Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-09
NO ADVANCE IN PAY
Scale for Mechanics at Navy
Yard Continued.
SCHEDULE MADE ANNUALLY
Department Finds No Warrant for
Change in 1910.
ACTING SECRETARY so STATES
Board of Officers to Be Appointed in
November to Prepare Rate
for 1911.
SCHEDULE MADE ANNUALLY
ACTING SECRETARY so STATES

No increase in the wages of the 500
mechanics employed at the Washington
navy yard will be made during the pres
ent calendar year. An announcement to
that effect was made today by Beekman
Winthrop, acting secretary of the navy.
The present schedule of wages at the
local yard was established January |
last on the recommendation of the regu-
lar wage board That board was COM
posed of officers of the navy. and, in ac-
cordance with naval regulations, was re-
quired to base the schedule OF wages on
the wages paid for similar work in pri-
vate establishments i'm the vicinity. In
the performance of that duty the board
considered wages paid in private estab-
lishments in Washington, Alexandria,
Richmond. Baltimore. Harrisburg, Will
mington and Philadelphia.
Movement for Increase.
Since then there has been a general
movement on the part of the friends and
representatives of the mechanics en-
ployed at the local yard for an increase
in the wage scale. Strong representations
to that end were made TO the Navy De-
partment by Representative Bates of
pennsylvania, member of the House
naval affairs committee and committees
of the International Order of Machin-
lists. Generally, it was claimed to be un-
fair to compare labor conditions in
Washington with those of other cities
and the point was made that the cost of
living in Washington was greater than in
the cities considered by the wage board.
The main point insisted upon, however,
was that the wage comparisons should
TO confined to the city of Washington,
and the Navy Department finally agreed
to reconsider the existing schedule of
wages on that basis.
Several months time has been devoted
TO the consideration of the matter. The
result, as stated today by Acting Secre-
tary Winthrop. is that no warrant is
found for any change in the wage sched-
ule for 1910. These schedules are made
annually to meet conditions as they exist
from year to year. A board of naval Of
ficers will be appointed in November next
to prepare the wage scale for the calen-
dar year 1911. ss,s.s y ...ss
Acting Secretary's Statement.
Mr.. Winthrop issued a memorandum on
the subject today. and said that it con-
ment desired TO give out. The memoran-
dunn follows:
After very thorough and exhaustive
investigation of the data submitted by
employees OF the Washington navy yard.
as well az information secured by the
commandant of the yard and the wage
board, the Navy Department has reached
the conclusion that a change in the pres
ent wage schedule for mechanics at the
Washington navy yard Is not warranted.
In the case of one trade 1t was found
that the conditions and character of the
employment were entirely dissimilar in
eight of the twenty-three establishments
from which data were submitted by en-
ployes of the yard: that the fifteen re-
naming firms employed in all eighty
seven machines. as compared with over
1.JOO at the yard: that of these eighty
seven mechanics about - per cent were
rated frst-class. as compared with about
"a per cent of frst-class mechanics in the
trade at the Washington navy yard: that
the average rate of pay OF the eighty
seven mechanics was less than the aver
age rate at the Washington navy yard >