Evening journal., 1918-10-18
NO MORE Waste
OF man Power
in ship YARDS
fContlnued from page one.)

fContlnued from page one.)
\ serving both as chairman OF the Dis
trict Board Of Delaware In charge OF
lrdustrial exemptions. and also as Fed
sral State Director Of the U. 5. Public
Service Reserve, the recruiting diNi-
sson OF the Department OF Labor, he
Saade the following statement today;
TT is true that some OF the men In
Wilmington and vicinity on both the
District Draft Board and the Labor De-
Vsrtment work, and who are charged
with the responsibility OF carrying out
tie laws and regulations OF the ma
i,onal administration respecting the ap-
pilcation OF man-power, have been
studying the question OF short working
hours and idllng in this vicinity.
"Our attention has been more par
ticularly directed towards the ship
yards. The Selectlve Service rules and
the Work or Fight orders issued by
General Crowder 20 draft boards, pro-
vide that temporary exemptions shall
be withdrawn. both on industrial and
dependency grounds under certain con-
dltions OF idling There have been many
reports in the city that a large humber
OF men on the shlpyard payrolls are
not working regularly up TO the mini
mum hours OF their plant, and are
found loaflng frequently while on the
Job.
From all the reports that are reach
ing the District Draft Board and also
reaching me because Of my Federal po-
sition as State Director Of the recruit
ing division Of the u. s. Employment
Service, it Is time for some plain talk
ing. What is the condition IN TIE ship
yards OF Wilmington From extended
reports IN our hands, there are unques-
tionably a very substantial number OF
conscientious, persistent, patriotic and
experienced wOrkmen now at Harlan's
and Pusey's. These workmen are In
The red-bloOded, worthwhile citizen
class. who realize their duty as men 20
their government in this great crisis.
Our hats are OF 20 them, and we want
10 support them 10 the limit.
There are, however, In the ship
yards another lot OF men who are very
,iose TO the undesirable citizen class
who have hustled 10 get into the ship
yards since the war started because
er's haven where they could take the
rest cure. Many OF this latter class
have been protected by the special
privileges granted the Emergency Fleet
Corporation whereby 10 can issue spe-
cial exemption cards which supercede
In authority the power OF the draft
boards From the extended reports re-
ceived by the District Draft Board OF
The work being done in the shipyards,
II Is evident that many men, lacking
ne patriotic spirit and not appreciat-
lng the need Of the hour, have become
habitual idlers' by regularly working
less each week than the minimum
hours OF the plant and OF further loaf
lng frequently on the job.
"FrOm reports, these tendencies are
hound not alone In many OF the work.
nen, but in some Of the gang leaders,
ehO are actually encouraging lOaing
and lost time. 10 would be hard TO
believe some Of these reports Of Amer
lean citizens at this critical period,
but for the fact that they check up
at many points with other reports. EX-
perienced observers state that less than
eight thousand men, II working per-
sistently and honestly, could do as
much work In the shipyards Of VIII
mingtOn as the twelve thousand men
now on the payrolls OF these yards.
This Is an abOminable waste OF man
power at this critical time.
'sThe managements OF our local yards
arc involved with many nerve-racking
problems and are unquestlOnably do
ing their utmost TO produce results
under the conditions now existing. But
there is too large a portion OF the
workmen who have not yet realized
their duty.
"An OF the labor leaders OF this city
with whom / have talked are as ag-
eresslve patriots as can be found in
their strong condemnation OF these
idling tendencies. They see what Is
each mans duty and they realize what
must be done by each physically able
man under these conditions II our great
democracy is 10 prove its true worth
before the world.
II have discussed these conditions
with my associates on the District
BOARD OF Delaware and we have de-
clded upon the following plan. We
have requested the local shipyards to
promptly remove all Of the Emergency
Fleet corporation eAeHlplon oaluS 10
sued 10 men coming under the jurisdic-
tion OF The District Board OF Delaware
The local shipyards have agreed "a
this step. The way Is then paved fol
the District Board TO properly funo'
ton:
First.=To grant temporary exemp
tion to all who are entitled TO such
and
Second. That the District Draf
Board may thereafter be in position L
remove all temporary exemptions 10
industrial service and take such actiol
respecting dependency cases as come
within its jurisdiction, when satisile'
that the information supplied on idle