The Washington herald., 1921-09-12

presented by the employees repre-
ployers were paying 30 cents an
being the average first class rate
in many localities; and
Whereas, the Secretary Of the
Navy, acting upon the recommenda-
ton of the wage board, acknowl-
edged that:
l. II wages were to be set in
accordance with the increase in the
cost of living as compared with the
prewar costs, mechanics would be
entitled at the present time to
about 30 cents per hour.
2. Many private employers are
still paying rates OF 80 cents per
hour and over.
3 The cost Of living is now on
the upward trend; and
Grants Only 81 Cents an Hour.
Whereas, Notwithstanding the
fair and just attitude which the
government las usually heretofore
manifested in the setting Of wages,
and the facts which the workmen's
representatives presented in support
of their claims. the Secretary OF the
Navy rendered a decision granting
only 73 cents per hour as a maxi
mum 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 repre-
| sented an increase in the cost OF
living amounting to eighty per cent
above that level; and
Ea
prime reasons which prompted the
putting into effect of this drastic
cut in wages were:
]. The desire of the administra-
tion to economic in government
expenditures: and a Willingness TO
follow the methods of certain pri-
vate employers who are treating la
Dor as a commodity to be purchased
at the lowest price obtainable even
though the department thereby
makes IL impossible to maintain
prewar standards Of living.
.. The insistence on the part Of
some members of Congress that rig
| orous economies be put into effect
with a view to make a record for
economy with the same object in
view as hereinbefore stated: and
Means sI4.4s Reduction.
Whereas, the commandant of the
Washington Navy Yard approved a
recommendation of eighty cents per
hour for first-class mechanics, which
Recommendation was supported by
data collected by the local wage
board. which recommendation has
been arbitrarily decreased by the
department to seventy-three cents
per hour; and
whereas, this proposed reducing
Is only one of several actual reduc-
ings Of weekly earnings sustained
by the navy yard employees since
the signing OF the armistice, bring
ing the weekly earnings for skilled
mechanics down to the $3.50 per
week, which is sI4.4S per week less
than the minimum required to sup
port a family OF FIVE in health and
decency as determined by the De-
partment of Labor, or slI.oo per
week below the figure necessary to
maintain a family of hve in accord
ance with prewar standards obtain
Ing for navy yard mechanics. There
fore, be it
Protest to Harding.
Resolved, That we. the members
of Columbia Lodge ia. I. A. of NJ,
in mass meeting assembled, hereby
earnestly and emphatically protest
against this apparent disregard OF
previous governmental policies. un-
just 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 III
/ ha
schedule commensurate with the
facts as herein set forth or at leas,
allow the present 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 apparent.
ly to see the wage Garner reduced
to poverty, want ana subserviency
and be IL
Resolved, That our protest and
the detailed reasons therefore bs
given publicity throughout tn,
United States in order that the
workers of the nation and the pub.
lie at large may know the ,real
injustices which are being imposed
upon navy yard employees under
the guise of economy: and be Il
further.
Resolved, That copies of thes,
resolutions be sent to the Presi.
dent, members of the Cabinet. 20 tho
Speaker Of the House of Represen.
tatives and the President Of tn,
\ United States Senate.
HRBERT p. LEEMAN.
President. Columbia Lodge No. ia
Il r. Z. JANSON.
IL Recording Secretary.