The Washington times., 1905-07-16
Navy Yard Machinists
Want the HQLf-HOLiddv
Secretary Bonaparte's Recent Order Closely
AnalyZed by President Adams, of
Columbia Lodge.

Shall Columbia Lodge of Machinists.
made up principally of men from the
navy yard, together with the several
hundred other employees of that great
Government workshop, submit quietly
to the recent order OF Secretary Bona
parte, Of the Navy Department de-
priving them Of their Saturday half
holidays throughout the summer?
Shall they be influenced by the ut
terances of "a navy officer" which
recently appeared in print and in which
any employe who took the law into his
own hands and quit for Saturday
afternoon was threatened with instant
dismissal from the service?
These are the questions which are
or paramount Importance to the $500
employees in the navy yard. and are
questions which will come up for much
discussion at the special meeting of
Columbia Lodge in Naval Lodge Hall,
Fourth Street and Pennsylvania avenue
southeast this morning.
Scores Of employees OF the navy yard
seen yesterday answered an emphatic
NO" to the queries, and an equally
positive negative statement was that
made last night by Emmett L. Adams.
president OF Columbia Lodge.
1T seems TO me-, said Mr.. Adams,
ed to "a naval officer should scarcely
have been promulgated through the press.
AS q simple measure of discipline We
are surely able to see that the arbi-
trary throwing down of his tools by
any employe would need to be dealt
with radically, but you may say that
none of us have contemplated such ac-
ton. Obedience to the order has so far
been with us q mere routine matter,
but If the naval officer has seen fit to
leap into print with statement. which
surely smacks much of intimidation. the
fighting qualities of each man and of
our organization, have been brought to
the front
I'VE are not frightened by such an
order coming in such way; and at
the meeting tomorrow we propose to
discuss the question from its every
standpoint. and to determine just what
course Of action Is best
Bonaparte's Pronounciamento.
Stopping for a moment in his talk
Mr.. adams produced the order issued bv
Secretary Bonaparte, explaining as he
did SO that Columbia Lodge found in
the change of heads in the department
lever which seemed TO promise well
for reopening of the Saturday half
holiday order. issued by Acting Secre-
tary Darling. Our talk with Mr.. Bona
parte was not without its omens Of
good said Mr.. Adams, but. under date
OF July IA we received a lengthy memo
randum written by the Secretary and
transmitted through Assistant Secretary
Darling. The Secretary reviewed the
decisions of other years. and finally con-
ciuded as follows:
This decision of the department. re-
ferr.ng to the previous recommendation
OF Acting Secretary of the Navy Darl-
ing to the President. having been ap.
proved by the President. closed the ques-
tion; but, In view of the further re
quests to the same effect. the Secretary
of the Navy has carefully reconsideret
the subject, and concludes that the half
holiday requested cannot be granted
with due regard to the public interest
The necessity for strict economy on tn,
part of this department is obvious, anl
SO urgent that the department would
not be justified In recommending to th'
President action involving serious addi