Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-02
WORKERS PROPOSE
MACHINERY REPAIR
TO FORESTALL CUT
Navy Yard Forces of U. S.
Face Reduction-400
Affected Here.
ADM. LEAHY CONSIDERS
SUGGESTED PROGRAM
Slash Announced as Result of Fill
ing of Orders, Not Because
of London Treaty.

A delegation Of labor leaders, headed
by N. p. Alias. president of Distric'
No. A. of the International Association
Of Machinists, called today on Rear Ad'
miral william D. Leahy, chief of the
Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Department
and suggested to him that the threat
ened lay-off at the Washington Navy
Yard might be avoided through the re-
pairing of the machinery necessary u
Inodernize the battleshipS Mississippi
New Mexico and Idaho and the manu-.
facture of 14-inch shells. Adm1ra
Ieahy is sympathetic with the program
Of the workers to avoid lay-ots anc
has taken the suggestions under ADVISE
ment.
Alias explained that the machinery
has been under q heavy work load since
the program for beginning the con-
struction of ordnance for the II
cruisers was started. The workers be-
lieve that by having this machinery
overhauled at this time, prospective lay
offs might now be stayed.
House Bill May Save Workers.
There is some prospect, in the
opinion of the labor leaders, OF the
House naval committee reporting out
of the three battleships Mississippi, New
Mexico and Idaho without interfering
with the provisions of the newly signed
naval treaty. If this authorization Is
enacted into law the labor chiefs believe
that it might be possible to take back
some of the men and avoid future re-
duction. The present force at the
washington Navy Yard is based on the
program contemplating the conStruc-
ton of is new 10,000-ton cruisers and
Atlas explained that If this is to be
done the present force would remain
intact
A large amount Of auxiliary could be
done at the navy yards, the labor leaoel
said, particularly IN the foundry mere
and the machine shops. Private IN
dustry has, however, he said, now OBJ
tanned most of this work, and the navy
yards have again gotten the worst
Of it,
Would Make 14-Inch Shells Here.
Atlas suggested that l4-inch shells
could be made here, as the Washington
Navy Yard is equipped with heavy ma
chinery and fixtures, and the necessary
equipment is at hand. At present, he
contended, this work is being done by
private industries. The Navy Depart
lnent has a shell-manufacturing center
at Charleston, w. Va, but it has been
imperative, officials in the Bureau OF
Ordinance said, for number of years
In the delegation of labor leaders
with Mr.. Alias were William H. Smoot
president of Columbia Lodge, No. 174
of the International Association of Ma
chinists, and E. d. Booth, w. j. Kline
and F. Licarione, who are members OF
the Washington Navy Yard organiza-
ton.
The decision to lay of 400 men within
the next 80 days at the Washington
Navy Yard gun factory is but part of
q general program Of the Navy over
the country, as current work is finished,
Capt. Yancey s. Williams, aide to navy
yards, explained today. About $50 men
will be laid of at the Brooklyn, N. Y,
Navy Yard within the next 80 days, he
explained, and In a short time the
Mare Island: Calf, Navy Yard faces
an appreciable slash in its working
force, due to the nearing completion of
two vessels there. About 500 men will
be affected at that point.
Oppose Hoover's Plan.
The workers are opposed to President
Hoover's plans to permit the building
Of two cruisers in private shipyards to
60 forward, while three cruisers, de-
have been halted. The private ship
yards are represented as having a large
stock Of work by reason Of construction
for the American merchant marine.
The suggestion put forward by work.
ers that metal furniture might be manu-
featured at the Washington Navy Yard
to tide the workers over the slack sea-
son found little support at the Navy
Department. The Nays metal furni-
fc q
Norfolk, Va, Navy Yard.
Capt. Williams pointed out that the
Navy has certain of its shore stations
set apart for various major duties. Al
the local yard, guns are manufactured
and repaired. At Norfolk and at Mare
Island, paint Is manufactured, as are
varnishes and other similar substances
At Portsmouth, N. H, electrical WORK
is done and at Newport, r. l., torpedoe:
for the service are manufactured.
There is no other activity that the
Washington Navy Yard might engage
In, other than the manufacture anC
repair of guns, turrets and other forms
of naval ordnance, Capt. William:
asserted, as Congress has not appro.
priated funds for the purchase Of ma
chinery other than that utilized in the
regular course Of the business Of CUR
making and repairing.
Layoff Due to Filled Orders.
Capt. williams made it clear that tn,
treaty on the limitation OF naval anna
ment has nothing to do with the layini
OF Of the 400 men here. It is due sim
ply, he explained, to the fact that tn,
Washington gun factory has now caugh
up with the orders.
The old guns from the o. s. S. Mis-
sissippi, now at Norfolk, Va, will Sool
be placed on barges and brought to tn
Washington Navy Yard to be relinet
here. This will not mean the employ
ment of additional men, however, n
explained.
The Washington Navy Yard now ha
its greatest peace-time force in history
Capt. williams said, the number nov
being 4,874 men. Within the last yea
there were /, 300 men taken on. Nov
1t Is necessary to reduce this force h
meet only the current needs OF re
pair, maintenance and upkeep" Of tn
Nays ordnance. This will mean tina
the local force will be pruned down +
the strength necessary for the operat
ing feet.
Mare Island Case Cited.
Illustrative Of the general condition
over the countryS navy yards, by rea
son Of the cutting down Of civilian per
sonnet, traceable to the reduction II
the Nays building program, Capt
williams cited the case of the Mar
Island Navy Yard. There. the new sub
marine VS. Is rapidly nearing compile
ton, as is the cruiser U. S. S. Chicago
Nothing has been assigned to Mar
Island TO take the place Of these vessels
soon to leave the ways. The cut Their
viii probably begin in July and a grad
NJ iax.oR VIII continue until aR0A