Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1921-09-13
RESOLUTIONS FROM
NAVY EMPLOYEES TO
PRESIDENT HARDING
Quotes Secretary Of Navy.
tcontinsed From Page 4,

Whereas. the Secretary of the
Navy, acting upon the recommendation
OF the wage board, acknowledged
that
"1If wages were TO be set in ac-
cordance with the increase in the cos.
OF living as compared with the pre-
war costs. mechanics would be en-
titled at the present time 10 about 80
cents per hour.
-. Many private employers are
still paying rates of 80 cents per hour
and over.
30. The cost OF living is now on the
upward trend; and
Whereas. Notwithstanding the fair
and just attitude which the govern
ment has usually heretofore manifest
ed in the setting of wages, and the
facts which the workman's represen-
tatives presented in support of their
claims. the Secretary of the Navy
rendered a decision granting only "
cents per hour as q maximum rate for
the basic trades. and proportionately
less than this for other less skilled
groups, il being acknowledged in the
wage boards report that this new
scale represented an increase of only
IS per cent. above the pre-war wage
turs; and a willingness to follow the
of living amounting to so per cent.
above that level; and
Reasons for the Reductions.
Whereas, il appears that the prime
reasons which prompted the putting
into effect of this drastic cut in wages
we're
Il. The desire of the administration
to economic in government -expendi-
level to meet an increase in the cost
methods of certain, private employers
who are treating labor as commodity
to be purchased at the lowest price
obtainable even though the depart
ment thereby makes it impossible to
maintain pre-war standards of living.
80 The insistence on the part of
some members of Congress that rigor-
GUS economies be put into effect with
a view to make a record for economy
with the same object in view as here
inbefore stated; and
Whereas, the 'commandant of the
Washington navy yard approved a
recommendation of so cents per hour
for first-class mechanics, which rec
Iommendation was supported by data
hxv hoo nd
which recommendation has been arbi
trarily decreased by the department
to 70 cents per hour; and
Declare Justice Disregarded.
Whereas, this proposed reducing
is only one of several actual reduc
tons of weekly earnings sustained
by the navy yard employees since the
signing of the armistice. bringing the
weekly earnings for skilled mechanics
is $144S per week less than the mini
mum required to support family of
five in health and decency as deter
mined by the Department of Labor. or
$14 per week below the figure neces-
sary to maintain a family of FIVE in
accordance with prewar standards OBJ
tanning for navy yard mechanics;
therefore, be it
Resolved, That We, the members
of Columbia lodge ia, l. A. of NJ, in
mass meeting assembled. September
IL, 1921. hereby earnestly and en-
phatically protest against this APP
parent disregard of previous govern
mental policies. unjust Interpretation
of the wage law and disregard of facts
and figures favorable to the employees;
and
Resolved, That We call upon the
President of the United States to di-
commensurate with the facts as here
in set forth or at least allow the pres
ent scale to remain in effect until the
cost of living is actually reduced,
which the wage board has admitted is
abnormally high and on the increase.
and thus carry out the real wishes of
the masses of the people of the United
States as against the insistent and
well,defined plans of minorities of our
population who desire apparently to
see the wage Garner reduced to power
ty. want and subserviency; and be it
Resolved, That our protest and the
detailed reasons therefore be given
publicity throughout the United States
in order that the workers of the ma
ton and the public at large may know
the real injustices which are being
upon navy yard employees
under the guise of economy: and be
it further
Resolved. That copies of these res
olutions be sent to the President of |
the United States. members of the !
cabinet, to the Speaker of the House
Of Representatives and the President
of the United States Senate"