The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-03

r." aS 10 laDOr.-Our strong right
arm! There has been much talk of
cohYcrlptng labor, of forcing it into
shlpyards as our soldiers have been
brought into the camps. 1 am fully
aware that am flying in the face of
a growing popular sentiment that
men should be drafted into the indus
try which supports the battle lines
but wish to put myself on record as
Celng opposed to cOnscription of Ia
Dor. l do not believe conscriptiOn
necessary, for believe labor itself
Will produce conditions which will
render idle all thought of conscripting
worKmen. The vast majority of our
worKmen are men of intelligence and
when they come to n full realization
of the fact that any detection on their
part now will not only imperil the ma
tion, but will injure their fellow
workers in almost every field of in
dustrial activity, feel sure they will
respond to all demands made upon
them. Unless they fully do their part
their brothers will suffer.
1T would be useless to manufac-
ture material and supplies and pile up
the products on the wharves If there
are no ships to transport them. So,
unless our skip workers do their best,
other industries must slow down or
malt completely with the result that
thousands Of workers throughout the
country will suffer for lack of employ
ment.
i believe that labor has begun to
realize that fact, but / want to drive
1t home to them; for there are some, |
regret to say, who do not yet sense
their responsibility. There are many
who are not working their full ca
pacity. There are many who, because
OF the high wages they are earning,
are prone to take too many HOLIDAYS.
Labor generally throughout our ship
yards is today receiving the highest
rate of wages ever paid for similar
work in the history of the world The
additional cost of our ships, due to in
creased wages in shipyards covering
the program we have mapped out, will
be in excess Of $500, 900, 900. We ex-
pect and we have a right to expect; !;
| the country has a right to expect. that
| labor will render for this increase of
wages corresponding increase i'm
production-that is, the output of
ships.
"All has not gone smoothly in la
Dor situation and there have been
times when this phase Of the prob
| lem was enough to cause discourage
ment. The vast majority of laboring
men are patriotic; the leaders, whom
l have known through close contact
in Washington. especially Mr.. Comp
ers and his immediate associates, have
my confidence and the country recog-
nizes their patriotism. With only one
exception, the leaders of the shipyards
crafts generally have shown a spirit OF
cooperation, ready to sink their per-
sonal differences in the common pool
Of patriotism.
we have established labor ad
justment board whose complete fair
ness cannot be questioned. The scale
or wages awarded by this board has
been most liberal. We have not blam-
ed labor for the reduced average out
put IN various yards. There are some
labor restrictions which we would like
10 nave cmoved-restrictions against
output. We would like to see the
whole body of labor put forth it's max
imum effort. encouraging each indi-
vidual, workman to do his best, with
out any fear of establishing new aver
age standards when they increase the
output. When all the leaders and all
the men take this view of the nation
nj emergency, the efficiency of all the
yards Will be measuraby increased.
There have been inefficient ship
yard owners as well as inefficient
workmen. Where there is an inen
clent owner who does not understand
the viewpoint of labor and who thinks
only OF his profits, labor has a right
10 complain. In the speed that was
necessary in the early days when the
plans were being made and the first
contracts were being let, some of the
work was given the men who have not
proved their ability to get results. AS
We nave strengthened our contracts
ana distributed the work with great
er dellberatiOn and care, we have
likewise had i'm mind the wedding out
OF the employers who are not getting
the results which eXperipnce boc