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Show OAST SHIPYARD WORKERS' WALKOUT A , Navy Agrees to Increase, Provided United States Will Have No Share of Additional Expense. Labor Leaders Assert j Some of Western Com- j panics May Be Unable! to Pay the Increase. LOS ANGELES, Cal., Oct. 1. Shipyard workers of Long Beach, near here, will not report for work this morning, it was announced shortly after midnight. Workers at plants at Los Angeles harbor, however, how-ever, were hopeful, it was said, officials of tho shipbuilding companies com-panies there would agree to a wage increase by noon today. - TACOMA, Wash., Sept. 30. At midnight tonight employees of the Todd Dry Dock and Construction company quit work. The decision of the local metal trades council was that lacking assurance that the j shipbuilders would carry into ef- j feet wage increases demanded by the men effective today, a strike should be called in compliance with previous orders. WASHINGTON, Sept. 30. Strike of Pacific coast shipyard workers, threatened threat-ened tomorrow, was believed here tonight to-night to have been averted by an agreement agree-ment reached after an all-day conference confer-ence by which representatives of 'the shipping board and the navy department depart-ment agreed . to permit acceptance by I the men of wage increases, offered by j the shipyards on the western coast, provided the government would share no part of the additional expense. Notice of the conference's action immediately im-mediately was telegraphed to all shipyard ship-yard workers' unions and shipbuilding companies on the Pacific coast.' Representatives of the workers here were confident that tomorrow's walkout, walk-out, which involved the possibility of a strike also by workers of the industry i on. the gulf and Atlantic coasts would be averted. It was asserted, however, by some of those attending the conference, confer-ence, that the Pacific coast companies might find themselves unable to pay the increased wage scale, amounting to an average of about eight cents an hour for practically ail employees, without aid from the government, and refuse to grant the increase promised. GOVERNMENT WILL NOT SHARE. Secretary Dnivols and Chairman Pyne of the shipping board, both of whom attended the conference, declared emphatical'y that ihc government would not share in the payment of any wajie advances, this course having been decided on by representatives of the department and the board two weeks ago. v view of the president's appeal to the railroad shopmen for a true? and the coming industrial conference, the Iwo agencies last week agreed to continue in effect the wage scale and the working conditions provided in the "Maccy award which was to expire tomorrow. to-morrow. At the conclusion of the conference tonight the following statement was issued by the navy department representatives: rep-resentatives: "At tho resumption this afternoon of the conference between the heads of the federation of labor, representing the metal (rade-j, the navy department and the shipping board, it was represented repre-sented on behalf of Ihc wot-kn:en in the west coast yards that tile stale-men', stale-men', issued by the feet corporation and the navy that no increase in wages over the Macey scale would bo given for the present had been in tevpreh?d bv the west coast shipbuilders as mean- (CoutJuued on Pase 2. Column 3.) GOVERNMENT TO PERMIT HIGHER WAGE (Continued From Page One.) ing that the navy and shipping board would not only refuse to pay out of government funds such advances in wages as affected th3 cost of construction construc-tion of government vessels, but would prohibit the shipbuilders from paying the advances agreed to under a written agreement recently consummated between be-tween the builders aud their workmen, either for work which was not governmental govern-mental or out of their own profits in tho case of government construction and that the government was, therefore, there-fore, put in the light of preventing the shipbuilders from paying out of their profits increases in wages to their men on the west coast which somo of them had already agreed to pay. "Mr. Daniels, sjoaking for the navy, made clear that the navy department felt that it had no jurisdiction as to what wages should be paid where re- j imburscment was not to come, directly or indirectly, from the government, but that in conformity with the statement already issued, it was the clear belief of the department, as well as of the emergency fleet corporation, that the government agencies generally, following follow-ing the precedent established in the case of the railroad men, should not grant any increases until after a definite defi-nite policy had been determined at the coming industrial conference next week. The entire situation was thoroughly gono over, and at the conclusion of the conference the following telegram was sent to the west coast yards doing navy work, by the navy department: "The navy department will bo entirely en-tirely willing- to take up the wage question ques-tion in Pacific coast shipyards, where it has contracts, after the White house industrial in-dustrial conference has been held, but, in the meantime, can not pay or assume any increase in rates over the Macey scale now in effect." Chairman Payne, at the same time, directed that the following- telegram be sent to all contractors on the west coast j by the emergency fleet corporation; i "The fleet corporation takes the. posi- tion that, following the policy announced J by the president, no increase be author-5 author-5 ized over the Macey scale which is continued con-tinued in effect after October 1, unless j a change is authorized after the White i house conference and if shipbuilders, in the meantime, put any in effect, it must j be understood that they do so at their ) own cost, and the fleet corporation will not directly or indirectly assume or pay I any part of such increase." 1 All other matters under discussion were, j by agreement, held in abeyance until after : the coming industrial conference. |