Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-12-02
THREE WOODWARD
F0REMEN OUSTED
Adams Says "StraW Bosses"
of Unemployed Were In
CIined to Loaf.

Three unemployed men, employed to
keep the unemployed busy at the Dis
trict woodward, returned to the ranks
of the unemployed yesterday when
George J. Adams jr., executive secre-
tary of the District Unemployment
Committee, discharged trio of fore
men, hired to supervise the two-hour
work shifts there.
Mr.. Adams Sai0 the men were dis
missed because they were inefficient as
straw Bosses" cid not carry out or
ders and were inclined to loaf on the
job. The ex-folemen say they were
let out because they did not drive" the
men working under them
Ernest F. Moss, 1853 Mount Pleasant
street, brother OF the late Judge Nc
Kenzie Moss of the Court of Claims;
c. c. Webster, els Maryland avenue
northeast, and A. P. McMeen, GIT
Eighteenth street, were the men ousted.
Prior to the opening of the woodward
last week none of them had a job
Yesterday they were summoned to the
District Building, after they had re-
ported for work at the yard, and
handed their dismissal slips by an at
tendant at the unemployment commit
tee Office.
Not Prejudiced, He SAYS.
Mr.. Adams said he did not take arbi-
trary action in the matter but released
them after a conference with other
bosses at the woodward. He added he
had no personal prejudice against them,
and would be glad to assist them to
find work of another order. "They are
good men, but not foremen," he added.
The foremen were ordered to see that
every man who came to the woodward
put in an honest two hours labor, Mr..
Adams explained, as he was anxious not
to indulge panhandlers, who would re-
gard the place as an easy spot to pick
up little money
"A certain type of unemployed man
must have a foreman behind him to
make him work" the unemployment
secretary said Il told our straw bosses
to see that these fellows were on the
job, or to get them out of the lot. If
we encouraged panhandlers to come
down there and sit around for wages of
Is cents an hour, Washington will be-
come Winter resort for buns"
Mr.. Adams charged Moss and Nc
Meen failed to keep the dilatory mem
bers OF their crews at work, and that
webster, who was assigned to the gate
to keep hangers-on from interfering
with the work, old not guard it properly
He said further that all three passed
much time conVersing with one another.
Says Men Were Hungry.
Moss said: Some of the men told
me they had not had anything to eat,
Do you think had the heart to drive
men like that?"
Mr. Adams comment on this was
that the men are now sent from the
missions and bring with them a card
showing how many hours they are to
work. They must do this labor before
going back to the charity houses to get
food and lodging. But, he pointed out.
the men get their cards the night before
and, therefore, are fed in the morning
before coming to the yard.
In reply to Moss statement that
there were only eight saws and 10 axes
to keep co men at work, Mr.. Adams
asked how so men could be overworked
with that number of tools? He said the
workers were asked to do only nor
NAL amount of labor, and that many of
them neither sawed nor chopped wood,
but carried logs and kept the lot neat.
Adams also said there had been
some criticism because observers
thought the men were not doing enough
work. He said he did not want the
public or the unemployed to feel that
the woodward was a dole, but that it
was organized to give willing worker
an opportunity to help himself.
Webster, who called the office of
Senator James Watson of Indiana yes
terday and asked for an appointment
to present the matter to him, today de-
clined to comment further.