Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-16

than those employees In private estabnshmsnts
in the vicinity. and 1t is also intended that they
either of these cases is not complied with you
will take care that II is faithfully executed. To
private establishments or to pay them less
wages would be unjust to them and In derogs-
On the other hand. II law abiding citizens. they
cannot require or expect that the law will he
sss he ess sn {, os or
that the rate OF wages shall he higher than is
paid to mechanics and laborers not In the en-
stated. the Treasury and the War departments
have abbreviated the time OF those who SIRE
laboring on the public buildings and at the
arsenal. 1t would not he deemed improper To
consider that fact in regulating your standard
law that the time and rates In the navy yard
shall conform TO other establishments.
Commodore Harwood Informed the
Secretary of the Navy November Is
that he had ordered the hours Of labor
agree with the reduction made by the
Treasury and the War departments.
but at the same time he had instruct
ed the workingmen in the yard that
they must look to the justice and rea-
condolences of their claims. and not
to the effect of contributions or threats
to effect their purpose" He reports
that they "disclaimed any intention Of
organizing a strike or any wish to
do So.
the Washington Navy Yard" says:
During the month of September.
1858. and indeed throughout the fol-
lowing year. the records are full OF
appeals for higher wages from every
branch of labor in the yard and from
every grade. The increased cost of liv.
ing, arising from the advance of gold
or, to be more accurate, arising from
the natural decrease in the purchasing
power of our deprecated paper was Sc
verely felt by all salaried persons. as
well as by daily laborers. In view OF
this fact we think the following SEN
tence. which We copy from one of the
memorials sent to the Navy Depart
ment by the employees of the navy yard
at this time, strikingly illustrates an
Unborn trait of human nature:
Your memorialists. relying on the Justice Of
their cause and the humanity Of the distinguish
ed head OF the Navy Department, most earnestly
respected and their wages may be Increased
proportionate to the increased cost Of living.
which would not establish precedent BY which
advantage could be taken by higher-salaried
men,"
Chaplain Hibben says: The natural
tendency to exaggeration when deeply
IN earnest is clearly evinced in the
closing sentence of this memorial,
which is, in part, as follows:
Your memorialists by dint of necessity and
the the, furnished aspect of their once joyous house
hold, as they were wont TO return at the usual
hours from labor TO refreshment.
The historian of the Washington
navy yard says that 1.-The bureau of
yards and docks in special cases where
skilled work was required sometimes
granted an increase of pay, but gem
orally refused to comply with the re-
quest of the petitioners. on the grounds
that the pay of the employees of the
various departments Of the yard was
established by law. and secondly, the
supply of workmen at the existing
prices was greater than the demand"
During the year 1862, while war work
at the navy yard was especially heavy.
there was a great deal of dissatisfac.
ton with time and pay on the part OF
the employees at the yard