The Washington times., 1908-10-21

I
| q protest TO the Government TO prevent
any Of the naval work il is possible to
carry on at Washington being let TO
! private concerns. as suggested TO the
President Monday by Representative
Brodhead and delegation of his con
stituents from the Bethlehem steel dis
trict IN Pennsylvania.
4 formal letter has been written to
! Secretary Of the Navy Victor H. Met
| calf by President Emmett l. Adams.
OF the District Lodge Of Government
Employees OF the international Asso-
citation of Machinists. The membership
Of 800 employed men Is behind the
| movement.
! Business interests in Washington have
been asked to attend a meeting tonight
at Naval Lodge Hall, at Fourth street
and Pennsylvania avenue. 10 discuss the
threatened loss OF work and 20 make
known the sentiments OF business Wash
/ ington 10 the President and the Secre-
| tary Of the Navy.
In the letter 10 Mr. Metcalf. Mr..
! Adams shows that not only would the
workingmen suffer by such a change
| but the Government would seem TO sac
rifice its principle Of eight hours labor
: now in effect in the navy yard, but not
| recognized IN private plants. such as
those at Bethlehem, where ten hours
work IS the rule.
z3o Men Discharged.
Already, go men ha~o been discharged
| from the navy yard for Jack Of work.
/ With the present force, 1, is claimed.
all the work in the ordnance depart
ment for which Congress appropriated
funds can be executed on time and with
out the help OF private contracts. Aside
/ from the assertion that the problem
: OF the unemployed Is as acute IN WASH
/ iBgton as in Bethlehem, il is main
tanned that the Government viii profit
4 by the superior work performed under
the supervision Of the naval authorities.
Unemployed machinists in other steel
districts are usually close to similar
plants and can get other work, but the
nevv yard men have no resource left
when discharged here except 10 leave
/ washington In a wearisOme hunt for
work in strange cities and under new
! conditions
| MANY prominent men Of affairs have
! promised To attend the meeting OF pro-
! test tonight and Il is probable that some
direct message will be conveyed from
| the citizens 70 those responsible Tor
the disposition Of the navy yard work
/ 1t is not known what reception was
! given Representative Brodheao re
| quest that private contracts for navy
| work be distributed in order to relieve
| conditions in the Bethlehem district.
| II is said that the delegation believed
/ that the President had it in his power
TO accomplish such a change.
Bids Are Required.
/ Proposals for bids, however, would be
/ REQUIRED and the expense and delay Of
such proceedings is considered another
objection TO such a change.
| Because of the faithful service the
men have given, they claim first con-
| slderation from the Government. and
/ they believe that their cause will be
recognized as worth by the authorities
/ The letter which reached Secretary
Metcalf today follows:
THE employees OF the Washington
Navy Yard having learned through the
public press that Congressman Brod-
head, representing the Bethlehem pa
district. with delegation OF his con-
| StitueutS, was to enter a protest to tho
( President against so much Of the Gov
! eminent work being done I'm the Gov
/ eminent plants. and to request that a
| larger portion Of the work should be
/ left to the private plants, presumably
| for the benefit Of the unemployed Of
! that section, and having been advised
!
| delegation to you, we beg 10 submit %
you our views covering this important
| question
Can Do All the Work.
! I'VE affirm. That the Washington
4 Navy Yard can do all the ordnance
work provided for in the naval appro-
priation bill passed at the last session
! Of Congress without the addition Of a
| single man to the present force
That 23O men were discharged from
the Washington Navy Yard on July I
of this year because Of a lack Of work.
THAT a large number OF these men
are stIH In our minds, having no en-
enlargement to look for work in other
localities. and that the problem Of
these unemployed is a. acute in the
| District Of Columbia az il is in any
| other center. although perhaps not af-
fecung so large number Of men,
Is Business Proposition.
That the Government has established
an eight-hOUr day, IN recognition Of
an economic principle; It has created
other conditions not 10 be found in
private plants. and to take the work
! of the Government plants and let 1t to
| private contractors would be an act
that could properly be interpreted as
| a Reputation Of the eight-hour day.
That for the Government to do such
work in its own plants that are
| equipped TO do this work cannot be
confused with socialism, nor can II be
called paternalism, but is a business
proposition for the Government TO get
/ the very best product obtainable at a
cost slightly, # any. in excess OF he
1 cost OF an inferior product
THAT the standard OF living among
/ the people engaged upon this work is
\ as much a matter Of concern to the
ard Of living in keeping with what pub