Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-30
Government to Suspend
Operations Where Work.
- ers Make Demand.
COSTS ASCEND,
EFFICIENCY LESS
Director Piex Shows Who're Wages
Have Been Nearly observation-disclosures
Has Fallen More Than One. rhird--
Seattle Workers Demanding Mini.
mum Wase Of 81 Per hour--Rsiil
Workers Organized.

policy OF the government in sh,pyord
strikes TO let the Job stand" Charles
Piez, director general OF the emerSencs
feet corporation. said today. He re-
ferred particularly to the situation az
Seattle. where he said men had been
out for a week and at San Francisco,
where he said 1t was reported woraers
in two trades intended to so out shot
ly and tie up all the work In the dis
trict.
Mr.. Peiz declared most of the yards
needed a breathing spell. but he did
not think the government would con-
tlnue to furnish work at cxtrsmely
high wages unless increased output
justified il and in his view. u was
highly unwise for shipyard WORKERS
in their own interests to call strikes
on existing scales
Output Less, Pay Creator.
Most OF the yards need breathing
spell" said Mr.. Piez. and an oppor-
t,,nity to 20 over their organization
with a view to eliminating production
factors which have tended TO increase
costs. How greatly the costs have
been Increased IL shown by the fact
that In one Pacific coast yard. typicai
TO some extent of the general situation,
wages now give each worker 3i.70 for
putting in the same time for which he
would have been given 81 a year ago,
while In the same period the Aver91e'
output Of work per individual is oAiy
70 per cent Of what 1t was = year
ago.
an an Atlantic coast yard that
have in mind. workmei1 today recetve
So for putting in time that hrougnt
them 81 n year ago and the average
output per individual has dropped IN
the same period to Sc o-3 per cent OF
what 1t was one year ago.
Costs Beyond Reason.
Combining this decreased efficiency
with the increased wage the result has
been to make ship construction COSTS
entirely unreasonable. Some con-
tracts for ships have been already can
ccllcd by the government. In my vicw
the present temper Of congress and it's
attitude toward ship construction
make it highly unwise for shipyard
workers in their own interests TO call
strike against increased wage scales.
"In Seattle where the men have
been out week. the demand Is for VI
per hour pay as minimum Tor ali
workers in the yards, skilled. semi
skilled or unskillcd, | do not think the
government will continue to furnish
work at extremely high wages un1esy
il is justified by the increased skill OF
the workers and the increased output
per man that high wages ought To
bring e.
All Railroad Men Org~ led.
Nearly 500, 900 railway empt@Sses or
one fourth of the entire number Of
railroad men, have effected some sort
of organization in recent months. ac-
cording to reports reaching laoor
leaders here. Most Of the men had
been wholly unorganized previously or
had belonged to trades which were
only partially organized. Many local
organizations, it was said. now exist
secretly and are known to railroad
executives only thru committees which
claim to represent the men, tho not as
union spokesman.
A large proportion of the recently
organized employees are clerks, main =
tcnance Of way men. shop men and
dining car employees.
Labor Situation Not Alarming.
Discussing unemployment problems
today before Joint meeting OF the
senate and house labor committee Sec
tary OF Labor Wilson said there WA.
considerable "hysteria' in the country
over reconstruction. but that the prob.
lem would be worked out successfully,
He said although reports to the de-
partment showed 100000 unemployed
men at 123 Industrial centers this
week. compared to 235,0oo last week.
he did not consider the situation
alarming.