The Washington herald., 1913-09-13
MORE employees
TOBEDISMISSED
Navy Yard Force Again Will
Be Cut Down, Say
Officials.
WORK is LACKIN G
Roosevelt Gives Views on Situation.
Position of Machinists Outlined
by 7. E. Carroll.

Further dismisssls OF Navy Yard en-
ployes are probable.
How many men will be layed of can
not be said at this time, but it officially
was admitted last night that the reduc-
ton of the force made necessary by the
lack of work at the local yard Will not
end with the forty dismissals THURSDAY
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Frank
lin D. Roosevelt stated last night that
the slack season in the work of the de-
psrtment had necessitated cuts IN the
forces Of the navy yards all over the
country, and that an effort was being
made to apportion equally among the dill
ferent government plants the work that
is now on hand so that all might fare
alike.
The assistant secretary reiterated the
assertion Of Capt II. P. Jones. U ;. N
commandant OF the Washington yard
that the reduction of the force was mace
only because there is not enough work
TO be done at this time TO keep the whole
force busy, but this explanation Is not
accepted in many quarters.
May Go to Congress.
The dismissals have caused COM
plants from many. and il is probable
that the matter will be made the basis
for protests to Congress. 1t is held oy
many that IL the government would
have some of the work done at its navy
Yards that is now given out to private
plants, no cut in its force OF employees
would be necessary.
This phase Of the matter was eN-
planned by Mr.. Roosevelt, who SAID:
The Navy Yard is not gun factory
II is properly speaking, merely an as
sembIinas ground. where the castings OF
the bie guns as they come from the
factory are taken and put together and
finished II We had the means TO make
lie rough fcrEinEs Of the guns al the
local Navy Yard, they would be made
here, but We have not. We have 10
have this work done At the plants mat
have been given the contracts
The condition that has made it neces-
sarv TO make a cut in the force at the
Washington yard has made 1t imperative
that the force at all OF the other stations
ali over the country be reduced. Mthlh
tbe last two weeks there have been forty
men dismissed from the yard at Boston
There has been a reduction at the gov
ernmeuts plant at Portsmouth, N H.
and at several other places.
1T is the policy Of the Navy Depart
r7ent TO have all OF the work possible
done at its own factories and by its own
men. hut present conditions have forced
the placing Of some OF the work win
outsiders.
Il can saw that Just as soon as the work
10 be done will allow II the men laid OIL
will he taken back. but it is probable
that before this is ordered 1t Will oe
found necessary to dismiss some more OF
the men. The number, however, Will not
be great. There will be no wholesale dis
missals.
sible to begin to take the men back
That is something that can be de-
termined only by the action OF Con-
r,ress. One battleship q year does not
make enough work 10 keep the navy
yards going all the time. l can only
say that it is the desire OF the navy
Department 20 have all Of the govern
rnent work that is practical done by
government employees, and that the
NAVY Yard here and at all the other
cities will be going full force just as
soon as Congress gives US the WORK
to do"
The protests against the dismissal OF
the men in the Washington Navy Yard
have been many. and there are cam
naICns being started from several sides
10 try and have the men reinstated-
One of these campaigns will be made
by Columbia Lodge of Machlnlsts'
which has appointed a committee TO
wait on Secretary Daniels. This com
mittee will discuss with the Secretary
Of the Navy ways and means of keep
ing some of the contracts for govern
ment work within the government
plants, as we'll as the reinstatement OF
the men.
Thomas f. Carroll president Of
Columbia Lodge. made a statement last
night in which is presented the stand OF
the Inachinists. 1t is the contention OF
Mr. Carroll that the government would
he able 10 produce a higher quality of
armament and naval machinery and do
so at a lower cost if the work was done
in the government-owned plants.
Views of MIR. Carroll.
Mr.. Carroll said:
The question will pe asked why it is
that the Naval Gun Factory is crippled
for want of work when the competing
private gun factories, such as the Mid
vale Steel Company and the Bethlehem
Steel Company. are working their plants
at full capacity, loaded down with con-
tracts from the Navy Department and
the War Department, and are turning
out products so much inferior to those
turned out in the governments own
plants. So much inferior. in fact, that
a large corps of expert mechanics from
the gun factory here are stationed in
these plants as a partial protection from
the contractors greed. Aside from this,
we furnish gauges, jigs, fixtures, and
supply free our designs of such tools
and special machines"
One of the men who came out strongly
IN favor of retaining as far as possible
the force at the government gun factory
for the work of the government was D. J.
Callahan, president of the Chamber of
Commerce. He said:
'Unquestionably the Chamber of Com
L..zca 1,,o,,Id apDroye of tho poIicy of tho