New-York tribune., 1918-09-21
Continued from pngc 1

PAoPHeSiSS Wy VIC persons IN authority.
Admiral Bowles also said that Hog
Island contained "shirkcrs," and that,
while the majority of tho workmcn
were patriots and willing to turn out
decent days work, there was per
centagc that were downright slaSkers
and would have to be wcedcd out as
speedily as possible. To add emphasis
to the value Of his own statement. Adj
miral Bowcs said
This statement is the whole truth.
no matter what anybody else NAV saw
about it,"
Labor leaders, such as d. j. Cavan,
general organizer of the International
Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuildcrs'
Association, and Joseph NJ Richie, the
representative here of the American
Federation of Labor, said they would
welcome an opportunity to show the
Senators how matters stood in regard
to the various yards
These men said that the welfare
work had simply ruined the shipbuild-
ing industry. They said that when the
shipyards were under private owner
ship there were no boxing bouts, no
ball games and mono Of that welfare
work tina, seems so essential to the
shlpyards at the present time.
"Thc reason is very plain,' said Mr.
Cavan. "Then the owners paid for the
work; now they charge it to the gov
ernment. You wouldn't have any such
thing as boxing bouts and ball games
H. the work was on straight contract.
DO you see anything of this sort at
Baldwin's? Baldwin's. where the work
is done on contract, and the company
has to pay for the labor?'
The leaders also said they could
show in one shipvard where a man was
employed for no other purpose than to
instruct boxers. Others had jobs fully
as "soft" and fully as non-essential,
these leaders argued.
Think of the hours each week that
are wasted" said Cavan. every noon
there is a boxing bout down at the
yards. This means that for a couple
OF hours before it is called the men
stand around the ways in groups and
argue as to the winner. After the thing
, IS over these same men stand around
Tor another couple of hours arguing
about the scrap itself If they kept
tabs on this loafng it would soon
mount up in money.
"The real shipbuildcrs don't want
5o1 ~
that business. They want to build
ships. Take a look at one case that
I'm on now. A young follow, twenty
four years old. has been sent 10 Camp
Lee. He has worked in shipyard for
eleven or twelve years and he is a
skilled man. He is sent to a canton
ment when ne ought 20 be exempted
and used at Hog Island or some Other
place where he can do good work |
know case after case where i have tried
TO bring chaps who were ship workers
back from camp only to find that they
were in France.
And in their places what do we
have? Imagine a foreman at ship
yard working on vessel telling a
~orkman to GO down to the cellar
when he wants him to go below, or
saying You so up stairs when he means
1or him to go to the deck That is
the kind of shin workers the men
Heet every day, fellows who show by
their language that they have never
worked around shi0s at all"
New Suggestions on Exemptions
Mr.. Richie said the American FEEDER
alton of Labor was taking a census
ali over the country OF the skilled
mechanics who had been inductcd into
the military service. Each local fills
cat sheet with the data. He also
said that organized labor had a sug-
gestion which would be given to
Provost Marshal General Crowder re-
carding the manner in which the cX-
emption Of ship workers could be safe
guarded
This plan is to have an examiner,
one of sufficient experience to be able
to tell real ship worker, assigned to
each district board, or to be indepen-
dent of these draft officials. Whenever
the draft board inducted shipworker
needed at home the right of appeal
should be taken. This case would then
go to the examiner. and his decision
as to whether or not the applicant
knew his business and was q necessary
artisan should be accepted as final
The labor leaders also said that for
a week before the recent rivetine
record was made at Hog Island the
men were getting ready for the affair.
They neglected straight production in
! the meantime. they added.
Stacking" Among Workmen
Senatorial investigation Of condi-
tons in the Hog Island shipyard yes
terday Was provoked by exposures OF
"slacking' among the workmcn, which
/ threatens to cut the plants expected
output OF vessels in half.
Forty eight ships were promised This
year by officials at the yards. Only
twenty really were expected. according
to a recent announcement of the Emer-
Gcncy Fleet Corporation. Riveting fig
ures show that if the present rate of
work is continued only ten vessels will
leave the ways by January |.
To turn out the scheduled number
Of bottoms, Hog Island must drive at
least 10000 rivets a day it was stated
fy Admiral Bowlcs. The 619 gangs at
present employed at the plant could
attain this minimum with ease, he said.
The recorded average at present is
somewhere between $4,000 and $4,000
a week ago Friday, the workmcn set
cut to prove the stuff that was in them
and hammered home 195,242 rivets, es
tablishing a record in the yard The
supreme effort was made on General
perShing'S birthday and was under