United labor bulletin., 1912-12-19

.,
false light.
The annual report Of Il. NJ. Watt. chief
constructor of the United States navy.
states that the application of the ex-
tended eight-hour law has increased the
cost o! battleship construction by $3s
per ton, the three battleships, Texas.
Nevada and Oklahoma. now under con-
tract. being built under the eighthour
law The report asserts that the aver
age price per ton OF normal displace-
ment of these three vessels is $2l5, while
the average price OF the preceding three
battleships built by contract. when the
hours of labor were unrestricted. was
&l77 per ton.
II is impossible In our limited space
to fully refufe the impressions which
follow this statement Sufhcient data,
however, is available to put an entirely
different phase upon the bald statement
s,st there is an increased cost OF $3s
Der ton. due entirely to the extended ap-
pllcation OF the eight-hour law In the
frst place. the men employed on naval
construction, both In the government
plants and private shipyards, cannot be
said to receive more than a fair wage.
and that they give to the government,
and priyate employers. fair return In
work performed for the wage received is
a patent fact
IL Ia apropos at this time to bring 10
the attention OF the public ana TO the
officials who are In charge OF naval con
siruction that II was only few years
60 that this government was looted
AID plundered by the steel corporations
IN the manufacture OF armor plate and
other steel products entering into the
construction Of vessels to such an eA-
tent that report No. l4ss of the fiity-
third congress. second session. brought
10 light a state OF affairs which showed
most reprehensible practices on the part
OF the steel corporations. rms govern
mcnt Maid from S5i7 to s725 per ton Tor
a,,r,r Mate while the same armor plate
vas being furnished 10 the Russian eoN-
.rnmen, by the same steel companies
Tor s2as per ton In the investigation
which followed. the Carnegie COMPANY
me petbiehem and Midyale companies,
All .nEaged at that time In FURNISHING
this government with aTmor plate re
fused to furnish the investigating ooaro
with the slightest Information As 70 nv
cost of armor production. The labor or
unnlzationE OF the country. together
.-th a well developed sentiment Which
h.d heen created through the efforts OF
the labor organizations, brought aoou'
such n condition OF Affairs that the gov
.rnment took under consideration the
cost of establishing plant ior tue man
ufacture of armor plate, and immeuia.e
ly the bids for armor plate from THESE
steel companies commeheeu 70 uloP
To show how this government was
,or,neIIad TO stand and deliver by the
.rmor Mate combine in 1906. the Beth.
lahem company bid cents more than
the Midyale company, ana the Shhesie
romnany bid IL cents more per ton thah
the Midvale company. Another strange
coincidence occurred In August i'o"'
the Carnegie and Bethlehem companies
submitting bids for the various classes
~ .r,nor the bids being identical. 1he
contract in consequence tnefeoi was
yided between them
In the investigation which was COM
menced in 1894 OF the frauds perpe-
trated by these steel companies, IL was
admitted that the steel products cohtrhct
cd for by the government were not uch'-
cred according to specifications, but Una.
the government was swindied oy ue,ns
furnished with defective steel ihose
hava kent in touch with the steel
siTntion will vividly remember the time
when Andrew Carnegie gave utterhhce
To the expression that he commenced ,ne
manufacture of armor plate upon the
request of the officials of this govern
ment. because he deemed II to oe the
voice of God" As compensation ior
listening to this voice Carnegie ac-
cording to figures proukh' o"t ~ 80" "
vcstigation referred to. received over
&. 600, 900 in excess OF n reasonable prom.
on the first government order OF o'oo'
tons OF armor plate.
nut let us see how the eight-hour day
works out. The Scientific American Tor
January, 1908, printed an editoriai,
norton OF which is hereby reproduced
and which speaks for itself:
.popuiar fnilacies die hard; especially
when they are kept alive by persistent
and interested Misrepresentation
notable instance of this Is the statement
so often made and too widely believed.
that II costs great deal more, anu
takos considerably longer, to buiid nat-
,ieahip Mt n government navy yard thah
a. does nt n private shipyard. There was
. time II is true when navy yard-puiit
china were very costly, and took an uh.
\ ccrscionable time to complete; but tnat
wna over twenty years ago. when poh.i'
cnl control of navy yards was rampant,
aud before certain courageous youns
" rpval constructor. who later became
.n,oy constructor OF the navy. undertook
the task OF rescuing our navy yaros l'o'.'
nol,ticnl control. reforming their many
abuses. and putting them In hrst-c!ass
working shape II was the Regeneration
~ these wards which rendered IL poss,
ASIe for them TO take hold OF the hignes'
ci,.s Of naval work and complete IL III
the snme time. and for only slightly more
coat. than the best Of our private yarus,
Tb,a was clearly proven some ye"rS
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