The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-10-22
Efforts TO Remove Ordnance
Work From Washington
Protested Against.
ASKS BUSINESS MEN
TO AID IN THE FIGHT
Resolutions Adopted Declare Move
Would Be Blow 10 Naval
Efficiency.

Get together, brothers. Get together,
business men. Put your shoulders TO
the wheel. II you want to prevent
them from taking work away from
Washington, get together and stop It.
James O'Connel, president OF the In
ternationaI Association Of Machlnists.
addressing the meeting Of merchants
and employees Of the Washington Navy
Yard, anent the reported efforts of
Representative Brodhead and citizens
Of Bethlehem, Pa, 10 have ordnance
work done at the Bethlehem Steel
Works. rather than in this city. stood
on the little platform I'm Naval Lodge
Hall last night and urged those present
TO get together
The meeting adopted resolutions ex-
pressing the idea that If work were
taken from the local yard and given
20 some private concern, 1t would be a
distinct blow at naval efficiency.
WHY, / thought. when ] saw Il IN
the afternoon paper, that there was TO
be a meeting here tonight Of machinists
and business men, Mr.. OConneU said.
There are only few business men
here, and they are more vitality interest
ed even than we are in this proposition
20 take work 10 Bethlehem.
Why when they laid of 300 men last
spring at the Navy Yard in the city OF
Washington, the business men lost
$4,000 a year. Each one of these 30
men get at least $1,000 "A year, and they
all spent 80 per cent or more Of that
salary in Washington. Many of them
land the crowd laughed spent more
Than 100 per cent here.
What It Means.
What would II mean II they took
work away from this yard and gave 1t
to Bethlehem? OF course, the force here
would be reduced Who would suffer
BY that? Would I suffer much2 Not
SO much as the business man / can
90 and get a Job tomorrow as an EXPERT
machiniSt- Can the small merchant out
there on the corner do the same thing
II the Navy Yard is closed down, can
ne move away and open up shop agar? ?
Maybe he can, probably he can't
II they lay us of down at the Navy
Yard who gets the wOrst2 The business
man II 1 don't get work and can't
pay my bills. they feel il more than
anyone else
so I am surprised that there aren't
more Of them here tonight. The Naval
Lodge has paid for all the fighting IL
has done year after year to keep the
work at the Washington Navy Yard.
The business men have not done q
thing or paid a cent l say it's time
20 get together"
Mr.. O'Connell said that any one could
get almost anything, right now IN the
neat OF the campaign, If one only ask
ed FOR II He said that he wasn't a
DIT afraid that the work viii 20 TO
Bethlehem works. but he'd like to see
every one get busy. anyway.
M. J. Weller vice president of the
East Washington Citizens Association,
said the Government shouldn't take
work from the local navy ward 10
bethlehem, because this shop is the
best IN the Country. the best IN the
world, and because this ordnance,
nations honor IS az stake, must be
made by men who are working to do
II as cheaply as possible. so that profits
viii be greater
Would Be Scabbing.
The idea that Mr. Brodhead and
these other gentlemen came down here
20 ask that the Bethlehem company get
this work so that the poor toiIer could
get something 10 do, IS laughabIe II is
because Charles NJ. Schwab and Andrew,
Carnegie want more money TO line their
pockets. that they want that work. I
am sure the workmen Of Bethlehem
would not ask that work be taken ont
OF the mouths of brothers even to nm
their own As 1 understand il, that's
being a 'scab.'
Mr. Weller spoke or the three great
Government shops in this city, the
Government Printing Office: the Blu
Tean Of Engraving and Printing. ard
the navy yard. He said that there are
hundred Of printers and other skilled
worlmen out Of employment over the
country and asked why these persons
too. CanTOt come to WASHINGTON and
get the President to give work. done at
the printery or the Bureau, to them
He said that the Spanish war showed
beyond all question that the ordnance
made In the local yard was far better