Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-03-06 | Page 1 | Hutcheson Appeals Direct to Wilson

filiTCra APPEALS OICTJO 118(1 Carpenter Head Fails to Get Approval of Plan for Representation. WASHINGTON, March 5 Failing today to-day to get the approval of representatives of the navy, the Emergency Fleet corporation cor-poration and the Metal Trades union of his proposal to put a spokesman of the carpenters on the wage adjustment committee com-mittee In shipbuilding disputes, William L. Hutcheson, president of the Brotherhood Brother-hood of Carpenters, announced tonight that an appeal would be taken to President Presi-dent Wilson. "If he does nothing, then we are through," Mr. Hutcheson declared, "and it is up to the government to keep the men in line." "Does that mean a strike?" he was asked. "How do I know?" was the answer. "They struck last time, and only returned to work in response to the president's appeal in the belief that the matter would be adjusted to their satisfaction." Hutcheson said there were j0,00u idle carpenters who could be put to work building ships If the work was available. He Indicated some of these men would find work in Canada, by announcing that John J. McGee of New York lias been of-i of-i fered the post of director of shipbuilding in Canada by the imperial munitions board, which asked him to furnish 50n0 wood workers and 6000 iron shin builders. "Mr. McGee has asked and received permission to accept tho offer," he added, "and the men he wants doubtless will be glad to get the work." Hutcheson asked that the existing af-eement between the Metal Trades union and the Emergency Fleet corporation corpora-tion be changed to provide for a representative repre-sentative of the carpenters, in addition to a general labor representative, who wa-s declared to be unqualified to deal, with wood working questions, because h!s experience has been ordy In tha metal trades. General Manager Piez. for thp fit et corporation, refused to consent tu the change without the approval of the metal trades unions, with which It was made. The conference today, in which Assistant Assist-ant Secretary Roosevelt nppeart-d for the na vv, d iscusscd the question for nearly eight hours, then adjourned without agreement or arrangement for a coniinu-a coniinu-a r.re of neotiat ions. 1'rcvious negotiations negotia-tions likewise, were unfruitful of result s, the striking carpenters havintr returned to the shipyards when President Wilson declared de-clared the war programme was being delayed de-layed and refused to see Mr. Hutcheson.