The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-02-22
V I E w S O F
J O u RN A L
r F. A D E r S
The Journal is glad to print
short communications from read
ers on any topic of interest.
Letters should be typewriter IL
possible, and double spaced.
SHIPYARD STRIKE.
Dear Journal:

Dear Journal:
1t is wonderful and strange that
after a period OF sixty years, four years
| of this spent in fighting to free our
| glorious country from slavery, that a
certain class of men under the guise
| of labor organiZa tons are trying to
restore slavery on their fellow white
citizens. 1 am a laboring man, mem
! Der of two labor organizations, and the
bylaws and constitution of our or
ganization prohibit any strike or agi-
tation or steps to disrupt any industry
! of any kind. If any wrong has been
done to individual or body of work
men by their employers, it is taken Up
by a competent committee, whom after
thorough investigation report to the
local body, then submit the facts to
the grand body, but [ understand that
one man named Gard, member or an
officer in the body of sheet iron work.
ers, has assumed and taken unto him
self the dictatorship of Pensacola and
ordered the men of the organization
and and blacksmiths and pipe filters
to leave the Pensacola Shipbuilding
Co.
A part of the men went out yes
terday-the balance today, of that
class of workmen. Now it is hardly
believab bic that big. body of white
| men, men of education, good standing
and men up date in their respective
departments, will at the order and
command of one or two unprincipled
| leaders, be compelled to leave their
duties their work, their occupa ton.
from which they earn their means to
| take care of their respective families,
not alone bringing injury to them
selves and their dependents, but to the
entire community in which they live,
| an irreparable injury not alone to the
shipbuilding plant, but to Pensacola
and the State of Florida.
There is sometimes in every COM
munity circumstances arising that will
compel citizens at large to take mat
tiers into their hands, to eradicate such
threatening evils and to invite and
compel these agitators or starters of
a public evil to leave the city and
never come back. 1 am informed on
good authority that the first cause of
the trouble originated in the discharge
of a foreman of the sheet iron and
metal workers. because of his incom-
potency, and the men under him walk
ed out thinking that the plan would
call this man back and reinstate him.
| It is certainly an outrage to think that
men will try to force any company to
reinstate or keep in their employ an
| incompetent man. This kind of pro-
| ceedings favor BolShevism and So
| cialism doctrine, and the sooner every
citizen of this community helps to
! investigate and drive out any and all
such men, the sooner we will have
peace and be free from strikes.
There are certain fundamental prin-
ciples and modus operandi that gov
ems organized labor and this body
can go to work, if any wrong has been
done by any employers to these men.
That is the way prescribed in the by
! laws and constitution of these So
cieties how TO proceed-by a thorough
| investigation and a conference by the
organizations officers. / am proud to
| testify that the heads of the Pensa-
cola Shipbuilding Co. are gentlemen
able and willing at all times to listen
| to any wrong or grievances from the
! individual or from their body and to
rectify same. if the department or its
executives are at fault.
( I have made inquiries from some of
the members of the boilermakers and
| the machinists, and they all said they
| had no grievances neither from wages