New-York tribune., 1918-02-14
Agitation Growing to Take
Management Out of
Private Hands
Slow Construction
Rate Causes Alarm
Both Employers and Work
men Are Accused of Fail
ure to Do Their Best
STAFF Correspondence

WASHINGTON, Feb. IS. - Govern,
ment control of all shipyards to-day
appeared a probable remedy for the
chaos in many plants which has re-
duced scheduled ship construction ap-
proximately so per cent.
1t is likely that a resolution calling
Tor this action will be introduced in
Congress within few days. Officials
Of the Shipping Board are considering
this course as way out of their
troubles of the last several weeks.
At the Shipping Board to-day it was
stated that additional legislation was
unnecessary. All that would be re-
quired to accomplish this step, it was
explained. would be Presidential
proclamation.
Hurley Is Nom Committal
Chairman Hurley declined to commit
aimself to the project as present rem
edy, but admitted that such action
might become necessary later. How
soon, he declined to predict.
The proposal to take over the ship
yards IS generally considered re-
nSnder 20 both shipbuilders and ship
workers that the government is dis
posed to take summary action against
those influences within the shipping
industry which place considerations of
personal advantage above the public
veal
Alleged unwillingness of labor to
back the ship programme was declared
today by a high official of the Ship
ping Board to be one of the greatest
menaces to the war plans. The Shipping
Board is gathering Data, it was stated,
on productive conditions in the several
yards. This is said to have already
revealed in the preliminary figures
available that ship rlveters. for exam
pie, are not nearly approaching their
maximum production.
1t has been demonstrated, it was
stated, that riveter can drive 500
of the yards indicates, however, that
the actual average output of riveters
has been somewhere between $50 and
$50, rather than the 500 mark
Unwillingness of some labor leaders
to sanction speeding up methods is
seriously retarding the shipbuilding |
programme, it was charged. An attempt |
to secure waiver of the output imi-
tations prescribed by these union lead
ers is now being made by Mr.. Hurley
1t is understood that Samuel Gompers,
president Of the American Federation
OF Labor, is using his good Offices to
secure the proposed waiver.
Mismanagement Is Charged
Of the other factors in the shipping
which suggest government
control of the yards. one which is re
garded as perhaps the most important
Is the alleged mismanagement which
has developed in many ,new, yards.
lkls already has caused Chairman
Hurley to decentralize the Fleet Cor
roration organization. in order to place
supervising directors in each of several
reduction zones who will personally
direct the work in delinquent yards h
Another phase of the situation which
has caused great irritation to officials
q the Shipping Board has been the
disposition on the part of some ship
builders to encourage their workmen tu
atI1;.l? aemand higher wages, at the same time
declining 10 share with the government
the additional cost burden imposed by
the advances. This, it is charged, has
gone SO far as attempted collusion be-
tween shipyard owners and labor lead
ers. Chairman Hurley has put a stop
.,c this practice, however. by insisting
hat the shipbuilders pay all advances
above 10 per cent return on their
To no branch Of the war programme, {
'ficials declare, is it more necessary f
hat the President turn his attention {
lcw than to the question of ships. |
confidence continues unimpaired in c
chairman Hurley, to be sure, but it is /
recognized that he has a stupendous f
ask on his hands. c
A frank statement by the President,
'ebuking all unpatriotic actions of both s
abor and capital in taking advantage a
y emergency conditions to drive the s
harpest possible bargains with the
shipping Board, it is suggested by Of n
'cais. might remove some ofethe OBJ
tacles now in the way of rapid pro-
sfess of shipbuilding. Thus far there q
mas been no evidence that the matter a
aas been brought to the official atten-
uon of the President.
Il