The sun., 1919-10-01
PACIFIC WALKOUT
i BELIEVED AVERTED
U. s. Officials Agree to Ship
yard Workers Receiving
Higher Wages.
ALL DAY CONFERENCE
Approval Given Provided Gov
eminent Does Not Share
: in Added Expenses.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30.-The strike
OF Pacific coast shipyard workers threat
ened tomorrow was believed here to-
night to have been averted by an agree
ment reached after an all day confer
ence by which representatives of the
shipping board and the Navy Depart
ment agreed to permit acceptance by the
men of wage increases offered by the
shipyards OF the western coast, provided
the Government would not have to share
In part of the additional expense.
Notice of the conferences action Inn
mediately was telegraphed to all ship
yard workers unions and shipbuildlng
companies on the Pacific coast.
Representatives of the workers here
we're confident that to-morrow's walk
out, which involved the possibility of a
strike also by workers of the industry
on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. would
be averted.
II was asserted, however, by some of
those attending the conference that the
Pacific coast companies might find
themselves unable to pay the increased
wage scale. amounting to an average Of
about cents an hour for practically
all employees, without aid from the
Government. and refuse to grant the
increase promised.
Daniels and Payne Firm.
Secretary Daniels and Chairman
Payne of the Shipping Board, both of
whom attended the conference. declared
emphatically that the Government would
not share in the payment of any wage
advances, this course having been de-
clded on by representatives of the de-
partment and the board two weeks ago.
in view of the Presidents appeal to the
railroad shopmen for a truce and the
coming industrial conference the two
agencies last week agreed to continue
in effect the wage scale and working
conditions provided in the Macy award.
which was to expire tomorrow.
At the conclusion of the conference to-
night the following statement was is
sued by the Navy Department repre-
scented on behalf of the workmen in the
West coast yards that the statement
recently issued by the Fleet Corporation
and the navy that no increase in wages
over the Macy scale would be given
for the present had been interpreted by
the West coast shipbuilders as meaning
that the navy and Shipping Board would
not only refuse to pay out of Govern
Tent funds such advances in wages
rs affected the cost of construction of
Government vessels, but would prohibit
the shipbuilders from paying the ad-
ment recently consummated between the
builders and their workmen, either for
work which was not Governmental or
out of their own profits in the case of
Government construction, and that the
Government was therefore put in the
light Of preventing the shipbuilders from
paying out of their profits increases in
wages to their men on the West coast
which some of them had already agreed
to pay.
MIR. Daniels, speaking for the navy,
made clear that the Navy Department
felt that 1t had no Jurisdiction as to
what wages should be paid where reim-
bursement was not to come directly or
indirectly, from the Government but
that in conformity with the statement
already issued. II was the clear belief
Of the Department as well as of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation that the
Government agencies generally, following
the precedent established in the case of
the railroad men, should not grant any
increases until after a definite policy had
been determined at the coming industrial
conference next week. The entire situa-
ton was thoroughly gone over and at
the conclusion of the conference the fol-
lowing telegram was sent to the west
coast yards doing navy work by the
Navy Department:
Ine Navy Department VIII be entirely
willing to take up the wage question in
Pacific coast shipyards where 1t has
contracts after the White House indus
trial conference has been held, but in the
meantime cannot pay or assume any in
crease in rates over the Macy scale now
IA effect"
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 30.-The action
OF the United States Shipping Board
to-day in deciding to permit Pacific coast
shipyards to increase wages comes too
late to prevent a walkout in the San
Francisco Bay district at midnight to-
night, according to members of the con-
ference committee of the Bay Cities
Metal Trades Council.
They said that the proposed wage in
crease agreement had been signed BY thH
conference committee of employers and
employees, and that three shipyards had
ratified the increase but had counter
manded their action on receiving notih-
cation from the Government that tbs
new wage scale would not be permitted
Consequently, they said, another
agreement would have to be drawn VI
and signed before the strike order could
be revoked. The conference COMMITTEES
of the council expected to take thf
matter up as soon as notification oi
the action in Washington to-day was re-