Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-13
MANUFACTURERS
ARE TOLD HOW
TO AID NATION
Emergency Fleet Corporation
Men Say Every Industry Is
Needed in Shipbuilding


IF America needs ships to win
this war, for Gods sake let's give
them ships!" This was the keynote
of conference between officials of
the United Emergency Fleet Corpo-
ration and the Manufactures Coun-
Gil of the Chamber of Commerce,
meeting in the Engineers clubrooms
lat night. Various phases of the
work of the district supply commits
sion were presented to the manufac-
turers with the object in view of oo-
tanning more supplies for ship build
ing. How every manufactures and
every manufacturing plant can help
in the building of ships. was explain
ed by j. H. Heron, a welfare expert
and p. j. Mitten, representative of
the Emergenc'' Fleet orporation. An
important point laid before the man.
ufacturers was the fact that every
plant can help, no matter whether it
manufactures bedding or steel, silk
or candy. There is need for every
thing on board ship that is needed
in the home, the shipbuilders eX-
planned.
Urges Co-Operation
Mr.. Heron, welfare expert was the
first speaker, giving a straight-from-
the-shoulder talk in which he laid
great stress upon the cooperation of
the employer and the employe. THE
more we say Good morning to the
man under us, the more we're going
to get out of him." he emphasized.
Uncle Sam has recognized the value
of cooperation and friendship with
his men. He has asked them to work
with him.
We've got to get one thing down
deep into our souls. and that is the
spirit of giving. We must give our
hearts and our money to the cause of
the war. And if ships are necessary
for the winning of this war, for
Gods sake let's give them ships!
"And we need to get deep down in
our souls the will 10 win! We must
do a little more to-day than we did
yesterday, and little more than that
tomorrow"
Men Work 90 Hours Weekly
Many instances of the cooperation
of the employer and the employe
were related by Mr.. Heron. He urged
that the win-the-war spirit be in
jected into the soul of every Ameri-
can workman in every war material
factory and plant I'm Baltimore"
he told the manufacturers, there is
plant where the men are working
So hours each week. The average in
other shops is far below this. These
men are three months ahead of their
schedule. Duri lg the hot weather
when other plants shut down, these
men kept on working. The manage
ment warned them to decrease the
number of hours to 60 but they re-
fused. They had the win-the-war
spirit"
Touching on the woman's side of
building and war work, Mr.. Heron
cited many instances of the work of
the woman. I'm England there are
six million women working who
never worked before" He told of a
certain plant where a kind of gas
shells were manufactured. In this
plant, women sacrificed themselves
to the cause of their country. Work
ing there, the hair and the skin be-
came yellow. But they did not stop
their work The women here are en-
tering war work too. In a certain
Trenton plant / recently visited
there were $50 girls who worked
through the terrific heat. The men
who worked in the plant, stopped be-
cause they had no ice water, but the
women worked on! The girls showed
them up: We've got to encourage the
girls and cooperate with them!"
In his talk, Mr.. Heron introduced
a number of poems, many of them !
being original One of these was a
delightful little bit of verse about
the Scotch haggis pudding, telling of
the heroism of the Scotch troops. Mr.. |
Heron, it may be added said he was
partial to the Scotch, since he is a
capny Scot himself.
Tells of Building Progress
The events which led up to the or
ganization of the Emergency Fleet |
Corporation were narrated by p. j. |
Mitten in an interesting address He |
told of the great demand for ships |
suddenly created by the war and how
it was necessary for the government |
to commander shipyards and ships |
for transportation of food and sup
niles. The remarkable progress of |
the shipbuilders and their ingenuity |
were touched upon in his talk. He |
gave a list of the various things
needed on board a ship.
A department of the Fleet Corpor-
alton about which little is known, is |
that department which finds ma
terials for those manufacturers en-
gagged in work incidental to ship
building. Coal, Steel iron. glass and
whatever else is needed, is found by
this department.
Jacob Lightner, head of the state
employment bureau, was called upon
by Arthur d. Bacon. chairman of the
meeting, to address the men present.
He urged that measures be taken to
round up the slackers and the idlers
on the streets of the city. Martin A.
Cumbler, recently appointed as a |
member of the Community Labor
Control Board for Dauphin county, |
spoke, followed by Robert II. Irons.
president of the Central Iron and |
Steel Company.
Purpose of Meeting Told