Evening star., 1922-02-27
BILL WOULD GIVE
D.,
. NAVY YARDS WORK
Union Officials Start Draft OF
Measure AIIocating U. S.
Contracts.
ATTACKS ADMINISTRATION
Machinists' Head Says Starting Up
of Industry Not Wanted Till
People Poverty.Stricken.

~s>eSSe~-
Preliminary drafting of a bill de-
signed to provide relief for the thou
sands of navy yard employees fur
loughed on account of the cessation
of work upon capital ships. included
in the arms conference limitation
cials of the metal trades unions at
a conference today at the American
Federation of Labor headquarters.
Completion OF the measure, which the
union officials will endeavor to have
introduced in Congress as soon as
possible, probably will be effected to-
morrow, it was expected.
The bill provides that all work OF
the government departments which
can be done in the navy yards and
arsenals be allocated to them instead
of to private firms. Its aim is to keep
the government navy yards and arse
nails in operation instead OF allowing
them to rust in idleness.
Refusal of the Navy Department to
agree to any of the navy yard work
ers' f1fteen-point program for reiief
submitted to Secretary DENLY thirteen
days ago did not surprise organised
labor officials. In fact, it was pointed
out by the union officials that they
had expected q nat rejection OF the
program, and they are not diSappoint-
ed In Mr.. Denby's reply.
Attack ON Administration.
n. P. Atlas, president of District
~, International Association of Ma
chinists. which includes in its mem
bership all the union employees in the
navy yards and arsenals, said today
that he did not expect anything to
become of the program submitted to
Secretary Denby.'
Il don't believe the Navy Depart
ment wanted to make any effort to
put the program intu effect" said Mr..
Alifas. THE administration does not
want to start up industry until peo-
pie are poverty stricken. On the
ing all it can to assist the big en-
ployers to reduce wages"
Would Not Aid Jobless.
Conversion of navy yards into in,
dustrial plants for the purpose of OBJ
tanning contracts fro"-l other govern
ment departments could be accom-
plished only at the expense of private~
would not be of value to the unem-
ployed, Secretary DENLY declarest in
his letter answering the suggestions
laid before him recently by Samuel
Gompers.
1T is difficult to see." Secretary
DENLY said. how the national unem-
ployment situation will be in any way
alleviated even if it is found feasible
to compete in the 'open market with
industrial plants on the outside. As
TO this 1 have very serious doubt, for
1 know of no industrial plant in pri-
vate life where such liberality is
shown employees, thereby increasing
the overhead. as in the navy yards of
the United States"
Moreover. the Secretary continued.
he doubted very much the wisdom of
artificially keeping up navy yards.
some of which must inevitably be
yards. thereby perhaps causing. the
destruction Of the latter" When the
navy yards are not required to main
tain the fleet. he said, they should be
abandoned or leased to private con-
Germs who may f1nd employment for
them.'
The delegation headed by Mr. Com
perS submitted program comprising
fifteen proposals designed to relieve
the situation of the men thrown out
of work.
SerapDang Up to Congress.
Mr.. Gompers' proposal that prepar-
atory steps be taken at once looking
naval craft which are to be elimi-
1ated under the new naval treaty
cannot be adopted. Mr.. DENLY said,
since that work will not be under
tdhSH until rdtlHcatlOnS nave been
exchanged by the interested powers
Even then. the Secretary said. it will
require an act of Congress to actually
accomplish the scrapping of the
ships" the place and methods of the
destruction remaining entirely with
in the authority of the leg .ative
branch of the government.
Work is under way at present upon
every vessel authorized by Congress"
for which appropriation has been
made. Secretary DENLY said in reply
to the suggestion that construction
be started at once on such vessels
as ''it Is deemed advisable to build. /"
1t would be idle. Mr.. DENLY declared,
to set up the proposed employment
clearing house in the Navy Depart
ment to provide the navy yard en-
ployes with other positions when
there is no work.
The Naval Secretary expressed his
sympathy for those affected by the
reduction of activity in na4y yards,
but declared that it was not within
his power ito continue in needless
employment those Who are paid from
trust fund administered by the
Navy Department"