New-York tribune., 1918-03-08
Hog Island
By THEODORE N. KNAPpEN
ARTICLE VII
ARTICLE VII
PHILADELPHIA, March TT do -.
recall how many nations are ~"
Ia leagued together against ~.


man group, but forty races of 49,
toll and strive at Hog Island to brine CO.. ~"
sion to the twentieth century dream of ws.1,
conquest. It's a polyslot army that, like TN
armies IN the trenches, IS forever in trsns;
ton, always changing.
Seventy-five thousand men have /.
hired to get a present force of % ooo
They come and go by the bundras.
daliy-and some days by the thousona.
hos Island IS but an eddy in the turbuIen.
stream of labor that flows from job to ;oh
all up and down this land rejoicing. csro
Tree IN the certainty of good iob WITH
good pay anywhere. The labor wo,,a
etfervesces with the independence of nros
Nerity, and, being effervescent, it is fipb+v
Labor luxuriatcs in a plenitude of onnos
'unity. The unusual abundance tennis !.
20 take It's ease and nbble here and tbero
at the wealth of good things in jobs-iu.t
as Its full pockets tempt it to eat az II
never ate beforehand buy diamonds
But now that The novelty and excitemert
are wearing off and the grave meannc =.
the war sinks deeper and deeper into tbo
consciousness of the men, labor tends to
become more tranquil. 1t is noticed at Hoc
Island that an increasing proportion of tho
men are coming 10 take themselves and
their work seriously 1t is becoming tbe;r
work-and they are keen to stay on tho
great job. The curve of the "turnove,n
steadily flattons. The impression shop,d
not be given that the 100 Dor cent turnovor
at Hos Island was all of the instability of
the men. Some have sacrificed their liyes
and their strength in this industrial battle
Others have given up through pure ey
haustion. Still others have beer, DISCHARGED
for incompetence, lisloyalty or unhtness for
their particular tasks
Those who find fault with labor at uo,
Island are not the men who direct their
work 81 am for the men," said Vice.
President Connicl Of the American Inter.
national before the Senate Commerce Com.
mlttee the other day. The management IL
not making the mistake of caring for the
lnanlmate machine and overlooking the
'an. In the past the tendency in industry
was to consider that the human mach;rs
could take care Of itself. Now it is per.
ccivcd that it cannot take care of itself
because it is only u part of a greater
machine. At Hog island, therefore, thev
DeSah 20 create aN industrial relations de-
paftment the same day they began to hire
men. Perhaps thereto is to be attributed
the significant fact that there have been
no strikes at Hog IsIand-and that labor
has always been pro:urable as needed.
The industrial Relations Department has
many branches, but throughout the con-
trolling idea IS that sc mans a man for
a that 1t seeks to neutralize the sub
mergence of the individual in the mass.
to keep the men healthy ard contented and
10 project them from the tyranny of the
PctVy boss. There IS an appeal for every
man with a grievance. Within the scope
OF the industrial Service Department. which
is an Immense organization in itself, under
the direction Of one of the foremost social
engineers OF the country, are such activi-
ties as employment, housing, medical and
sanitation. welfare, safety. commssary and
IRE and poHce protection. 1t is the de-
partmcnt that fathers and mothers the
men Other departments may consider
them as machines; It considers them as
humans. It's the department of the square
meal and the square deal.
For instance, it conducts mess halls that
are capable OF serving five thousand men
at time-and it gives good. clean. pala
with different menu for every meal
every day in the "eek. 1t conducts on the
ground Bachelors sleeping barracks that
Wl!l AoUse some 1000 men in sanitary COM
Tort Tor 10 cents a bed. SO closely are
these matters figured that it was found
ihat the company's profit on 275,00O meals
was $3.50. The Shipping Board determines
the Wage scale-aaG It is generous. though
OF necessity, il must be in touch with
wage scales prevailing in the district
Common labor gets 40 cents an hour for
eight hours, with time and half for two
hours more. Hog Island is an open shop
NO discrimination IS made between union
and non-union men.
Housing outside the island is also looked
after. Newcomers are assisted TO find
rooms or residences, and, of course, there
"lil DC lhe closest cooperation with the
government no2slng scheme which plans
model worlmen's settlement near the
island. Had the government begun this
work, as II should, as soon as work began
on the island its labor difficulties would
nave been greatly reduced Thousands OF
good men--family men-havc quit because
'hey did not choose to put up with poor
quarters IN Philadelphia and inferior local
transit. Lack Of transportation for the
workers was one OF the chief difficulties
CT the Hog Island site, but means of trans
portatlon now improve daily. Between spc-
cial trains on the Pennsylvania and Read
ing railways the company's own shuttle
iine connection Herewith right into the
yards, the suburban streetcars and the
river boats something like $4,000 men are
now moved back and forth daily with com
parativc despatch ard comfort
There appear 20 DC at least two years
OF work ahead for most Of the men row
employed. and for probably ten or fifteen
thousand more. AS it is inconceivable that
the plant will be dismantled after the war,
it is probable chat there is here lifetime
opportunity for all who make good.
10 Ra