The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, December 27, 1917, Page 3

SHIP PLANS HALT FOR LACK OF MEN AND LABOR WARS Vice Chairman of Board Declares Industry Neds 200,000 to 300,600 More Men. SENATE BOARD INTERESTED Question of Conscription of Labor ‘Comes Up—Stevens Op- +/+ pises Plan Warmly. ‘Washington, D. C., Dec.\:27.—Labor, troubles were blamed for much of the delay in the-governments shipbuilding program by Raymond B. Stevens, vice chairman of the shipping board, testi- fying Wednesday in the senate com- merce committee's investigation. Since the United States’ went to war, Mr. Stevens said, ship yards have | lost a total’ of 536,992 working days , by strikes and other disputes. This he figured, represents the work of 20,- 00 men for a month. Happily, said Mr. Stevens, the situation is improv- ing by reason of measures taken by the board to adjust the differences. Senators Interested. Senators took a lively interest in the story of the labor situation and the inquiry turned ‘to the whole sub- Ject of labor and its position during the war. Questions as to the wisdom of conscription of labor for shipyards and other government work drew from Mr. Stevens emphatic opposition to any attempt to force civilians to/ work under prescribed conditions and government fixed wages. ——, Telling of the board's work in estab- lishing, with the aid of the labor de- partment, employment agencies on the pacific coast, Mr. Stevens said that with their institution also inthe east the board hoped to obtain from other industries as many men as it! needs. He added that an appropria-| tion would be néeeded to provide hous- ing. facilities at isolated, plants. Many Men Needed. “The number of men_ should. ac- tually be more than doubled,” said he, “if, we are to accomplish our full aims. Roughly there now are about 150,000 men engaged in shipbuilding. We. could use from 200,000 to 300,000; more. - We are obtaining new men gradually now. and hope to_ obtain them much faster later on. Recently 106, yards reported they. could use im- mediately 20,000 more men.” Mr. Stev- ens’described a bonus system institut- ‘dd'in pacific coast yards’ and) said if it'proved successful an’ extension to ‘the’ east was planned. » “Ig that not an’ excess profit you! are paying?” asked Senator Nelson. ‘We do not consider it as such,” Mr. Stevens replied, “but if it will speed up the production of ships we think it is wise to pay it. What we are con- cerned with now is.the production of ships: and- if the banus -will help, ac- complish that it is worth while.despite the-cost.” The labor situation, the witness), said, presents a problem too big for any one department to handle. A cen- tralized policy as to the relation of the government to labor’ during the war, he said, should ‘be ‘worked out ‘Immediately. This brought up the dis- guasion regarding conscription. sane Labor Conscription. j “ Séiator Sherman’ ‘asked’ if it was’ fair or just to conscript men for the army and permit workers to strike for higher wages. Mr. Stevens said he did’ not believe conscription of labor could be enforced as the sentiment was too strong against it. Senator Nel- gon argued that sentiment had been against the conscription of men for the army, but that it had been put into force. “and,’ he added, ‘I think it was wise now, although I voted against it at the time. Sentiment may change 're- specting labor conscription, too.” Quibbling Over Prices. .. Asked if quibbling over prices had delayed ship constrifction, Mr. Stev- ens said he thought it had to some extent. ‘He told of the delay in clos- ing contracts for fabricated ships while Admiral Capps, formerly gen- eral manager of the emergency fleet corporation, was reducing figures ap- proved by his predecessor, Major- General Goethals. The delay, it was brought out, saved the government $15,000,000 in the contracts. Mr. Stevens took occasion to de- nounce a published charge that he had let contracts to a friend in New Hampshire at a high price. He filed with the committee a letter from Gen- eral Goethals, who. upon seeing fhe charge wrote that he negotiated ‘the contract in question soe that = Mr. Stevens had nothing to Go with it. FRANCIS STATES = _». BOLSHEVIKI LIES London, Dec. 27.—Dayid R, Francis, the American ambassador to Russia, issued on Tuesday a-firm rebuttal of the charges made against the Amer- ‘ean embassy by the Bolsheviki. He declared, according to a - Petrograd dispatch to the Times, that he and his staff never interfered with inter- nal affairs in Russia, no aided Gen- eral Kaledines or any other faction. WITHOUT INDEMNITY. Austrian Envoy States Terms of Cen- tral Powers. Petrograd, Dec. 27.—Count Czernin, the Austro-Hungarian foreign minis- ter, at the session of the peace con- ference at Brest-Litovsk Tuesday read a statement to the effect that the cen- tral powers agreed to conclude immed- iately a general peace without forcible annexations and indemnities. NEW AUDITORIUM Dunn Center, N. D., Dec. 27.—Dunn Center’s handsome new auditorium, in which it exhibits a very just pride, was formally thrown open during the holidays, with a Red Cross dance and @ Community Christmas observance. | ’ y ; ay BISMARCK EVENING TRIBUNE PAGE 8 NUDITORIUM Bismarck, Wed., JAN. 2 "Prices 10c, 15c:and 25c Matinee 4:00, Night 7:30 and 9:00 The Twenty Billion Dollar Movies HE SPIRIT OF 1917” Showing the Training of “1917 RECRUIT” The Soldier in the Making - Soldiers of the Sea--R The Business of Being in the Marine Corps. Teaching Our Boys to Handle “FIRE AND GAS” ady for the Fight Trench Warfare, Sham Battles, Etc, EVERY FATHER, MOTHER, SISTER, BROTHER--OF A SOLDIER or SAILOR MUST ‘SEE THIS GREAT PICTURE * TO THE PEOPLE There Is No War Tax to Pay THESE PICTURES EeRxeoas