The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-28

CIey WORKED were Delng deferred
and how the surplus of labor in
some plants only gummed things ur
and decreased efficiency.
The secret testimony is so as
founding that some Senators,
hitherto opposed to a national
service act, are beginning to Won
der whether that is the only solu-
ton. Here are samples of the tes-
timony which has amazed them:
H. R. Gibson, machinist, in the
Mobile yard Of the Alabama Dry
dock and Shipbuilding company,
said he quit his job because IT
wasn't allowed to work" On one
occasion, Gibson said, he and
three other machinistS sat for
three days doing nothing because
a Welder wasn't assigned to help
repair motor foundation though
there were number of unengaged
Welders in the yard.
"That should have been a
seven-hour job" Gibson stated.
"Loafing like that was going on
all the time all over the yard.
You would see two or three men
standing here, two or three
standing over there, and two
or three more carrying on
conversation and not doing any
work. The whole yard was on
verge Of Il don't care'."
WORKERS TOLD TO "HIDE"
Does that run down from the
foremen to everybody?" asked
Senator Homer Ferguson Of
Michigan.
at runs down to the lowest
paid employee" replied Gibson.
I'm other words, they can see
that the management doesn't
care, and of course the foreman
says, GO off somewhere and
hide"
SIS there any talk about the
Government paying the bills, so
why wOrry?" inquired Fergu-
son.
"Oh, sure, everybody knows
that the Government is footing
was OAlC
Gibson said that Maritime Com
mission inspectors, who were sup
posed to check on production,
stayed in the office" most of the
time. When asked if the inspec-
tors witnessed the loafing, the
witness replied: Sure, have dis
cussed it with lots of them"
He told of overhearing yard
superintendent telling a prospec-
tive employee, a man about SO
years old: "NOw the gang I'm
going to put you in, won't do any
work at all. All you have to do
is go out there and hide"
Gibson said that a plan he had
submitted to the management.
whereby half of the companys
$4,000 workers could complete ship
contracts in less time than the
present force, had bene scoffed at
on the ground thai speeding Up
production would "demOralize the
whole plant" He said an official
told him: 1--WE have to look out
for a lot of guys who would lose
their jobs"
VISA MAN TESTIFIES
Harry Finck, War Shipping ADJ
ministration examiner, said that
time saving could be effected in
the Brooklyn yard of the Bethle-
hem Steel company and in other
shipyards in New York city area
by laying off two-thirds Of their
employees.
He said that, of sixty men as
signed TO deck work on a dry
locked steamship. AT no time
could I find more than five or
six working" They spent most OF
their time drinking coffee in the
crows nest mess hall. he added.
One night, about midnight, 10
riggers walked into the mess hall
and sat down, he said. When
Pinck inquired what they were
doing, one replied: I'VE have 10
haul seine lumber HD from the
dock, but we've got until 1880 this
morning, 80 we can take II easy"
When Pinuck dropped by the
mess hall again NJ $3.50 q, M, the
10 riggers were still there, when
the devil RTe you fellows g0iRg IA
get 10 work." he asked them, only
10 receive the same reply, "Ob
flnd We urgA otlnFg nOl Ia WOFPl