New-York tribune., 1918-09-22

only shipyard behind in its programme
Tor turning out ships. Each Of the
three great fabraating yards-Hog
Island, Newark Bay and Bristol.-is
behindhand. and Hog Island least Of
all. These are not the only Eastern
shipvards in the same condition.
Causes of the Trouble
"The causes Of this condition are
various. but in the fabricating yards
they arc not primarily due to labor
conditions. These yards misjudged
thGir ability to turn out ships at the
beginning Of their operations. They
thought that, once begun, they could
turn them out nearly as fast at the
beginning as later on in their pro-
grammc. They did not anticipate any
errors Of judgment on their own part
in the method of ordering and obtain
ing their fabricated steel, in securing
the necessary sequence of manufact-
urc, transportation and handling in
the shipyard. required for the most
rapid construction. All of them have
made some mistakes of judgment and
have been unable to secure the full
filment of promises made to them by
their sub-contractors. Consequently,
delays have occurred.
haooi coHultlohS AV IloS lSiAHu die
in all respects similar to those in
other shipyards and other war indus
tries, but they are there peculiarly
difficult on account OF the necessity
of organizing a very large force at n
time when other shipyards are pro-
ceceding at maximum, capacity.
Strikers Expected, Says Bowles
"Unable to draw skilled men from
these shipyards, they have been re-
quired, with very small sprinkling of
skilled men, to secure, educate and
organize very large force from a
variety of material. This is difficult
task at best, but particularly difficult
now. 1t must be supposed that among
such a large number of men, even
when they are selected with care for
what activity they arc best adapted to,
there will be the expected number of
shirkers.
"ln confirmation of my statement OF
the small percentage of experienced
men at Hog Island o-day and of the
scrupulous adherence to the rules by
the management, it should be known
that only per cent Of their employees
have been so far exempted from the
draft as essential persons, whereas the
proportion in other Delaware ship
yards is from SO to GO per cent"
A Hog Island foreman said yester-
day that few days ago he counted
100 idling men who stood watching a
dozen others while they fitted a pro-
peller to ship. He declared there
were dozen general foremen" stand
ing about at the time, but that none
of them seemed to see anything amiss
in the fact that so many workmen
were wasting time.
Negroes Charge Discrimination
Negroes employed at Hog Island are
being Disseminated against according
to w. r. Wright. president OF the Col
ored Mems Protective Association, who
wrote YESTERDAY to President Holbrook
of the international Corporation, say
ing that negroes who graduated from
the Hog Island school as riveters were
given only laborers' jobs instead OF
takikg places as rivetcrs. Wright said
affidavits of fifteen colored men who
had been so treated had been forward
ed to Washington.
The ballplavers had something to
say o-dav. too. Sherwood Magee
speaking for the others employed at
Cramps. said:
"All of us players are willing tc
demonstrate our ability as reamers to
the Emergency Fleet Corporation OF
any other authority. We are ready tc
compete with the best reamers they
have in any of the yards. None of us
are foremen. as alleged, or even sub
foremen Only at Hog Island do they
have such Jobs. The strikers have US
confused with the Hog Islanders"