Evening star., 1918-02-17
Head of Union TeIegraphs to.
President and Navy Chief i
for Conference.
INSISTS HE CANNOT NOW I
STOP STRIKE IN'YARDS,
Unmoved by Announcement Thai
the Wage Board Has Agreed % :
Higher Scale; New Conditions. /
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
| NEW YORK, February 16.-Insistine
that he was unable to call off the striie
of shipbuilding carpenters, 10000 Of
whom were said to have failed to report
for work today in plants along the At
/ lantic coast, William L. Hutcheson.
president of the. United Brotherhood OF
| Carpenters and Joiners of America, to-
night sent teiegraphic appeals to Prssf-
dent Wilson and Secretary of the Nssy
; Daniels asking for conference.
He expressed the belief that the Prsss
ident am Secretary of the Navy cou1d
quickly settle the trouble if he was ~
lowed to state the mems case to them.
Report on Increased Wages:
| This action was taken after recslye
by the labor leader of advices from
Washington announcing that the Unit.
led States shipping boards labor A4-
ijustment committee had agreed ON In
creased wages, definite working Op1>
ditions and overtime pay for ali sl1tD-
yard carpenters in the so-called psln>
ware yards. comprising about - -
tcent of the workers on the A1aDe11
coast. 80
Telegram to President.
The telegram to President Wilson IL
lows:
1.-The situation now existing iA ~
,Shipyards is of a nature that r6auA11
immediate attention. /. as president -
10 mi fnA nj Va
and Joiners of America, endeavored -
reach an understanding with the 0llE-
GERS of the United States ehipptue
board. but was unable to do so. = =
| Il feel that if given the opportuulsY
to lay the matter before you that . -
luton could be quickly arrived at
| Il desire to inform you, my dear ~
President, that 1. as a patriotic ci1tu
am desirous of rendering every as9t4ke
ance to you and our country to cn&ky
on the work necessary to bring e1e1k
a successful conclusion Of the y1l@4
war in which we are engaged Il
Neqaaes b eserstag D. =
In ~ tsJsgrzm to secnefazy Dfn
4 Mr. s-1Edtcheson said: = ...s...-s - -
| The situation now existing n
@1fpyards is OF a nature that re<
immediate action and solution. A.
reason for addressing this messa&9 ~
You is because of the experiences -
| government which you represeRt,
which has been very satisfactory TO ogf
organization and, judging from re9Q3&D
obtained. believe is equally satisfActafy
to yourself and your department
| IT. am addressing telegram -
President Wilson in reference to thu
matter, and the thought occurs to ma
| that it might be of material assista2pD
for you to give to the President IT,
| results and experience your departfheak1
has had with our organization. asxI.
feel that you will agree with me fkGf
every possible effort should be made o.
once to reach a solution of the MATTER
Prepared to Come to Capital.
Hutcheson's plan of settling the con.
troversy was decided upon at a con.
ference attended by himself. T. ~
Guerin. member Of the executive conn
mittee; James Fetherston and othAf
union leaders, who, Without references
to the Delaware yards adjustment kald
they were encouraged by the steps thfx
were reported being taken in WASH
ington.
These included the conference ~
tween Assistant Secretary of the MY
Roosevelt, Chairman Hurley and oth8
shipping board officials. HutchBot1
and Guerin said tonight they were Df&..
pared to go to the capital on aW6-l
ments notice and were confident &aSf
in view of the seriousness of the nj
uation such conference might be held
tomorrow.
1t was pointed out by the lea66rs
that through the mediation of Secrk-
tary Daniels and Assistant Seeretz<V
Roosevelt on October 5. 1917. wfSt
threatened to be a widespread strfE6
among the union carpenters empioy&d
in the Norfolk, Va, navy yard was Cd
judicated quickly to the satisfactton
of both sides in three hours and ttft
the agreement then signed would ~
expire until November. This, it Vu9
remarked, was accomplished after tina
government labor mediators had tff6d
in vain for three months to effect
settlement.
Promise to Furnish Labor.
The union officials said that 1877 wood
en- vessels now were in process Of con-
struction in various Atlantic coast
shipyards and that Immediately Chair
man Hurley recognized the carpenterf
organization and would agree to na-
ton wide minimum wage for tho craft.
the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners of America could furatah
more than enough labor to finish Al
these ships on time. 1t was said that
1000 carpenters. released by compie-
tion of the army cantonments and Who
now are idle. would be utilized in the
shipyards.
President Hutcheson denied that his
organization stood for the CLOSED -shop.~
which is said to be Hurieys conteutton.
or that the feature would figure at an In :
any of the deliberations he may be SAM
moned to participate in at WashinStons
Desire Minimum Wage.
The. main desire of the carpentecs -
ganiZation, it was said, was solely to - !
tain tentative agreement with the Gdgb
eminent as to minimum wage, for fts1
would enable HutcheSon to call the meQ
back to their jobs with a concrete pkupo-
sition Later, IL was said, the terms
could be discussed, and il just mutual
concessions might result Such q tenta-
tive agreement was effected i'm the ca1e
of the Norfolk carpenters. 1t provided II
a wage of s4.SS for an eight-hour dAf,
vacation each year on pay, the eQuivA168
Of $3.50 day. Z
"If the United States Shipping Hoax1
could see its way clear to offer IN 1ueH
a proposition we would accept IL q
once. said Mr.. Guerin. ''and the trou~
BILE would be ended. We want to -
all we can to help the government. IN
to do this and prevent demoralixatton
tial. We do not oppose the open shoRS
side non- union men provided the eoV<
living wage for us. issz
Proposed Draft Action
The. shipyard strike situation WIN - q
taken into consideration by the -
draft board in calling mem next 49,
I