American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-03-12
NEAR-TRAITORS PUT UNION CARD
ABOVE THE STARS AND STRIPES
National President OF the Carpenters
Union Attempts to Dictate to the
resident-Caulkers Slow Down
Ship Production.

Wooden ships on the ways in the
Puget Sound district, almost ready to
launch in the race for tonnage to de-
feat the submarines. are being held
up by shortage of caulkers, which
officials Of the shipping board said
Friday was due TO the refusal of two
unions to cooperate.
The Caulkers' union and the Broth
erhood of Carpenters have been in
formed of the situation, but without
result. Immediate action is declared
necessary to prevent a tieup of the
Pacific coast program. and there were
intimations Friday night that the
shipping board is prepared for some
drastic step if all other means fail
William L. HutchesOn. president of
/ the carpenters, was told of the need
/ for caulkers, and his attention called
to the unreserved assistance being Civ
en- by other shipbuilding unions to
the nation during the war. Hutche-
son, officials say. replied that his or
ganizatiOn had listed thousands of
trained caulkers. whom he would be
glad to mobilize for the nations work
il the shipping board granted his re-
quest for special representation OF the
carpenters on the wage adjustment
board.
The Caulkers union of Seattle.
which controls caulkers in the Puget
sound district. is said TO have refused
apprentices permission to work with
them in order to learn the trade, al
though the union has only 1S5 mem
bers, and at least 600 are necessary tC
put in the water the ships planned fol
completion this year. An effort tC
train 80 men for caulking provoked &
strike of the experienced men. wht
have been receiving wages and over
time, said to be causing unrest amons
other employees.
Board Keeps Plans Secret.
Means for remedying the situation
which the shipping board has in mine
have not been disclosed. Orders al
ready have been issued. however. t,
all shipyards that the management:
are held responsible for completion O.
the ships on time. and that they mus
use whatever men and machinery tha
can be obtained to put them out
One suggestion advanced has beer
that 500 carpenters willing to volun.
teer for patriotic work under condi.
tions which have the approval OF the
American Federation of Labor should
be recruited in the east and rushed by
special train to Washington. A ma
chine for caulking now is in process
Of development.
Because of the decline of wooden
shipbuilding in this country until Ger.
many's undersea boats rendered fast
construction imperative, relatively
few men have followed the caulkins
trade of late years. Consequently the
present building program is believed
entirely too large for the available
men TO handle.
1852 Ships Scheduled in 1918.
approximately 162 ships are sched
uled for delivery in the Puget sound
district by January l, and 100 more as
soon as possible thereafter.
Pacific coast builders in Washing
ton seeking additional contracts have
been told of the situation arising from
the shortage OF caulkers. There are
225 ships under construction on the
Pacific coast. it was learned Friday
and orders for $50 more can be placed
if the workmen TO build them can be
found If the shortage of caulkers
We're. allowed to continue. it might be
necessary to cancel orders for per
haps 50 ships instead of extending the
program but officials were emphatic
in declaring that such a contingency
could not be allowed.