The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-02-21
BLAMES ALIEN
SHIP WORKERS
Hog island EmpIoye Says They
Retarded Work,
PRAISES CONDITIONS NOW
Tells Senate Probers of Belief These
Men Purposely Delayed Work--Fa-
vors Employing Only Americans.

washington, Feb. 21.-Rube Allen,
q dock builder, described to the SEN
ate commerce committee labor condi-
tons at Hog Island.
Allen said conditions generally were
now good. and that the men had no
complaint to make concerning the pay
or food, but that there had been great
complaint regarding the street car ia
cilities from Philadelphia
Allen described the arrangement O.
the shipways, and said work was be-
ing pushed On them as rapidly a pcs
sible. At first, the witness said, the
yards were greatly handicapped by
foreign labor
This class, he said, "so,diered on
the job" and it was Impossible to get
. real days work out of them, despite
the vigilance of the forcnlen Nest
OF this class, he declared, had been
fred and the majority Of the workers
are now Americans.
Most of these foreigners, Allen de-
clared, were not patriotic, and it was
believed some of them deliberately en-
deavored to retard the work. At the
bs9inning. before tie yard was thor
oughly organized, there was great dis
order. and many workmen took adj
vantage of this, particularly the for.
eigners, some of whom smoke Ger
man, to do as little as pcs :ble.
The witness said the rate cf pay
sixty cents an hour, was liberal. and
that there was no dissatisfc elton on
that score
A question by Senator Vardaman
led the witness to declare that g be-
heved all labor in shipya~ds and en-
gagged in other government work
should be conscripted, and put On the
same status as men in tie military
and naval service.
The witness complained that Hog
Island workmen received little con-
sideration in Philadelphia, and were
looked down upon"
What is needed most at Hog Island,
he said, is raising Of the morale of
the labor, and the elimination of all
foreign elements"
Allen declared it would speed up
production and make the men better
satisfied and produce better results
all around, if the government would
do something to recognize their pa
triotfsm in working at shipbuildirg
A tag or medal, showing that men
now working at Hog Island were edo
ing their~bi in the war, would vast
" increase the morale Of work: n g
men, he said.
Allen declared there had been many
accidents at the yard. and that MI
merous workmen had been killed and
injured. The death rate from scci-
dents he believed to be greater than
that of our soldiers in active service
on the French front.
"The Philadelphia winter weather
was worse than in Minnesota, and
would kill anything" he declared
consequently" he said, there has
been a great deal OF sickness among
the men, particularly what is known
as the Hog Island cough"
G. Carroll Todd, assistant to the
attorney general, began to investigate
affairs at Hog Island.
It Is probable Mr.. Todd will not g
to Hog Island until next week, afe
the visit Of the senate commerce
committee on Monday
He began to collect records at the
shipping board, and testimony taken
at the hearings before the senate
committee. Mr.. Todd conferred with
e. N. Hurley. chairman of the ship
ping board, and Attorney General
Gregory.
A number of assistants and clerk:
In the department of justice were de
tailed to assist Mr.. Todd in eXam'n
ing the shipping board and commerce
committee records.