Evening star., 1937-03-05
NAVY DEPARTMENT
TO DROP WORKERS
IN MANY YARDS
Layoff Over Country Will Be
Gradual and Over Iona
Period.
800 TO BE Affected
IN CAPITAL ON MAY |
Labor Leaders Indicate Assistant
Secretary Edison Will Hear
Vigorous Protest.

Thousands Of navy yard workmen
over the Nation will lose their Jobs.
due to the descending curve of en-
ployment on construction. the Navy
Department disclosed yesterday, in
saying that 300 workers at the WASH
ington Navy Yard will be laid of May
1. Ohicials made it clear that the
lay-off over the country will be grad
ual and extend over a long period,
with the indication that more work.
ers will be dropped here later as work
slows down.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Charles Edison, who has charge Of
navy yards, will hear a vigorous pro-
test from labor leaders, they indicated
yesterday. The Navy is blaming the
failure Of Congress to pass the S225,-
100000 naval auxiliary construction
measure for the lessening of the work
load, which officials insist was fore
seen a year ago.
Rear Admiral Harold r. Stark, chief
Of the Bureau of Ordnance, Navy De-
partment, announced the lay-of OF
300 here to the Secretary's round
table conference of his bureau chiefs
yesterday Officials were unable to
give definite figure representing the
total lay-off all over the country, but
said that it would amount to thou
sands" as time goes on. Boston, Mass;
New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk. Va;
Charleston, S. c., and Mare Island.
Calf. will be affected in varying de-
grees by the lay-offs.
Lack Bidders for Work.
The slackening of employment at
the navy yards is blamed. in part. on
the inability of the service to secure
needed construction materials, due to
the lack Of bidders on these essentials,
condition that is attributed to the
Walsh-Healey 40-hour- -workweek leg
islation. Had the keels Of six destroy
ers and three submarines. to be built
at navy yards, been laid on time.
through the securing Of steel on sched-
ule, the work load could have been so
arranged as to save the jobs OF many
of these men who now face the loss
of their pay envelopes, the officials
contended.
The prospective construction OF two
new battleships will afford little i'm
mediate relief, officials said. Money for
these must be secured from Congress
before the Navy can 60 into produc-
ton on them and detailed plans Gre
ated.
N. P. Alifas, president OF District
No. A, International Association OF
Machinists, and its general legislative
agent and chairman of the Legislative
Committee of the Metal Trades De-
partment of the American Federation
of Labor, said that he and his COL
leagues will take the lay-off problem
I'D with Congress. as we'll as with the
NAVY Department. He blamed the
lay-offs in some measure upon the
Nays letting out the jobs for engines
for submarines and ships boilers to
private contractors, instead Of building
them in the Governments own yards.
Favors More Construction.
Alifas wants the Government to
place the men to be laid off on pre-
ferred employment lists; transfer those
available to other jobs in Government
establishments, and to make provision
for no repetition of this problem in
the future He favors the construc-
ton of more naval vessels in navy
yards, instead of letting out the jobs
to private concerns BY this placing
of contracts with outside firms. Alifas
contended, the Government has to lay
off men in its own navy yards. Dis
charges can be avoided, he asserted,
If the Government will only do more
work in its own plants. he said.
The naval auxiliary construction
program comprises the building Of
destroyer tenders, store ships,
hospital ship. repair ships. l oiler,
IS minesweepers, / minelayer. 4 sea-
plane tenders, Z patrol plane tenders.
survey ship. l submarine tender and
10 feet tugs. Congress has thus far
failed to pass this measure, although
naval officials insist that the present
and prospective lay-offs we're foreseen
IL months ago, because Of the antici-
pated dropping of Of the work load.
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