Evening journal., 1918-01-09
EQUITABLE WAGE
FOR ship WORKERS
Philadelphia District Men TO
Get Advances Under
Goverrmer Order
WORKERS GIVE
MUCH TESTIMONY

Equitable wage scales arranged on q
minimum basis, for the workers in The
Delaware river shipYards, wiz be mr.
rived at and announced within week
er two by the shipping Labor ADJUST
frent Board, now sitting at the Hotel
Walton, IN Philadelphia. The board put
in yesterday hearing the representatives
of'yRrious trades concerned.
Scales Of this type already are In ef-
leci on the Pacific Coast, and 70 Is be-
llcyed that when thoy have been placed
IN effect among tho vast series Of ship
yards on the Delaware, The result win
be TO prevent unnecessary and ill-ad-
sised changes Of employment, brought
about by men goins blindly from yard
10 yard IN the hope Of doing q little
better" and frequently coming or q
little worse
The board Is considering seriously
the various elements Of cost considered
hy men working az each Individual
yard. II found that inen were paid
lower wages "a ono yard than IN an
6ther for the remc type Of work. but
when they quit and went 10 a better
paying" yard, they really found them
selves DOING less we'll than originally,
from tho loss Of time going TO and re-
turninE from work. and from other
considerations affecting their time and
their working efficiency.
The board ls made up Of Y. Eyerll
Macy, The chairman, who Is a member
% the Governments Executive Com
inlEtee on Labor OF tho Council OF Ma
tlonnl Defense, a. ]. Berrea, who repre-
aenls the labor element Itself, and l.. A.
Coolidge, who represents tho United
States Shipping Board. Tho Labor
Adjustment Board springs Into being
from an agreement between tho Navy
department and the shipping b0Rrd
tn submit all labor disputes 60 the Ad-
iustmenl Board.
Most OF the men heard yesterday were
workers who brought before the board
their experience with the cost Of living
ard the conditions under which they
were forced 10 labor.
Indications are that tho wage scale
will be worked out on a cornmon-sense
basis and that the question Of pay VIII
present no serious obstacles. II dGvel-
oped during Yesterdays meeting that
there were difficulties In the supply Of
men which needed rehdiustmont. this
being particularly the case with high
grade OF ships electricians, who were
greeted al one place OF employment
With the statement that no more men
>,ero required, while IN point Of fact
another shlpyurd was unable TO receive
full supply OF them.
Tho yards affected by the scale In
cludo the Emergency Fleet Corpora
lions yards al Hog Island, Bristol Corn
wells, Pa, ind Chester and the com
mnndecred yards at Cramps, Camden
gloucester and Chester--no less than
ten yurds In all, employing an enor'
nous force OF men.
ono witness testified that for the
same grade OF work men were receiN'
ing nt tho various yards rates OF pay
which varied from 80 ~ cents to ~
cents On hour One effect OF this testl-
inony viii be the ultimate slandardiza-
ton OF all classes Of shlpyard labor
The work OF hearing testimony Is pro
cceding swiftly and the board expects
TO reach an carly conclusion
A wage schedule presented by ship
painters, showed remarkable advances
from the pay OF 1914, when they re
ceived 80 i-3 cents an hour. Represen
tatives yesterday asked for l6 declaring
tho cost OF living had advanced 1870 per
cent Flrsl-class electricians asked for
81 "a cents. which they deelered was
paid IN Cleveland and elsewhere.