Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-23

,vo big plants at Wilmington, Del. when
,ore than thousand workers left their
tasks.
Convinced that German propaganda is
,.sponsible for the trouble, a number of the
s.rs affected have appealed to Washington
,or a Federal investigation. The Whining
can situation has already been placed in
enc hands of the Emergency Fleet Corpora
.,, for adjustment. Counsel for the Cor
.oration announced today that prompt and
thorough consideration would be given the
demands for more pay
The two wilmington yards hit by today's
vslkouts are the Harlan & Hollingsworth
. corporation, where 1000 men are out, and
,hs Pusey & Jones Company, where more
Than 700 men have stopped work. Both
ants are virtually at a standstil, although
: few men are at work at each place
vice President Weaver, Of the Harlan &
.ro,l,nesworth Corporation, would make no
.omment on the trouble further than to ad-
. ,rIt II was true that hundreds had stop
"sd work c. Stewart Lee. vice president
- The Pusey G. Jones Company said that
s,ore than 800 employees of that concern had
anti. in effect tying UP the plant. He de-
sIIned to make any comment except that the
matter had been referred to the Emergency
Fleet Corporation.
A. T. Benkhardt, Wilmington agent of the
Federal Department of Labor, as we'll as
the agents stationed at Philadelphia, have
heen in conference with both sides to the
controversy in the Delaware town. One
report has it that 200 men quit work at
the Harlan & Hollingsworth plant. 1t
Is said that more than $20,000,O00 worth
Of obstruction work was under way at this
plant and $6,OO0,000 worth at the Pusey
and Jonues plant. Both had been com
wandered for Government purposes
4 The men are demanding wage increases
Of from ten to twenty per cent for nne-and-
a.ouarter-hour day, with half day on Satur-
day The shpyard officials contend the
mena re already we'll paid and display their
time books to bear out these assertions.
One riveter, it was pointed out, received
sls5 for 1S1 hours work, another $131 for
1888 hours and another S17S for 1913 hours.
It is said that the strikers in Wilmington
are not yet organized. They are looking
for meeting place.
ASKS U. S. PROBE
Government investigation of the shipyard
strike in this city has been asked by
number of the firms affected, according
10 Robert A. Rutherford. manager of the
John Bailey Iron Works, $40 South Della
ware avenue, where the trouble first ap-
nared Mr. Rutherford asserted that a
lumber of communications had been sent
81 the authorities at Washington, par
dcularly to Secretary Daniels, calling at
tnton to the local situation He would
not divulge, however, which firms had writ
kn II was Rutherford who charges, it is
nd, that German propaganda was behind
the strike.
Some Of the letters, he added, laid stress
upon the point that no blame should attach
10 the various firms should Gofernment
contracts fail to be Completed on schedule
TINA haN nf ha lra
At the local office of the Department
Of Justice and the office of United States
District Attorney Kane 1t was said today
that no word had been received from Wash
ington regarding investigation of the strike
here
HEARING TO BE GIVEN
That the Emergency Fleet Corporation
will soon accord hearing to the demands
for wage increases for shipyard workers
was disclosed today by Louis b. Wehle,
counsel for the corporation, in telegram
10 the EVENING LEDGER.
4 Attorney Wehle's message was the out
h come Of query, addressed to Admiral
Capps, as to the truth of a report to the
eject that the various shipyards had en-
4 tered into pact, when the Emergency
Fleet Corporation was organized, not to
neal each others employees by tempting
Mem with increases in pay.
"a
- August 22, 1917.
4 Philadelphia EVENING LEDGER,
Philadelphia, Pa.
ADMIRAL Capps has referred your wire
Of this date to me for answer. If ship
yards building for Fleet Corporation have
any such understanding as that mem
TONED by you, it Is without corporations
knowledge or sanction. Corporation ex-
pects shortly to entertain demands for
wage increases and give them thorough,
urerul and prompt consideration.
LOUIS B. WEHLE.
counsel for Emergency Fleet Corporation.
when Informed of Mr.. Rutherford's an
nouncement that the Government had been
asked to probe the strike, T. ]. CaVan, in
slnational deputy organizer for the In
irrational Brotherhood Of Boilermakers
iron shipbuilders and Helpers of America
'suerated his assertion that the union would
wsicome such action and would aid the in
wstigatcrs
1 Fine" he exclaimed. That's just what
we want"
He added that the strikers were hopeful
an early settlement of the trouble by
nanting of their demands. He denied
@e contention Of Mr. Rutherford that the
nsn who Struck at the Bailey plant did
'0u Know why they did so.
N me union wrote TO the officials Of tn,
y1n' on July s, setting forth the grievances
tne men in detail" he said.
asked II the strikers were willing tt
swt sst neutral arbitrator, CaVan said
A,Me do not need the services of an ar
eekes"
t~svan also denied a rumor that som'
~ me Philadelphia strikers had returned
~ork. Rutherford admitted that mum
s,,n Vi The Bailey plant employees wer'
~. 49, out but said work was still in prog
STRIKERS HOLD MEETING
az strikers held another meeting a
h..,tN north Ninth street today and en-
stasuc reports of the progress OF tn
TSsie were submitted.
me Chester Shipbuilding Company
r.. In full swing again today the ma
S..vv OF the 1900 men who walked out thi
mos. having reported at the gates thi
irt.ng In obedience to the call of thei
nstional officials that they ''go back 4
~ Negotiations with the company ol
vage scale win be opened in conform
With the regulations of the Interna
brotherhood of Boilermakers. Irol
'oers and Helpers Of America.
y STILL OUT IN CHESTER
cost if (hs striking employee Z