Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-05-03

the management would agree to pay,
and so the men decided to seek more
remunerative positions. A compro-
mise was offered by the employees Of
fering to accept the same wages paid
to carpenters, but the management
declined to consider this. While not
an official strike, the withdrawal Of
the men will have the same effect on
the yards. The controversy will be-
come current among plumbers every
where and no one will seek employ
ment at the yards. This is just one
more incident in the long list of un-
wise decisions by the management.
There is no question of the justice
of the claims of the men, but the mat
ter was referred and referred to
some authority above until patience
upon the part of the workers ceased
to be a virtue.
Many improvements are under
way at the Sloan plant-new ma
chimes of various kinds and brand
new locomotive, which will be used
to switch cars once in a while. Anent
this locomotive, it has been insin-
uated it Is more in the nature of
plaything than a utility under con-
ditions at this shipyard.
The first-aid committee, provided
for by the several unions, held a ses-
sion at Labor Hall Wednesday night.
The committee was permanently or
ganized and the situation given ex-
tended discussion.
The dance given by the s. 8. A. A.
at their hall on Columbia street last
Friday night was one Of the most
enjoyable affairs staged in Olympia
in q long time. The hall was deco
rated in the national and allied col
ors, the orchestra was in fine fettle
and more than SEQ of the members
enjoyed to the full this laudable en-
deavor of the association to see that
everyone had a feel-acquainted sem
sation.
This highly successful social affair
is but the forerunner of many enter
SoAAAnOAJo Va tuO luSQI0 1lA0
auspices. There is an enthusiastic
demand for the activities Of the Ath-
letic association and it is receiving
unanimous and hearty support.
Framed ships have been lying in
the Sloan yards for more than twelve
months. Will someone. in all frank
ness analyze the conditions that make
such situation possible? 1t seems
exceeding strange that the govern
ment would spend hundreds Of thou
sands of dollars necessary to keep
these yards in operation and then
put men at the heads of departments
who, playing the political game for
personal ends, would deliberately
cause the delays by placing obstruc-
lions = incompetent understrappers
who know nothing of the shipbuild-
ing game. The lives and safety Of
our people are at stake. Shall polit-
zeal manipulation be tolerated in
place Of patriotic duty? In some of
the yards, with workers as capable
as could be found anywhere, the
work is dragging along at 80 to 40
per cent efficiency, where it could be
and should be at least 80 per cent.
Equipment orders are held up, lum-
Der invoices pigeon-holed. insufficient
machinery and tools of all kinds, and
then the men, whose earnest desire
is to give their best efforts to the fur
therance Of our governments work,
are held up by the slackers in fact as
malcontents and incompetents. In
the interim the big interests sit back
and gather in the shekels, the fruits
of despicable, deeply-laid plot.