The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-09
LABOR OFFICIALS
PLAN TO OPPOSE
FEDERAL ACTION
Say There is 'No Real
Emergency" and Rap "In-
dustrial CONSUMPTION"

On the claim that there is no real
emergency, the International Associa-
ton Of Machinists and some other la
Dor bodies will oppose what they call
industrial CONSUMPTION !"
The action at the Lake Torpedo
Boat Co., where an attempt is being
| made to have all the employees enlist
for patriotic work, is pointed at as an
example of Industrial CONSUMPTION"
Thomas ]. Savage, member Of the
general executive board of the Inter-
| national Association of Machinists and
also committeeman of the National
Defense conference, appointed by
President Wilson, in Bridgeport, to-
day said:
when there is a real emergency
facing the people Of he United States
labor will be found loyal to the core
and will make great sacrifices in the
most patriotic manner, but it does not
propose that any individual class of
manufacturers or group IF manufac-
turers shall through specious meth
DDS and under the guise Of an eme--
gency which does not actually exist
take from labor that which they have
fought for during the last half cen
fury and won through esmost trying
circumstances
Because Of the desire Of the Presi-
dent to expedite the building of de-
fensive Slips, his orders to all ship
yards doing government work to fin
ish their boats before the expira-
ton of the time limits and the reply
Of the ship yards that 1.-THE labor ele-
ment interferes,' President Samuel
Gompers of the American Federation
Of Labor has been in conference with
cabinet officers for the last two days
and the biggest gathering of labor
chiefs the country has ever witnessed
has been called into session by the
American Federation Of Labor at
Washington today. At that meeting
every president and vice president
Of every affiliated union in the country
will be present to tell what the per-
sonal feeling Of their union is towards
the emergency situation.
Under the Paget bill introduced I'M
der the direction of the chairman
Of the naval affairs committee of the
House, the right of President Wilson
to commander all private plants that
could be utilized for making war ma
terial has been granted, though the
power of the President to set aside
the eight hour law previously granted
to him in the event of war emergency
was stricken from its reading.
It was the contention of labor that
under such a provision the reintro-
duction Of the Taylor system in gov,
eminent shops might result contrary
| to the prohibition of the last two ses-
sions of Congress.
| Under the provisions of the bill
which has passed the House in part
! the establishment Of coast defense
| reserve was sanctioned; the men to
| lie enlisted from among the work
| men employed in the shipyards and
munition plants doing government
work. The Lake Co.. among the first
privately owned industrial plants to
begin enlistment, would under the OBJ
! jectionable clauses of the bill, have
| the right to subject the, enlisted men
to navy department rules. In the
| event of differences over hours or
/ wages they might be transferred by
order of the navy department and
! their places filled by others without
| protest, it is claimed. In the event of
a skilled machinist making $110 per
month the wage could be reduced to
S55 per month, the maximum navy
pay, those who protest say.
Foreseeing industrial conscription'
| of far reaching consequences, notifca-
! ton was sent to all labor in Connec-
ticut working in plants where gov
! eminent contracts were in force not
| to enlist The attention of Secretary
/ Of Navy Daniels being called to the
| situation he at once issued orders
| suspending the plan temporarily.
/ 1t is to overcome this opposition
that the President has ordered con-
| ferences with labor leaders through
the National Defense committee.
/ Executive Committeeman Savage
| when seen in Bridgeport today, assert
/ ed that patriotism exists among the
| machinists of the country today to a
high degree. Fears Of the govern
| naent that in the event of hostilities
| the machinists Of the country may
prefer active field service to work
in the munition plants he says are
groundless for whenever the crisis
comes the labor force of the coun-
| try will respond to the call whatever
the need of service may be.
| Shipments Of coke from the Con-