Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-05-06

md Of zap, showing American VS.
to be believed, the japanese naval pro-
gram Is largely bluff. They say that
if the present naval programs of the
three leading naval powers are carried
out until 1925, the United States will
have Is capital ships embodying the
naval lessons of the late war, Japan.
II and Great Britain five.
The present naval strength Of the
three powers, according to information
In the possession of the British Is as
follows:
Great Britain: Capital ships, 30;
light cruisers, 81; d~estroyers, 1876, and
submarines, SO.
The United States: Capital ships,
80; light cruisers, 10; destroyers, 264.
and submarines, 103.
Japan: Capital ships, 21; light
cruisers, II; d~estroyers, 81, and sub
marines, %.
The week closed with much brighter
prospects for a settlement Of the strike
Of British coal miners. Sir Robert
Horne, acting for the government, held
a series of meetings with the miRers
delegates and made new offers which
included the suggestion Of a wage re-
duction of 8 shillings per shift. The
miners are willing to accept a reduce
ton Of 2 shilllngs, and 1t may be the
government will arrange a subsidy to
meet the difference. This would amount
to 100000 monthly while the industry
is being reorganized. 1t vas thought
the delegates would recommend that
the members Of the union accept the
proposed plan. Meanwhile the miner
and owners have agreed to plans for
the protection Of the mines, and the
railway mems union has modified its
order against handling coal so that 1t
does not apply to fuel for domestic
purposes, hospitals and public utli-
ties.
The railway workers Of the United
States had their innings before the
railway labor board last week. B. M.
| Jewell was their first witness in their
| effort to retain the present wage
scales. He presented a mass Of evil
dence to support the unions two prin-
cipal points-that living costs have
outrun pay rates and that wages in
the only other basic Industries ON
parable to ~railroading, coal mining
and steel making. have not been re-
duced.
His argument also was framed to
show that the railroads have not op-
Grated with economy and efficiency. as
required by the transportation act.
and that the same financial interests
which control the railroads also con-
troll the production Of fuel, timber.
equipment, OIL and other supplies and
that they have determined upon a
policy Of decreasing railroad expenses
by reducing wages and at the same
time charging unwarranted n un-
reasonable prices for supplies which
the railroads must purchase"
In the Chicago district the dispute
between building contractors and the
Building Trades council reached a
crisis. The unions having refused to
accept a reduction in wages Of skilled
men from $1.25 to 81 an hour, the
Building Construction Employers as
ISOLATION and the Associated Builders
issued a formal lockout" order to go
into effect on May 1. AS a result,
work has stopped IN about 100000 900
worth Of building operations in that
district.
A committee Of the Illinois legisla-
ture has uncovered graft, fraud and
extortion in the building trades in
Chicago and vicinity and it is expect
ed the grand jury will indict many
labor leaders and others involved.
| Every one who knows anything about
labor conditions there knew this
crookedness was being practiced, but
the trouble was to get the victims to
tell the truth. Some Of them, evil
IDENTITY, have overcome their fears and
done so.
Almost without opposition, the Nc
Cormick budget bill was passed by
the senate, and a similar measure was
assured Of passage through the lower
house. The senate bill, substantially
the same as the one President Wilson
vetoed, creates a budget bureau to
prepare estimates of departmental ex-
pendstures and requires the President
to submit an annual budget based on
estimated receipts. 1t also creates the
Office of controller general for the
auditing and accounting Of all govern
mental expenditures.