The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-07-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington City,
July 26th, 1915

OoAJ HObh, IOAcs
With breadstuffs going skyward at
a rapid transit rate, it seems to me
like it is stupendous nonsense for the
government to attempt a partial re-
"duction of wages. 1t seems that
every now and then a disposition
looms up to scale downward the one
gallus mans wages. Times are pretty
ticklish now, the atmosphere is al
most sur-charged with strikes. 1t
is an illogical condition of affairs,
prices of provisions soaring upward,
wages downward, it is balderdash to
talk OF domestic tranquility, with
wages going way and the prices of
foodstuffs in an opposite direction.
| am naturally optimistic but if there
should be no market for the souths
greatest crop and all the strikes that
are now contemplated were to ma
terialize. we would have our hands
full managing our own affairs be-
sides general unrest and gloomy fore
bodings.
The strike menace at the navy
yard here in Washington is still
grave, the situation has not grown
any better by reason of a temporary
truce.
At present it seems impossible that
strike at the yard can be avoided
unless the demands of the men for
a resumption of the wage scale in
force prior to July be granted. Sec
rotary Daniels has repeatedly stated
his inability to increase the wages at
this time. and it seems that the only
hope for amicable settlement lies in
an execution order restoring the for
mer scale OF pay 1t is d mooted
question. however, whether the ma
chinists would now accept even
restoration of the former scale. With
wages in private plants soaring to
five dollar and more a day, and at
tractive offers always before them,
they may decide on a walkout even
though the president takes their side,
let us hope they wont. 1t is the be-
lief here that in any event many OF
them will leave the service of the
government
Events are expected to develop
rapidly after the Presidents decision.
| hope he will decide in favor of the
machinist5, because their claims are
democratic.
There seems to be boom in steel
ship building, more steel vessels
were being built on were under coR-
tract in the United States July LIST.
than at that time in any year since
1901, and there was a graeter tom
mage of wooden vessels building than
since 1897. Department of Commerce
statistics issued yesterday show 1875
vessels were building July 1st. ga
were steel ships aggregating 2sS, 426
tons, and 60 were wooden vessels to-
taxing 2ss,701 tens
Senator Hoke Smith, of Georgia,
is cat in a strong statement to the
effect that the United States never
made cotton eentraband and refutes
in positive language the London re-
port, He successfully charges that
England refused 10 permit Russia to
place it on contraband list in war
with Japan, IN 1905, and clearly
shows that England has changed her
viewpoint since thea.
The Senator says qseting the laR-
guage of Great Britain as applied to
Russia, the effort Rew by Great Bri-
tian to interfere with cotton ship
ments is most uRwapranted inter
ference with a branch of innocent
commerce.
The Senator also vigorously de-
nounces as false the statement going
4he rounds Of the press to the Ell
feet that the United States during
the Civil war blockaded a neutral
port. That the Supreme Court CT
the u S. in the Peterhoff, case de-
clared "The trade of neutrals with
belligerents in, articles not contra
band is absolutely free unless inter
rupted by blockade. A vessel des-
tined for neutral ports with no ul-
terror destination for the ship, or
none by sea for the cargo to any
blockade place violates no blockade. >
The United States will violate nc
~