Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-05
$4,000 NAVY YARD
EMPLOYEES IN j. S.
ASK PAY INCREASE
Representatives Present Re-
quest to Wage Board.
Roosevelt Outlines Policy.

Roosevelt Outlines Policy.
! Representatives of $4,000 machinists
in navy yards throughout the country
including the local yard. with 5000
such artisans this afternoon are pre-
senting to the navy yard wage board
statistics and figures with the OBJECT
| of showing that the wage scale should
be increased from the present aver
age of so to sc cents per hour to sl'-o.
Other crafts intend asking an aver
age increase of from 20 to 40 per
cent.
N. P. Alifas, president Of the local
district of machinists; Herbert r.
Leeman, president of Columbia Lodge.
No. ia. including all machinists OF
| the local navy yard. and J. F. Ander-
son, international vice president or
the machinists, commenced this after
| noon to present the case for members
| of their organization.
Cost of living probably will not enter
into the situation through figures from
outside sources. The boards intention,
it is understood. is to consider only such
figures as the Labor Department has
compiled on the subject
16I Crafts Represented.
One hundred and siJty-one crafts
are listed on the progrA.m of appear
ances before the board sMost of these
will be grouped. AE allied trades
will present their data! through one
spokesman and a committee. The
board expects to complete the recep-
ton of data possibly by tomorrow
! night or at least by Saturday morn
ing.f
Then the piles of petitions. re-
quests. argument and miscellaneous
data. presented in wholesale lots by
the employees. will be placed before
the board. which will proceed to as
simulate. digest and render decisions
upon it.
Asst. Secretary Roosevelt Speaks.
While approximately one hundred
labor Representatives were awaiting
their turn to appear before the board
in an antechamber. Assistant Secre-
tary OF the Navy Roosevelt, passing
through the corridor, halted. walked
over to the room and made an infor-
NAL sort of address to the men.
I've just dropped by to say: Hello
and goodbye said he. This is
entirely outside of formal lines. But
l wanted to tell you a few .'pints of
the Navy Departments position. What
we are considering is not mere wage
question, but something that affects
the entihe activities OF the department
as a, whole. The United States is not
a follower but aleader in making
model employment conditions for its
employees.
cts a tremendous task. We are
bound to consider wages. but we are
also compelled to give our attention
to your working conditions. Better
light air, locker rooms and lunch
rooms are needed in our establish :
ments throughout the country. We
must consider that. Better rest
rooms, medical attention, other i'm
provements must be made. That also
must be considered. And here's a
point l wish to emphasize.
The Navy Department is bound by
congressional appropriations. AS
result of this, we cannot exceed a
stipulated amount. In case wages are
raised when we are running to the
top-notch line we must drop men 70
make the money expended come with
in limitations of the appropriated
funds.
Hints Mt Cut in Forces.
"Therefore increased wages may
mean decreases in the force of en-
ployes."
\
the board this morning, starting short
ly after it's convention at $3.50 am.
and concluding at the lunch recessing at
noon:
/ Anglesmiths, armature winders.
blacksmiths. boat builders. cable
splicers, wood caulkers, carpenters,
chainmakers. cranemen, electricians,
/ forgers, joiners, millmen. shipsmiths,
| shipwrights, steel workers. welders,
! boxmakers. furnace men, wharf build
ers and the helpers of the majority
of these trades. The hammer run
! ners and telephone and telegraphlc
| forces also presented BRIEFS
The majority of the steel. iron and
! forging mechanics were heard through
| the spokesmanship of +. c. Bolam
| representing the iron tradesmen
| blacksmiths. forgers and aliled or
| ganiZatiOns.
| James P Noone, international presi-
| dent of the electricians, presented the
/ case for allied organizations OF eiec'
! tric workers. and r. NJ. Geurin, mem
Der of the genera! executive poard OF
| the International Brotherhood Of Car
| penters. presented the data for wood
work artisans of all types.
| About S.1S3 Affected Here.
| Locally approximately S,183 persons
all employed at the Washington navy
yard. will be affected directly by the
! ruling of the board. Throughout the
| CnlteU STATES IN me ioI -three Hd
| yards under the Department of the
Navy. 1851 employees will be con-
sidered in the deliberations of the
! board.
! Indirectly, the per diem employees OF
| the District government are interest
ed in the conference. The District
| Commissioners have announced their
| intention of reviewing the wage scale
set by the board in it's consideration
| of the District wage scale of August
20.
| The City Employees Association
which was threatening strike a few
| days ago, on account of the neglect
| of the Commissioners to pay navy
yard wages to per diem employees OF
| the District. voted to withhold drastic
! action on this scale until the Commis s.
sioners have a chance to review the
awards of the navy yard board