy De-
partment today to see Secretary Moody.
As ne did not seem TO know just how to
place :he matter properly before the
department he was referred to Chief
Clerk Peters. of the Navy Department,
who asked him to submit the request for
the increase in writing. This will be
done. and the International officers VIII
also call upon the Secretary
The men are working under a six
months agreement with the department
which ends July !. They expect that the
increase in pay will be granted when
the present agreement has expired.
About 500 men are involved
we have no grievances against the
Government. said Organizer Kennedy
today, beyond the wage question. which
I have no doubt viii be satisfaetorily
settled. The electricians, both in the
yards and on the ships OF the navy, are
all underpaid. and we simply want to
see if We cannot remedy the matter.
Difficulty for Enlisted Men
We will have less trouble aiding
the civilian employees in the yards than
the enlisted men, because the wages OF
the latter are fixed by Law. thus pre-
venting Secretary Moody or any OF the
officers of the Navy Department from in
creasing them, even If they desired to
do So This matter viii be taken be-
fore Congress at the coming session.
The electrician. because OF the rapid
development IN electrical machinery, is
one of the most important men on
board the warship. Yet his pay is be-
low that of many of the other petty
officers. This is not right. and it is
on this fact that we are basing our
complaints.