Evening star., 1922-11-28
NAVY YARDS FACE
EXODUS # WAGES
ARE NOT RAISED
Highly Skilled Workers Ex.
pected to Leave for Bet
ter Pay Outside.
WITNESSES CITE CASES
OF CALLS FOR LABOR
One Tells of 80 of 40 Quittine
When Lured Away by In
creased Scales.

General exodus of highly skilled
employees of the navy yards and naval
| stations Of the country 10 be repIaced
by very inferior grade of me-
chahics' which will result in inferior
work. leading to the destruction OF
property and killing and manning OF
persons. was predicted at the hearing
before the general naval wage board
OF review today by representatives
OF the workers. The hearings are
being held to determine whether the
department shall approve the awards
made by the local boards Of wages 10
be paid the men during the calendar
year 1929
| Trained Men Leaving.
In fact. there were witnesses who
| testified that right now men trained
in gun work were leaving the yards
for higher pay on the outside. and
their places right now were being
taken by an inferior grade OF me-
chanics whom outside firms will not
| employ. Frantic calls. the wage
board was told. are being sent out
daily from navy yards in all parts
Of the country for competent me-
chanics and they are not getting any
applications.
Evidence was adduced today that
plenty of data could have been COL
f., lected by the local wage boards
which would have warranted recon-
mendations for a substantial increase
in the wages Of the men. and the
charge also was made that in some
| towns it is violation OF the rules OF
the employers associations to put in
writing the wages they paid the men.
Lack OF Plumbers.
James H. Higgins. representing the
lead burners. plumbers. steamfitters
cannot be found in sufficient num-
bers for the navy yards. He condemn
ed the methods OF the local wage
! boards in gathering data, and said
low him could prove that there WIS
ample evidence OF high wages now be-
/ Ing paid on the outside, and these
| are constantly increasing. He said
| that the men Of his craft had cor
| roborative Information Of agreements
among the shop owners not to pay
above certain amount per hour. but
that they pay more by making II up
in overtime. He said that men in these
outside shops were paid two and one
and that their overtime amounted to
more than their straight time. They
! were forced to do this. he continued.
| to keep their shops going.
Higher Paid Men Called In.
/ He also charged that many times
when the yard forces become crowd
ed with work. It is necessary to call
. in contract firms from the outside.
Firms working shoulder to shoulder
with the navy yard men on the same
| work get 4 scale OF wages consid-
erably higher. He cited numerous
| instances of firms paying s1.osk an
/ hour. including firms in this city. and
wages would be si12is an hour.
The mechanics are not going to
stay in the yards" he said. Even
now the yard officials are taking help
ers and making them do the work Of
trained men. But il Is going to come
back on the yard superintendents
and the government. for il will
eventually result In wrecking prop
erty and the Gripping. manning and
! even the killing of men,
None Left Of Forty.
James X. Chamberlain. representing
| the pipe filters and helpers of Brook
lyn yard. submitted data to show the
high wages being paid by firms in and
| around New York city. He said that
| the men would have to get out OF the
yards If an increase is not given They
| are leaving now. he said. He had
forty men under him in the BROOKLYN
! yard. he said. but now he has not one
| and they cannot get them. He SAID
! the decision of the general wage
board.
IF you do not give us the rate we
ask for" he concluded. I'VE are GO
Ing to leave you"
! Lawrence Geogehan of BROOKLYN
! said that the largest New York yards
had refused wage data to the men.
He, however. said that the head of
one firm informed him he would give
him a letter showing he was paying
was paying 90 cents. and two and
one fourth hours overtime. This en-
ployer said II was aeairns the rules
' OF the employers association to give
! letter showing the actua! rates and
| the bonuses.
Makes Plea for Raise.
Thomas Z. Sullivan of this city
made plea for higher wages for the
optical shop workers at the Washing
ton navy yard. pointing ont to the
DO&TQ tuc nlSu CudTdCleT Ol WOTk tney
do in the manufacture OF lens for peri
! scopes. gunsights. range finders. sex
tants and other naval equipment. The
shop in the Washington navy yard
! now is turning out the best optical
equipment in the world. he said, even
| better than the old blished optical
1 works which had optical engineers who
! had spent years OF study in Germany.
| He suggested. q rate Of 80 cents an
; hour for optical gauge makers, so
cents an hour for polishers and grind
ers and 20 cents for optical glass
workers.
/ c. E. Cross Of the Washington yard
pointed out that these employees
should at.least receive the same scale
as the men who make the metal parts
of the instruments, as the prepara.
| ton of the lens was vastly more TIM
portant than the manufacture of the
/ metal parts.
| Uaderbid Outside Firms.
G. H. Calbreath. Norfolk yard. point.
ed out that the navy yards had underbid
outside firms. which pay highe: wages
| OIL such work. and that II :he yard
workers could save the governments
| money they should at ieag, got the
| benefit OF son,e OF the ssvin4s bY