The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-06

| So carpenters. not as stated; 100.
| There were "A in all told, but five
had leave Of absence cards.
| The Pensacola ship yard officers
had nothing in the world to do with
| the men walking out and these men
never gave notice of their intentions.
| If the company had done that toward
| the men there would have been the
devil to pay and no pitch hot.
I like to see fair play, furthermore,
| these men went out on a discharge
card, issued by the superintendent
| of the carpenters and counseled and
| helpedf' by my friend. Mr.. johnson.
This was done in sympathy with the
head carpenter because he was re-
quested to send in his resignation and
my friend Mr. Johnson knew that the
plant was making every effort to get
the ship ready for the water, and that
it was not very easy matter to re-
place SO carpenters without at least
a couple of days delay.
Now, in all candor, I ask: WAS
this conduct an act to prove that Mr..
johnson had the interest of Pensacola
and the shipbuilding company at
| heart Actions speak louder than
words. Did Mr.. Johnson and the Pen
sacola men who walked out care any
Pensacola ship yard and whether or
not their conduct would increase their
production of the yard?
Now, sf1e comes out in his report
and says that Pensacola can produce
ships as we'll as any city in the land,
but is rot doing it.
He and his walk outs were a part
of this plant. Did he and the men
do their duty in bringing the plant
up to the standard? It takes a fool
like me to ask questions. Did my
friend Johnson think the Pensacola
ship yard was so far removed from
Philadelphia that the officials of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation did not
know about the plant until he had
personally gone and told them?
I think the officials of the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation should feel
highly f1attered by his calling their
attention to their ignorance I am
not making any personal attack on
my friend Johnson, only the bounden
right OF a citizen of Pensacola to
protect her good name and to refute
any and all undermining efforts that
will result in injury to the city and
every man, woman and child in it.
Furthermore, his report says: In
the meantime employees of the plant
/
walk-outs and trouble of every sort,
for if they have any grievances the
surest way to get them adjusted is
to take them UP with Adjustor Car
roll, of New Orleans, for this district,
and on failure to get satisfaction
from him appeal to the head officials
at Philadelphia"
Did my friend Johnson do this? He
is no fool. He certainly must have
had some grievances, either real or
imaginary, to leave his work. Why
did he not follow his own advice. l
will answer this for him. 1 heard
him say in the hall at his first meet
ing that he would shut up the Pen
sacola shipbuilding plant in 80 days
and he offered to bet 500 that lac
would do it.
"Oh. consistency, thou art jewel"
I will refrain from saying more on
this subject. God knows. I felt bad
to hear those words and others spok-
en- by a man I have known since
kid, first-class mechanic, a builder,
a man of intellect. He must realize
that such conduct would work injury
to himself and others. In conclusion.
l would say to my friend Mr. John
son, that the best laid plans OF mice
and men gang oft aglee."
(Signed)
j. W. PATTERSON.