The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-20
Capt. W. HI. StaytOn, e. S. n,
Gives Credit to This Paper.
With Chicago Tribune, 1t Is
Fearless in Telling Truth.
POINTS OUT SHIPPING TROUBLE
Deckhands Getting SIP Month
Refused To Man Ship. s
5000 Troops Aboard-Jackies
at $50 Pay Took 1t Over.

1.-The Ca1kers' union is paid days wages
for four hours work"
The Riveters union averages SIS a day
of your money"
Unnecessary strikes lost 6,sOo,O0O days
work to the United States last year"
The Tavennar amendment to the naval
appropriation bill must be repealed for
efficiency's sake
The United States needs 15,ooo.ooo tons
of shipping this year
1.-THE shipping board must build the
tonnage"
1.-The voters of the nation must see to the
welfare of troops overseas by supporting
the navy program"
These are the high lights of Capt.
William H. stayton's talk at the
Chamber of Commerce Friday noon
and at a meeting of the Navy league
at the Chamber of Commerce Friday
night.
In his speech at the Chamber of
Commerce Friday night Cptain Stay
ton said that the Topeka State Jour-
nal was one of the few papers in the
United States which has the courage
to put the facts in the matter before
the public, uncolored by prejudice or
a struggle for votes. Captain Stayton
said that the story of his MONDAY
speech as printed in the State Journal
Friday night was absolutely correct in
every detail, and he commended the
paper on its fearlessness in putting
facts before the public. Captain Stay
ton asserted that the Chicago Tribune
was the only other newspaper which
has carried his speech as he gave it,
and has printed the unvarnished facts
which he has made public in regard
to the affairs of the navy and the in
reference of some of the trades
unions in the rapid carrying out of the
government shipbuilding program.
Unselfishness of Allies.
In his speech Friday night Captain
Stayton paid high tribute to the un-7
seifishness~ of Great Britain and
France, who he said were giving US
food, munitions and men, while they
denied themselves the necessities of
life. He said that never before in the
history of nations have any countries
so far sacrificed themselves for the
cause of another nation.
But the Friday night speech was
much like the one he gave at noon.
He belabUred union labor for its atti-
tude in the struggle and he took con-
gress to task for allowing itself to be
intimidated by threats of strikes if
certain bills were not passed as pre-
sented.
Jacl<ies Manned a Vessel.
OF one strike at an eastern port of
embarkation Captain Stayton said:
There were 5000 troops on this par
ticular vessel, and it was all ready to
go out to sea when a strike was called
for the reason that some of the deck
hands were only drawing a salary of
SIP per month. The word of the
strike leaked out to the navy yard
close by and a corps of jackies came
over and offered to throw the strikers
overheard and man the ship them
selves. The officers of the vessel COM
municated with the navy yard, and
got the laconic message to go 10 it
They did, and that vessel with 5000
sturdy fighting men on board went
overseas manned by a crew drawing
the sum of just $50 a month and
found"
No Power to Speed Up Men.
Speaking of the work done by ship
calkers belonging to the calkers
union, Captain Stayton stated that he
himself had gone into the shipyards
altho he had not done any calking for
twenty years, and that he calked a
total of 175 feet of seam in little
less than four hours. Stayton said that
the union men call one hundred feet
of calking one days work, and he as
serted that on account of the Taven-
ner amendment to the naval appro-
priation bill the shipyard authorities
10