Evening star., 1922-11-16
navy YARD MEN
TO FIGHT PAY CUT
Recommended Reduction of
Cent an Hour to Be Pro-
tested Vigorously.
SAYS RAISE WARRANTED
Machinists' Head Declares Survey
of Conditions Shows Increase
Should Have Been Given.

Vigorous protest against the action
of the wage board of the Washington
navy yard in recommending a reduc-
,, tion Of l cent an hour in the wages
of employees there is to be Registered
with the general wage board of the
Navy Department, 1t was learned to-
day. Robert Janson. chairman Of the
shop committee. representing the ma
ehinists. toolmakers. instrument max
ers and diesinkers. is making prepara-
tions to file the protest. and will
point out that data collected by the
committee representing the men show
conciusive1y that the local board
should have recommended an in
crease, according to " p. Alias,
president of District No. ~. Inter-
na'lonal Association of Ma cflinists
which takes in men employed at ravy
yards and arsenals throughout the
1 country.
, SO far as reports We're received at
.he district headquarters they show
, that the Washington wage board is
the only one which Recommended a
! decrease in wages. The wage board
at the Puget Sound. Wash, yard rec
oInmended the present scale.
Strauss Heads Board.
The personnel OF the general wage
oeafd which Will review the recon-
meitdattors O.. all the local boards
! ana hear the arguments and receive
vas aunounced today. as follows:
Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss, l.. S. n,
, president; Frank S. Curtis. chief clerk
or the Navy Department. and A. j.
berres. secretary treasurer Of the
metal trades department of the Amer
of
the employees repl sentative on the
: board
The board held its first meeting to-
uay Tor the purpose Of organization,
and vii! start a corps of clerks tabu-
iattng the voiuninous data submitted
by the various local wage boards
Public hearings viii! be granted the
committees representing the various
trades. beginning November -. it
was announced. AID at that time
OF the local yard will appear to sub
stantiate their protest against the
action OF hte local board.
Wanted an Increase
Mr.. Alias conferred last nigh, with
NJ. Janson and other employees of the
washington yard. during which the
entire situation was gone over. The
I men. Mr.. Alias said. expressed great
/, surprise at the action of the local
board In recommending a decrease in
wages. when tae data which the men
eoliected at an expense Of more than
$1,000 showed that an increase should
have been granted.
The information in the ossession
OF the men. he said. showed con-
clusively that the board did not give
any consideration to the data Of the
class of work required Of machin-
| lists at the local navy yard.
Many OF the men are preparing to
quit their jobs at the local yard and
leave the city. he declared, because
the wages are higher elsewhere and
/ they cannot live here on the wages
; now paid at the local gun factory.
machinists such as are employed on
j the fine gun work at the Washington
| yard are paid elsewhere from S71.
to 80 cents an hour. according to Mr.
Atlas. He pointed out that the local
board must have struck an average
chin.sts and those paid the lowest
class. The work Of the low grad.
! machirists is not comparable In any
way with that required OF the men
employed at the Washington navy
yard.
Warns Men May Leave.
Mr.. Atlas warned that the men of
the local yard have reached the point
where they cannot stand much longer
| the strain OF constantly being h2rass-
ed by the fear Of either losing their
Jobs or having their wages cut. Once
these men leave the city and move
their families. he pointed out. it will
be next to impossible to get them to
| return, even in case of emergency, for
! it is too expensive to move from town
| to town.
! Employees of the local yard freely
expressed themselves last night as
| viewing the decision of the local
! board as ridiculous in the light of the
! data which they had at hand They
were almost certain they would ge,
some increase in pay, and pointed out
! that the action OF the local wage
| board will not help to improve indus
| trial conditions. They hold out the
hope. however. that the general wage
| board Of review will give due weight
| to the wages paid by private firms
and the class of work performed by
the employees Of the local yard. and at
| least grant them some increase, as
has been done by the local wage board
! in yards in other parts OF the country.