Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-13
CANNOT FIND 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.

at the Washington navy yard in connec-
ton with the construction of torpedo
tubes for the big battleships 20 and 80.
according to officials In the ordnance bu-
reau Of 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
pedo tubes, from which dirigible torpe-
does are projected from the sides of
naval vessels. represents about all OF
the work of 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 who
are gradually being laid off as the result
of the reduction of naval construction.
that the work of the manufacture of tor
pcdoes be undertaken there, has not been
favorably received by the technical Of
fcers of the Navy Department. They ad-
nit that there is a great shortage OF
torpedoes for naval uses. as was made
evident to the House naval committee
on its recent visit of inspection to the
northern navy yards. The Navy Depart
ment for several years past has called
attention to that condition, and 1T is eA-
pected that Congress at the next resu-
lar session will be more liberal than IN
acquisition of torpedoes both by pur-
chase and by manufacture at the govern
ment yards.
Blu tthe naval officials are convinced
that the interests of economy and uni
fornnity of product. requires that the
70 ofI nv ha
pedoes should be conducted at one navy
ward or station. Therefore they will
recommend Congress considerable en-
largement of the existing plant at the
Newport torpedo factory. That establish
ment is now turning out 100 torpedoes an
nually and even were its resources quad
rupled, 1t is declared, the output would
still beonly small proportion OF the
total number of torpedoes required Tor
the United States Navy.
European Countries Buying.
Ii 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 an1 Russian governments. has
prevented the United States Navy from
making any purchases of tOrpedoes from
If Congress authorizes the construction
OF three more battleships, which 1t is re-
ported may be recommended by Secre-
tary Daniels in his annual report. il
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, a job that not only would
keep the present force busily employed
for many months. but also would require
fhf l<rrv1 ant ST
skilled workmen.
Decreased naval construction is the rea.
son given by Assistant Secretary Roose-
welt Of the Navy Department for the re-
duction 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 keer
the whole force employed, he said, and
IL became necessary to make a number o.
discharges.
More Men Must Go.
The condition that has made it neces-
sary to make a 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 at the
Portsmouth, y. H.. yard and at severa
other naval stations.
Il can say that just as soon as the
work to be done will allow IL the mer
laid of will be taken back, but 1t Ii
probable that before that is ordered Il
will be found necessary to dismiss some
more of the men. The number. however
Will not De great. There will be nc
wholesale dism.ssals.
Il cannot say when il will be possible
to begin to take the men back That is
something that can be determined only
by the action of Congress. One battle
ship a year does not make enough work
I" keep the navy yards going all the
sire OF the Navy Department to have al
of the government work that is practica
done by government employees, and tina,
the navy yard here and ut all the other
cities will be going full force just a
soon as Congress gives us the WORK
to do.
The Washington navy yard is not q
gan factory. 1t is, properly speaking
ar assembling ground, where the cast
lngs of the big guns as they come from
the factory are taken and put together
and finished. If we had the means Il
rake the rough forgings of the guns a
the local navy yard they would be made
there. but We have not. We have (,
have this work done at the plants tina
have been given the contracts
1t is the policy of the Navy Depart
rHent 10 have all of the work possibl,
done at it's own factories and by its owl
men. but present conditions have force,
t4e placing of some OF the work Will
outsiders"