Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-13
NNOTF|ND WORK
At THE NAVY YARD
One BattIeship Program Not
Sufficient to Keep Full
Force Engaged.
NO RELIEF IN PROSPECT
UNLESS CONGRESS ACTS
Further Reductions Likely. But
There Will Be No Whole
sale Dismissals.

I.ttI, work is To be done BY nacAinistS
at the Washington navy yard in coRncc-
ton with the construction of torpedo
tubes for the big battleships IS and 80,
according 10 officials in the ordnance bu-
rcau IF the Navy Department and for
that reason, unless other work is Sc
cured for the yard, the employees who
have been discharged will not be called
upon TO return to work for some time.
II was stated at the ordnance bureau
that about eight bronze and steel tor
nedo tubes, from which dlrigible torpe-
does are projected from the sides Of
naval vessels, represents about all OF
the work or that class that is to be I'M
dertaken at the Washington navy yard
in the Immediate future.
The suggestion that has been made in
the interest of the retention at the local
navy yard Of the expert machinsiSts VINO
are gradually being laid off as the result
of the reduction of naval construction,
that the work of the manufacture or tor
pedoes be undertaken there, has not been
favorably received by the technical Of
ficers of the Navy Department. They ad-
NIT that there is a great shortage OF
torpedoes for naval uses. as was maze
evident to the House naval committee
on it's recent visit of inspection to the
northern navy yards. The Navy Depart
~ nj for several years past has called
attention to that condition. and II Is ex-
pected that Congress at the next regu-
lar session will be more liberal than In
the past in the appropriations for the
acquisition OF torpedoes both by pur-
chase and by manufacture at the govern
ment yards.
But the naval officials are convinced
that the interests of economy and uni
formity of product requires that the
manufacture by the government OF TO-
pedoes should be conducted at one navy
yard or station. Therefore they Will
recommend to Congress a. considerable
Enlargement of the existing plant at the
Newport torpedo factory. That establish
tnent Is now turning out 100 torpedoes an
nuaIly, and sven were its resources quad
rupled. il is declared, the output would
still be only small proportion of the
total number of torpedoes required Tor
the United States Navy.
European Countries Buying.
1t is pointed out that the British navy
alone today possesses $4,000 torpedoes, yet
still is In the market buying all available
supplies OF that kind. That fact, with
similar activity on the part of the
Japanese and Russian governments. has
prevented the United States Navy from
making any purchases of torpedoes from
abroad for more than year past.
If Congress authorizes the construction
of three more battleships. which II is re-
ported may be recommended by Secre-
tary Daniels in his annual report. 1t
would be of material benefit to the work.
ing force at the local navy yard, for that
would mean that the men would be
called on to assemble the large batteries
for those ships. job that not only would
keep the present force busuy, employed
for many months, but also would require
the employment of many. additional
skilled workmen.
Decreased naval construction is the rea
son given by Assistant Secretary Roose-
Welt Of the Navy Department for the re-
auction of the working forces at the
Washington navy yard and at several
other naval stations. There Is not work
enough to be done at this time to keep
the whole force employed. he said. and
it became necessary to make number of
discharges.
More Men Must Go.
The condition that has made it neces-
sary to make q cut In the force at the
Washington navy yard said Mr.. Roose-
welt. has made 1t imperative that the
force at each Of the other yards of the
country be reduced Within the last two
weeks forty men at the Boston yard have
been discharged for lack of work for them,
and reductions have been made Mt the
Portsmouth, y. H., yard and at several
other naval stations.
II can say that just az soon as the
work 10 be done will allow Ii the men
laid on will be taken back, but II Is
probable that before that is ordered it
Will be found necessary to dismiss some
more of the men. The number, however,
Will not be great. There will be no
wholesale dism!ssals.
Il cannot say when il will be possible
- begin To take the men back That is
something that can be determined only
by the action OF Congress. One battle
ship n year does not make enough work
- keep the navy yards going all the
time. | can only say that it is the de-
sire of the Navy Department to have all
of the government work that is practical
done by government employees. and that
the navy yard here and at all the other
cities will he going full force just as
soon as Congress gives Us the work
10 do.
The Washington navy yard is not a
gun factory. 1t IL, properly speaking.
an assembling ground, where the cast
ings Of the big guns as they come from
the factory are taken and put together
and finished. IL We had the means to
make the rough forgtngs of the guns at
the local navy yard they would be made
there. but We have not. We have 10
nave this work done at the plants that
nave been given the contracts.
1T Is the policy OF the Navy Depart
rnent TO have all OF the work possible
done at its own factories and by its own
men, but present conditions have forced
the placing OF some of tho work with
outsiders
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