The Washington times., 1921-09-20
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CABINET IS
ALSO DEAF
IN APPEALS

Consideration Promised by
Davis Fails to MateriaIize
At Meeting. .
President Harding and his Cab
met turned a deaf ear today to
the plea of 1000 navy yard work.
ers here and 10000 in other sections
Of the country for relief from the
drastic cut in wages ordered by
Secretary of the Navy DENLY. and
effective September 16.
~ ~ Completely Ignored
In fact, the Cabinet did not see fit
TO give any consideration whatever to
the s5,000.000 annually which has been
slashed from the incomes Of the Wash
fngton Navy Yard employees. .
Secretary of Labor Davis, who had
pledged a committee from the navy
yard that he would lay the matter be-
fore the Cabinet, was not at the Cabi-
net meeting.
the meeting. dismissed the matter with
Secretary of the Navy Denby, who
arbitrarily cut the wages Of navy yard
employees to a figure far lower than
had been recommended by the local
wage board and the navy yard COM
mandant. had nothing to say"
President Harding told newspaper
men that the question did not come
up at the meeting. He said most Of
the time was spent in devising ways
N x.tN r1t
the Government.
Postmaster General VIII Hays had
nothing to say" Navy yard en-
ployes here had been expecting him
TO take up their fight. in. the Cabinet
meeting. -
Hundreds Of workers in the Wash
tngton yard are seeking employment
in private establishments In order to
obtain livelihood sufficient to prop
erly support their families. Others
haves-been forced because Of the re-
cent reduction to abandon plans for
owning their homes, while many 9TH
ers, IL Is announced, viii be forced to
lose what they have already paid
down on homes purchased on the In
stallment plan. ss..E .a>'. y 4
The late action Of the Secretary
OF the Navy. 1t is pointed out.
cripples the local yard to the extent
of driving out most of its skilled en-
men who in the past sought employ.
ment there.
Washington business men and
bankers see in the reduction a loss
of approximately $5,000,000 annually
or 100000 weekly.
Numerous letters of protest have
been sent to President Harding
and members OF the Cabinet from
business men who have investigated
the matter.
Lansburgh Writes Harding.
Henry Lansgursh, Of Lansburgh &
Brother. who has long been In close
touch with local matters Of this kind.
yesterday sent the following letter
to President Harding:
Honorable Sir: knowing full well
that you as well as all of the dis
tinguished gentlemen who are Off
GERS of your Cabinet are fair-minded
and desire that full justice be done
to every loyal American citizen, such
as know are everyone Of the willing
workers in the Washington Navy
Yard. therefore I enter q protest
. against the reductions that have been
made In the salaries Of those who are
now working there and who during
the world war worked day and night
worked twenty-fouY hours a day IL
necessary to prove their loyalty 4 to
Government and help the good men
onu the other side to 60 forward.
never backward. / know whereof I
speak because / am personally ac-
quainted with the majority Of them.
II appreciate the fact that while
commodities have come down as far
Al piece goods and wearing apparel IL
concerned. I might say that the only
real reduction has been In sugar, but
10 q camouflage for those that have
lot come down.
Hard on Families.
"It would not go so hard especially
with those wha hove families to sup
port and who during the world war
could not rent homes on account Of
having their own homes sold over
their heads. thereby going out and
having TO purchase other homes at
profiteering prices by making a cash
payment with monthly rentals in or
der to have roof over their head. and
1 fear II fdrther consideration before
the final decision is reached is not
given to these good men, that they
will be forced to lose these homes they
have set up for themselves and their
dear families at q time when all
seemed sunshine, and blue skies from
shove now the future Is dark and
cloudy. rs .-
MAY ask at least until all com.
modities reach the level OF pre-war
pricesfhat the salaries remain as they
were, and II such cannot consistently
he done at least make II Within n few
cents per. hour of what II wasNorigi-
nally, and feel sure that II the-ap.
propriation already made by Congress
cannot meet this request that with
your fairness OF mind you will ask
that appropriation be made to cover
existing conditions
'verv respectfully. -.
-HENRY LANSBJJRGH."