Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-20
A STRIKE POSSIBLE
Chances Of Trouble Between Boss Bakers
and Drivers.
Citi.ens May Find Themselves with
,ut bread Some Fine MOrninE-
How the Trouble Arose.

There are ominous .forebodfngs Of grave
trouble impending between the boss bakers
Of Washington snd Drivers Assembly, No.
1O46, Knights of LABOR, which. unless
prompt steps are taken by the former to
arrest 1t, may come 10 a crisis In the near
future, and strike occur beside which
that of the Anacostia railroad employees.
which has Just been settled. was not cir
cumstance. In the latter probably not
more than 1900 or $500 persons were d.
rectly interested. while In the case Of the
former hardly less than half the popula-
ton will. II the strike occurs, become more
or less involved.
A report. which is said to have come from
one Of the boss bakers Of the city. reached
The members of Drivers Assembly several
days ago that a movement was on foot
among their employers, who are organised
as the Boss Bakers Exchange. to black
list the members of the local assembly for
no other reason than that they are mem
ters Of society which Is affiliated with
organized labor.
At the first meeting which followed the
receipt of the surprising news, as told
above. the subject having been meanwhile
Investigated by Secretary Marin of the
said, to be correct, resolutions were passed
denouncing the movement on the part of
the boss bakers as "cowardly and un-
American. and pledging the members to
ing a general strike In all shops controlled
or operated by the members of the Boss
Bakers Exchange. II they persisted in
carrying out their threat. The resolutions
also asserted the right Of wage earners to
organize and protect their mutual interests,
and maintaining the unQuestionable right
or every citizen to obtain employment
wherever he can without having to be in
fear OF the black list hanging over their
heads"
Copies of these resolutions were forward
ed to the Federation Of Labor and District
Asse mbly No. &C. Knights of Labor, and
tndersed by both at the last meeting Of
each.
Members of the Boss Bakers Exchange
matter deny all knowledge of any such
intention on their part, but the drivers
maintain that they have good reason for
the stand they have taken.
AS nearly every driver in the city be-
lorgs to tie local assembly and each prac-
tically controls the route he serves it
seems almost suicidal for the boss bakers
10 attempt to carry out any such scheme
boss bakers own the horses and wagons
by means Of which the bread is delivered
to Gust omers but in almost every instance
the prosperity of the route is mainly de-
perdent upon the popularity of the driver
In most instances the latter are paid a
small salary and a commission, the re-
ceipts OF the latter varying as the trade in
creases Or decreases, and there is scarcely
single driver who cannot carry the great
majority of his customers to whatever
baker he may be employed.
Should such contingency as a strike
take place the drivers are confident that
they will have the sympathy OF the people
who are served by then1 and in this event
they would have the utmost confidence in
securing a victory.
A sudden strike of the drivers would
mean that not less than 100000 people in
Washington would be put to great incon-
venience On the succeeding morning for
bread. and those who keep in touch with
the trend Of events in labor matters and
volHed view the situation with much
alarm.