Evening star., 1921-08-04
ANOTHER PAY CUT
|SPROP0SEDF0R
NAVY YARD FORCE
Wage Board Has Recon-
mended Reduction of 5 Per
Cent October /.
WORKERS TO CHARGE SHIP
PLANTS BRING PRESSURE
Preparing Data to Prove Conten'
ton That Outside Builders Are
Trying for Contracts.

xEyluS 1OI COutIdGtS.
Reduction of per cent of the pay OF
all of the 1000 employees of the Wash
ington navy yard has been recon-
mended to the Navy Department by
the local wage board, composed OF
naval officers at the local gun factory
it became known today. The cutting
Of wages. If approved. Is to become
effective October l next.
Ia the face of this proposed reduc.
tion in wages. which Is an addition
,, to the two already actually taken by
the employees since July I. there has
been a daily reduction OF the force
at the local gun factory.
While the wage board. whose re-
port is made direct to the Navy De-
reduction, the commandant of the local
yard has forwarded a request to the
department that the administrative
force-that is. clerks and craftsmen
be not included in the wage boards
recommendation. However. it was
more hour a day be added to their
working period. This. 1t was point
ed out, is a greater reduction than
| the 5 per cent for the other employees.
Subject to q Review.
The recommendations of the wage
board are subject to review by the
board is scheduled to hold hearings
on the matter this month. The
unions and other employees organi-
cations. it was developed. are plan
ming to make strenuous n, night
salary. pointing to the already seri-
Gus decreases in pay which the en-
ployes have had to take since July l.
When the hearings are given by
the general board. 1t was learned
also, the employees will have many
interesting data to present. includ-
ing the Information that the pro.
posed wage. reduction is part of the
plan OF the eastern shipbuilders to
bring about lowering Of wages in
the local gun factory as Wen az
ultimate reduction of working forces
to the point where much of the Navy
work will have to be let to private
shipyard cencSactors. ~ ~ -
Will Take Rap at Congress.
1t will be pointed out that the
are being welded in an indirec, but
firm manner through their congress
men.
1t was asserted today oy those IN
close touch with local empioyment
test at the hearings, that the recon-
mendations Of the local wage hoard
do not Indicate that they complied
with the law in reaching their con, con,
clusion. The law requires the board
to take into consideration In form
ing its wage recommendations the
salaries paid for similar work by
private firms in the general vicinity
Of the navy yard: ine ah;c.s T1[K forca pea at
class, requiring as it does fine
grade of machinist work on the deli /,
cate tasks of gun building and and
board indicates, it asserted: that the
boardAook into consideration wages
paid to general mechanics ana dlo
not take into consideration the wages
paid high-class mechanics on the
The eastern shipbuilders at a re-
cent meeting, according to lnforma-
ton obtained today. took a stand
that wages in the navy yards OF the
east were too high, and at that time
decided to bring pressure to bear on
the Navy Department. through their
congressman, to bring about re-
duction Of wages. Such a reduction
il was asserted, would enable the
private contractors to reduce wages
and at the same time keep their men
from sgoing to the government. and q
Yards would make it necessary for the
government to place much Of Its work
outside, to the benefit OF the shipouiio-
ers, The navy yards, even with a higner
scale, have in most instances been able
to underbid the private concerns. the
Yards on all government work must
bid like private contractors for gov
eminent work, and most of the time
get the contracts. Ultimate reduc-
ton of the navy yard forces to the
point where they can handle nothing
but emergency work, it was asserted
in behalf of the navy yard workers, is
the goal Of the private shipbuilders.
Reductions Already Made.
Some idea of the reductions in wages
which already have been taken by
employees of the Washington navy
yard may be seen from a reading OF
the figures here cited. First the
bonus of $240 a year was taken of
then the closing Of the yard for one
day a week takes of 1912 year. and
the proposed per cent reduction
figuring an average wage OF $6 day
which is the way it is considered al
the local yard. will take on 1870 q
year. Figured on basis of 81;
WORKING Gays d year, liilo ohiouhSS ~
a reduction of a fraction over $1.9s
day:
Aside from these decreased earnings
of the employees, it was further learned
to-day that there has been a gradual
decrease in the number of employees
at the local yards to what is said tc
be the detriment of the efficient carry
ing out of the Navy work. This, n
was asserted, is furtherance o1
the private shipbuilders' propaganda
which will force the government tc
send much of it's naval work to the
private contractors. s---..-a
Every day, it was pointed out, some
shop in the yard gets a reduction in
it's force, amounting to date. 1t was
estimated, to about 500 employees This
method of furloughing only few
employees day is taken. according
to the information obtained, to de-
tract attention from a general cut OF
employees at one time. When the an.
nouncement was made that the navy
wards. would close down one day a
week, it was said at that time that
this was done to prevent a reduc-
tjon Of employees and thus throwing
thousands of people on an already
large unemployed market. However
despite the closing order, the reduc-
ton is continuing at the local navy
yard.
MADE DEPUTY COLLECTOR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.