The sun., 1918-09-22
6he Hogs OF Hog Island-and Other
Places.

6he Hogs OF Hog Island-and Other
Places.
The labor scandal in the shipyards
and other places where the Govern
ment Is spending billions Of dollars
on the war programme is the most
distressing and disgusting scandal
America has seen in her nearly
eighteen months Of conflict. There
have been other messes uncovered,
such Us delays Of construction and
graft in contracts, but these were
due to ignorance. carelessness or the
greed of a few individuals. In the
labor scandal, and notably that In
the labor engaged on shipbuilding,
the calamity Is that 1t involves thou
sands of men who have been trusted
to do their best to help win the war.
They have been more than trusted:
they have been paid the most amaz-
3ng wages that the world has seen,
they have been exempt from military
duty, and they, have been lauded to
the skies as equals in devotion to the
soldiers at the front.
The Sun has no intention Of with
drawing what it has said in praise
of the honest men who have worked
day in and day out on the ships and
in the factories. 1t is likely that the
majority of the workmen engaged on
Government work have had on eye
on victory as well as on the fet pay
envelope. They have subscribed lib
orally out of their big wages to the
Liberty loans and the many chart
ties. But their very loyalty makes
darker by contrast the villainy of the
labor slackers: and it is these slack
-ers who have brought shame not only
on America but on the whole labor
fraternity.
It Is to the credit OF the officials
Of the Emergency Shipbuilding Cor.
poration that they are frank with the
Government about the cancer they
have found in the body Of this i'm
portant industrial organization. In
stead Of hiding the evil and making
excuses and promises, they have fatty
announced the present prospect of q
failure Of the ship programme fol
this year. CHARLES PEE, the vice
president and general manager Of the
corporation, candidly told the Com
merce Committee of the Senate abou
the disappointment:
THE Hog Island yard expected u
turn out forty-eight ships. 1t will d.
well to turn out twenty"
AS an example OF Stacking at thu
Hog Island yard, it is pointed on
that on September - the riveters
spurred on by wagers or prizes, drov'
1922 rivets. On September II onl.
S9,4O7 rivets We're driven in the SAM
yard. The trouble comes from slack
ers of different types. Some are in
efficient men, wholly incapable Of do
ing n good days work. who hav
wprmed their way into the shipyard
in order to pick up high wages ant
escape tile draft. Ball players, &C
tors, puguists-men from every nor
essential walk, have found the ship
yards the place for soft living. Thei
employment has incensed some of tn
men who really know how to work
In the Cramp shipyards some of tn
workers have quit because these i'm
possible fellows were put over ther
as bosses. The hiring of these dode
ers of the draft, these creatures VIII
come to work" with flowers in thel
coat lapels and whiskey on thei
breath, has been the worst evil c
shipyard labor. We are glad to Sc
that their case Is not hopeless. NJ
PEE has set General CRowDER O
them, and the Provost Marshal GEL
eral should have no trouble to wee
out every shlrker and put on him
coat that has no lapel.
The other evil In the yards come
from a common human weakness, tn
desire to loaf that has afflicted ma
since ADAM's time. In o great man
men that desire finds Accomplishment
when wages are abnormally hlgl
When workman is able to mai
three or four times as much none
as he made before the war he ofte
succumbs to the temptation to wor
only half as long. This weakne.
has been observed for a year, nj
only in the shipyards but In almo
every industry where war prices an
the cost OF labor have fattened Il
pay envelopes. 1t Is notorious tn;
before Labor Day workmen on tho
sands OF Jobs refused to report {
Saturday and, after Labor Day, n
content with having had three da,