Catoctin clarion., 1918-02-28

Factories May Be Forced To
Close Until Ships Are Built:

| OkVSO hJAAAPo AAA " AsSAASs
William Blackman, Director of Labor
for the Emergency Fleet Corporation,
issues the following full statement of
the present labor and shipbuilding sit
uation as it affects the business of the
country.
"This war can be won through the
construction this year by the United
States and her Allies of $500, 00O tons
of shipping. This amount will not only
overcome the submarine losses but will
also leave the margin necessary to care
for the transportation of 1,5O0, 900 A.
merican troops and supplies overseas.
partial relief, but in military sense
only, is being obtained from the less vi
tai import trades. Under the Presidents 8
order, this work is now being undertaken
by joint organization on the part Of the
Shipping Board and the War Trade
Board. While raw materials absolutely
necessary to supply the country's vital
necessities will, of course, be permitted
to enter our ports, it is now necessary to
reluctantly but drastically curtail the i'm
portation of supplies for the manufacture
of non-essentials-th to enable the
shipping used for this trade to be releas-
ed for war purposes.
"In spite of this method for obtaining
partial relief, the only real answer to
the problem is ship construction. This
construction not only depends for its sue
cess upon labor, but the very life of la
Dor itself depends on this construction
this because l3, 900. 600 men are employed
in the manufacturing plants of the U. S.
today, of whom 6, 200, 900 are working on
war materials and subsidiary industries
alone. All of these men are threatened
with forced shut downs and these shut
downs are inevitable unless the ships are
built. Even the trades directly manufac-
turing war supplies and the munitions
plants themselves face a limitation Of
their output.
This is plain on its face, for not only
are the ports and docks jammed with
supplies for overseas. but there are in
the seacoast terminals alone more than
200 freight cars loaded with supplies
for Europe literally mountains of ma
terials for which there is insufficient
shipping tonnage.
"No greater surplus of supplies can
possibly be permitted to accumulate in
these ports even though the estimate d
amount of war supplies needed this year
for overseas shipment will total 8. 500, 900
tons.
"There is but one thing ahead-a
forced slow down in American factories
until the ships are built.
The situation is one in which not only
the nation is yitally interested, but one
which strikes at the very heart of labor
itself. Interruptions to business and
consequent loss of earnings to the en-
ploye will recur, or at least produc tion
will be retarded the same result
until we have shipping adequate to the
task of clearing the port congestion.
"For this reason then, the welfare Of
all labor, both organized and inorganic
ed, to the extent of some $1,000, 900 peo-
pie now employed is at stake in the ship
yards.
"The coalless day, and the freight en-
dargo have already had tremendous
effect upon labor throughout the country,
and the additional force of the coming
necessary curtailment of raw material
importation will fall heavily upon labor
within the next few weeks
ut is only through shipyard labor that
relief to labor throughout the nation can
come. Therefore, uncalled for strikes,
not only threaten the safety of our ar
mics in France. but the very heart of
labor itself through the reduction in en-
ployment which is faced by millions of
men not engaged directly in shipyard
work.
"For this reason, shipyard strike is in
effect a lockout, aimed at all labor in the
country, and threatens the very life of
organized labor itself.
"The peak load requirement for ship
yard workers will be 100000 men. On
these depend the ability Of oth ger labor te
obtain steady employment. In other
words, if a groupof shipyard workers tie
up the shipyards or fail to give full
days work not only will the resulting
stoppage of each man s work tie up from
fifteen to twenty other yard workers and
throw them out of employment but this
stoppage will also effect the direct en-
ployment of the 6.2OO, 900 war work ers
throughout the country.
Because of this fact, the labor lead
ers of the country including Samuel
Gompers, have entered into an agree
ment with the navy department. ship
ping board and the emergency feet cor
poration for the prevention of strikes
an agreement which has been kept with
scrupulous care by its signers, and en-
forced by Board, the very personnel of
which insures fairness"
Why People Rip Hair OF OF
Pallid BrOWS.
The Mail is warting for two cars of
paper that the B. and M. ia handling to