Evening star., 1918-02-20
Chairman Hurley, Builders and
Leaders of Workers to Hold
Meeting Today. q
STRIKES DECLARED OVER. y
BUT ISSUE UNSETTLED
President of Carpenter Brother.
hood Asserts He VIII Not Leave
Open-Shop Decision to Board. :

Apparently as far apart as ever, and
having reached no points Of agreement
at last nights conference between
Chairman Hurley Of the shipping board,
William L. Hutcheson, president Of the
Brotherhood Of Carpenters and Joinerss
Charles Piez, general manager Of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation; Samuel
Gompers and members of the Shipbuild-
ing Labor Adjustment Board, another
conference is being held this afternoon
in the effort to straighten out the tangle
between the carpenters and the govern
ment.
Although strikes of carpenters en-
gagged on shipbuilding work in eastern
yards came to an end Monday. nothing
has been accomplished as yet toward
prevention of further troubles.
At last nights conference Hutcheson
refused to leave the question OF the
closed shop to arbitration or to the de.
cision of the labor adjustment board
asserting that he had no power or
authority to sign any agreement cover-
ing other than shipyards operated bx
the government direct that did not, em-
body the closed shop principle IA
insisted that before the governmene
held the carpenters to the open enoH
principle it should take over all snip
yards and eliminate profit taking ~
private interests. If this were done. No.
said, the carpenters would be willing
to work on any terms the governmsnss
might prescribe.
shipyards Get 81.
.on every s1oo paid the carpentsrs
by shipyards," said Hutcheson: tns
shipyards themselves take 81. This -
what the carpenters object to- The
strikes are over, but the question itsezx
is not settled. The carpenters insist
that they have the right to choose ~
men with whom they shall work Hne.
employer -is-&aking advantage OF yh9-
situation to try to crush the sanqe
unions.
I'VE are not hghting the governmeas
and we are not trying to obstruct a.
shipbuilding program; but we are hghe.
ing the shipbuilder. II the governmeGk
would take over the yards the Que9~
tion would settle itself.
The fact that other union heads have
agreed to leave the settlement OF All
differences to the adjustment board was
pointed out at the conference, d.
Hutcheson declared he had no authQe-
ity to sign any such an agreement ~
the carpenters, If il would take 0Um
them their constitutional rights.
Hoover Makes Appear.
Food Administrator Hoover. in .
statement today, called on PATRIOTS
ship workers to enroll in the public
service reserve. No amount OF tn
creased food production. decreased food
use or food substitution and saving
will help unless tonnage for sending
food across the Atlantic is available.
He said.
MY anxieties about ships are no Less
numerous and various than those about
food itself. Hence it is with the ut.
most earnestness that I indorse the
idea of creating a voluntary reserve OF
men from which the man power neces-
sary to solve the great problem of ship.
ping can be recruited as rapidly as il
can be used. For every army Of fight.
ers there is necessary much larger
army of loyal, eager men devoted to
the maintenance of the fighting unit.
One is as essential and truly patriotic
a Service as the other. So by all means
let US enroll a voluntary reserve corus,
of men from which the necessary man
power for the shipyards can be re-l
cruited."