The Washington herald., 1922-02-13
Proposes Remedies for
Unemployment in
Navy Yards. 3
WOULD HAVE U. s.
DO IT'S OWN WORK
Johnston Charges Bad
Faith in Discharge
Of Employees.

employees was put directly up to
President Harding last night.
In a letter to the President, Will
lam II. Johnston, president of the
International Association of Ma
chinists, described grievances and
outlined remedies. Four steps to
relieve unemployment in navy
yards, says Johnston, are:
l. Have all government arma-
ment of every description done in
its own plants.
2. Start work Immediately on
new naval craft allowed under the
i've power treaty.
3. Establish an agency in the
Navy Department to solicit the
necessary work of the other govern
ment departments and bureaus.
4. Give government plants equal
opportunity with private corpora
tions to bid on government work.
Favors Arms Limitation.
Mr.. Johnston's letter to the Pres
ident states that the machinists' as
sociation has actively supported the
arms Limitation movement with the
realization that its members would
be the first to suffer as a result of
cessation of naval construction. The
protest is directed not against lin
itation of armament, but against
tho method of the government in
discharging Its employees, the letter
states.
MI. Johnston in his letter says:
ITO our utter amazement we were
advised by employees OF many of
the principal navy yards of the
country that, without an hours
warning, they were furIoughed and
discharged by the thousands. A,
the yards proper, the reasons for
these wholesale reductions were
hardly known. But the newspapers
Indicate that they are the direct
outcome Of your orders to suspend
work on capital ships b..
Protests Action ms Heartless.
We therefore protest most en-
phatically this carelessness. this in
difference OF the part of the gov.
ernment to the welfare Of its navy
yard employees as well as to the
millions of workers already unem-
ployed. We construe the action of
the government in discharging over
night thousands of it's most COM
petenta faithful employees under the
circumstances prevailing as ex-
tremely inconsiderate. heartless and
inhuman. We consider that the
government has broken faith with
its own workers as well as the IN
employed"
The letter calls President Hard.
ing's attention to the administra.
tion's action in calling a national
conference on unemployment, a
which time, it says. responsible ad.
ministration officials gave repeated
assurance that the government
would take no hasty or arbitrary
action with respect to men engaged
in naval construction in contribut.
ing to unemployment.
should Have Found Work.
I'VE maintain that proper con-
Germ by the government for its EN-.
ployes would have anticipated the
likelihood of this emergency aris'
ing" the letter continues. I'VE
hold that it should have made ade.
quate provision to Nrevent it. But
no! Instead, 1t has been singularlJ
lax and apathetic. Indeed it has the
very arrogance to throw men Ions
years in it's employ out of service
on barely an hours notice.
I'VE consider that the govern
ment might long ago have made
possible the securing of work fol
the navy yards from other Fedora
departments and bureaus. We be-
lieve that it might have been moro
nearly ready with plans and appro'
priations for the new naval auxil
iary craft, submarines, airplant
carriers and conversion and scrap
ping program. 1t might at leas
have been prepared to go ahead will
these plans Immediately upon sus
pension of work on the capita
ships slated for disposal. 1t GER
tainly might have encouraged ant
assisted in attempts to secure worl
from the Army Transport Service
the Lighthouse Service and thu
Emergency Fleet Corporation, in
stead of opposing these efforts"
VIII Reinstate Old Employees.
Capt. ]. H. Dayton, commandan
of the Washington Navy Yard, las
night confirmed reports that tn,
cases of employees long in the serv
ice of the local yard would be re
viewed with a view to reinstatinf
them in their positions. Men will
comparatively short service will b.
furloughed to make room for tn,
| old employees, II Is understood. 1
was stated that the yard Is nov
fully manned to carry on the worl
at hand.
Pending the conference wednes
| day morning between union Off
cials and Secretary of the Nav,
Denby, local union officials ar,
gathering all data that might beal
on questions to be discussed. Step
were taken yesterday at a meeting
of Columbia Lodge ia, at Nava
Lodge Hall. Fourth street ant
Pennsylvania avenue southeast. t,
aid destitute families of furloughes
workers. President Jansen says tn,
local union will make. every effor
to prevent suffering as result o.
unemployment Announcement wa
made that a number of doctors ant
druggists had volunteered services
and supplies in cases of need.
Denies Favorfng Reduction.
Rumors that the union had evel
favored a reduction in personnel II
order that higher salaries might bl
paid were vigorously denied.
During a survey made the weel
| of December 16. 1921 union repre.