Evening star., 1913-12-09
navy YARD MACH|N|STS
ACT AGAINST WAGE CUT
Confident Their Committee Will
Persuade Naval Board to
Reconsider Action.
Coppersmiths Also Have Entered
Protest Against Decrease in Pay
Recommended for Them.

mended for reduction in wages by tue
naval wage board. are confident that the
committee representing them Will be aoie
to get the wage board OF naval officers
TO reconsider It's action and recommend
that the machinists' wages remain the
same as during the past year. KS soon
as il became known that the naval wage
board had recommended decrease Tor
the rnachinists a committee 10 represent
the men was appointed TO make a Wig
orous protest against the board action
Conferences between the members or the
board and representatives, of the men,
IL is declared are being held almost daily
The coppersn:ths. for whom 4 decrease
also was recommended. have entered
protest but it could not be learned
whether any of the other classes of en-
pIoyes at the ward who had pSen rec
commended for decreases had nlen pro-
tests. only in few Instances tLd the
board recommend increases, and most o.
these were on the minimum wage.
In its work. of fixing the pay To- the
Washington ward employees the members
of the board obtained infoi nation on the
wages paid by private firms as far away
as Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pa
Living Question Disresarded.
The increase given tine employees of the
local navy yard about a year ago was
based upon tho finding that the cost OF
living was higher in Washington than in
any other city where navy yard was
located. and for this rea SON the empioyes
of the Washington gard v re recon-
mended for higher wage sca e q l. II
is stated. the present board Of naval OIL
ficers which haa the MATTE Cl'ttt1 Noet-
sideration has totally disc a:dei the
cost-of-living question anl reached is
conclusions from figures on the salaries
paid employees o. private establishments
in cities hear Washington Forty-slX
firms in Washington supplied the board
with information. seven firms IN Alexan-
dFia. Va: thirteen firms in Richmond
forty-nne il Baltimore. Md: twelve in
Wilmington. Del: five in Chester. Pa,
two in Bethlehem. Pa; seven in Harris
burg. Pa. and forty in Philadelphia. Pa
Following are the recommendations OF
the board: Dispensary attendants. same
pay: blackslniths. coppersmiIhs electri-
clans. joiners. rlachinsts. nlclders pipe
filters timers helpers and hod carriers,
maximum wage OF S2.i0 remain same.
and minimum wage increased from Slto
to S1.Io; ianitors. same pay: laborers, re-
duction of cents day on the maximum
pay and increase OF cents ON the mini
mum pay: stable keepers. same pay:
arma.ure winders. reduction OF cents
both on maximum and uilnuTn wage.
llaeksbithS same. boile: makers. reduction
- cents on bUIn maximum lHlill-
mum: caikerS wood. reduction oi cents
OF maximum pay, minimum pay 10 re-
main same: wood caTverS. same pay:
coopers, abolished: coDpersmiths, reduc-
tion of cents on maximum and mini
mum. core makers. increase Of cents
or the maximum and reduction of "A
cents on the minimum. cupola men, steel
casting. reduction OF cents on both
maximum and minimum: die Sinkers and
engravers, increase of iS cents on maxi
mum and ~ cents on minimum: electric
welders. reduction of cents on maximum
and minimum: engine tenders. reduction
OF cents Oh maximum and minimum;
file sharpeners, reduction OF - cents on
both maximum and minimum wage: fire
men. deuction of cents on maximum
wage. while minimum wage remains
same: forgers. not heavy. abolished
Heavy and drop forgers. furnace men in
forge foundry and steel casting. leather
workers. letterers and grainers, metallic
cartridge case makers. model machine
operators, ordnance men. packers. pile
drivers, riggers, rollers for brass and
copper work sailmakeTs. seamstresses,
steel converter men, stel furnace men
and annealers. timers and upholsterers
have not had their present wages touch
ed by the board which now has the wage
question under consideration.