Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-19
ASK FOR SQUARE DEAL
Plea of Navy Yard Mechan-
les for Half Holiday.
COURTS MAY DECIDE
LODGE TO HOLD I'M
PoRTANT MEETING TONIGHT.
Correspondence Between President
tee-Discontent at Navy Yard.

tee-Discontent at Navy Yard.
TT is I'd to Secretary Of the Navy Bona
| parte."
This was the statement made today by a
lea ding member of Columbia Lodge of Ma
chirists. He referred to the much agitated
question of a Saturday half holiday for
| the employees of the Washington navy yard.
| AS exclusively stated in The Star yester-
| DAY, President Roosevelt made answer to
| the telegram sent to him by a committee
| of Columbia Lodge, requesting that they
| be allowed to confer with the President and
| present to him personally the claim OF
| the navy yard men for the half holiday
| each week during the heated term. Presi-
| dent Roosevelt's negative reply has caused
| a feeling of dismay to pervade the estab-
| liShment wherein are employed 4,5o0 me-
cEanics and laborers.
The correspondence between the commit
| tee of Columbia Lodge of Machinists and
! the President follows and is self-explana-
tory:
WASHINGTON, d. c., July II. 1905.
| Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President
| United States, Oyster Bay, N. Y.
THE mechanics employed at the Wash
inSton navy yard in mass meeting consid-
cred the decision just rendered by the hon
| orable Secretary of the Navy, denying their
| request for the Saturday half holiday and
SeleCteu the Undersigned as Il committee W
| present In person to you the reasons for
| your further consideration of this subject
! believing that an unintentional discrimina-
! ton against the navy yard employees has
| taken place, as almost every wage worker
! IN the District of Columbia is now enjoying
| the Saturday half holiday, with the excep-
| ton of the navy yard employees, which, to
| them. seems eminently unfair. In behalf
| OF the $500 employees We respectfully re-
| quest that you give us an opportunity Of
| presenting our claim to you. and that you
| set date and time at your convenience
| when can call. This request we be-
| lieve is in keeping with your orders that
| all government employees believing that
| they are not fairly treated, should come to
see you. Approaching your expressed de-
sire that exact justice is done all govern
ment employees alike and trusting we may
have favorable reply, we are respectfully,
JAMES OCONNELL,
President, !. A. of NJ.
civilian O'DONNELL
HARRY LIE CLAIR"
Yesterday a letter dated the same day of
receipt of telegram was received by James
o Council, president of the International
Association of Machinists stating the
Presidents position in the matter
The Presidents Reply.
The President replied:
OYSTER BAY. n. Y, July II.
My Dear Sir: Replying to the telegram
OF this date from yourself Mr.. William
O'Donnell and Mr.. Harry LIE Clair I am
directed by the President to say that the
plan now in operation covering Saturday
half holidays necessarily leaves to the head
OF the department in cases like that of the
navy yard to decide whether the require
ments of the work will admit of granting
the holiday. The decision of the Secretary
of the Navy is therefore final.
''B. F. BARNES,
Acting Secretary to the President
Mr.. James OConnel president Interna-
t!onal Association of Machinists, Wash
ington. D. c.
The employees of the navy yard now real
lie, 1t Is said, that they need expect no con-
cessions In the matter from either the
President or the Navy Department, and
that If they have any redress It will be in
the courts.
Feeling ran high at the navy yard to-
day, and disappointment over the action
of President Roosevelt was expressed on
all sides. The matter was almost the sole
| topic Of conversation in the gunmaking
shops today.
The announcement that Columbia Lodge
Will hold a meeting tonight at it's hall on
Capitol bill to further consider the half
| holiday question gave the workers a ray
| of hope, as it Is expected the meeting will
| decide to employ the ablest legal talent and
| press the contentious of the navy yard en-
ployes in the courts. 1t is said that the
| men, anticipating such an outcome as the
| refusal of the President and the Navy De-
| partment TO give them what they term fair
| play" have already raised a considerable
| to be used as a defense fund.
President Emmett B. Adams of Columbia
| Lodge is reported to have said that while
| disappointed at the attitude of the chief ex-
| ponent of the square deal over this mat
ter, are by no means disconnected, and
| shall, If possible, push the matter to a sat
isfactory conclusion. We are not satisfied
| that all that can be done has been done. 1t
is probable that the committee appointed
Sunday morning to take legal advice will
be In position to report at our regular
| meeting tonight. If we are not encouraged
by their report to proceed further in the
matter we shall content ourselves with the
belief that we have done in a proper man
ner all that is in our power to sustain the
doctrine Of the square deal and continue
to labor each Saturday afternoon, inspired
with the belief that are instrumental in
reducing the deficit of s24,OO0,000. BY no
means is our case hopeless. The matter
may or may not be settled at tonight's
meeting.
Question Of Privileges.
An employee OF the naval gun factory In
| discussing the Saturday hah-holiday ques-
| ton said he had read the statement Of
| naval officer to the effect that II the en-
| ployes of the Washington navy yard con-
tinued their agitation of the half-hollday
| question they would lose some privileges;
NOW, in regard to privileges said the
gun factory mechanic, Il Will make q rev
| comparisons First the per diem employees
| of the navy yard have to take up collec-
| ton of from to 10 cents every pay day
| to buy Ice to cool water for drinking pur-
| poses The clerks and officers of the de-
| partments furnished not only ice, but
| soap and towels.
! why is 1t that the per diem employees
| In the government printing office have
| Saturday half holiday and receive
| pay for It and the navy yard en-
| ployes are not allowed the same privi-
| lege? Now, with regard to competing
| with outside firms. every contract let by
| the government for naval stores. gun
| mounts. ETC.. is given at price 35 per cent
| higher than what 1t costs to make them
| in the naval gun factory. Also out OF
| every ten guns that explode or flow out
| a high per cent are made by contract.
| 1.-THE commandant of the navy yard in
| his last annual report asked for an appro-
| priation to build additional shops for the
| naval gun factory. But the appropriation
| was blocked for the reason that members
| of Congress, elected by the people to look
| after their interests, voted under pressure
| of the steel interests to defeat the measure
| so that the employees of those interests
| should have the work which the govern
| ment could have executed much more
| cheaply and better, had Congress voted to
| build the additional shops and supply the