Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-17
SWEEPERS ON STRIKE
Employees of Street Cleaning Con-
tractors Quit Work.
DELAYED PAY and OTHER GRIEVANCES
The Employing Firm Proposes to
Get New Force.
MR.. DAGGETT'S STATEMENT

MR.. DAGGETT'S STATEMENT
| Downtown Washington was an unclean
city this morning SO far as the principal
thoroughfares were concerned. This con-
diton of affairs brought about through
a strike of all but thrty-eight of the one
hundred and sixty-fve men employed by
Contractors Daggett & Dugan, who have
charge of the hand work in sweeping the
city streets. The sweepers went out this
morning, refusing to take up their broOms
and allowing their little refuse carts to re-
main idle in the contracting firms sheds.
The men have a grievance, they claim. but
the contractors deny this and say they
treat their employees fairly and squareIy
throughout. Advertisements have been
placed in the papers for to take the
places of the strikers, the employers ex-
pressing a determination not to reinstate
those of their old force who banded to-
gether this morning and refused to continue
their work.
According to the men employed by
| Messrs Daggett & Dugan, the relations
| between workers and contractors have not
been the best for some time past. Matters
We're brought to a crisis yesterday, when
the contractors paid of one day later than
usual.
The men had expected their money the
10Th instant, and there was some grumblng
| Wednesday night when 1t was not forth
coming. They were informed that the
money had not been paid over to the con-
tractors from the District authorities. The
check was received by Mr.. Daggett yester-
day, and lasSAight the sweepers were paid.
| Strikers Statement Denied.
Just here there is a divergence in the
stories of existing conditions. The strikers
| claim that the employers held out S125 of
| every mans wages on the pretext of this
| amount being an indemnity for any fine
that might be imposed. Mr.. Daggett stated
| to reporter for The Star this morning
| that such was not the case: that the men
had been paid in full for their work during
the first fourteen days of the month, is
| usual when their pay envelopes are delv
| cred on the 10Th. He said they were under
| a misapprehension In that they were made
| to believe by some one in their midst that
! 1.23 was withheld for possible fines of the
| future, when they We're not paid to include
the work done the 18th instant a days
| wage being that amount The men, Mr..
| Daggett said thought they should have re-
| ceived the amount due for work right up
| to the time of payment, while the contrac-
! tors, not being at fault for the days delay.
| Were not ready to vary their custom of
| paving for the first fourteen days.
| The men, determined as to their posi-
ton, gathered in the little alley leading off
=,
| early this morning. where they met Mr. La
| Rue. inspector for the contractors. Through
| George Ewell. one of their number, the
| workers complained that this not the
first instance of delay in paying their
| wages. They made the charge. also,
| stated. that Sl.25 had been taken out of
| each envelope and held by the contractors
| to cover any fine that might be imposed,
| and lastly that they were compelled to
| complete the sweeping route assigned them
before 10 o'clock. They claimed this did
| not give them sufficient time to do their
| work thoroughly or IN manner that would
| place them above the possibility of a fine.
! In all this they said they We're treated nm
| fairly. As result of the conference TT
| OF the 100 men employed decided to quit
| work.
New Men to BE Employed.
Mr.. Daggett Of the contracting firm was
! notified by his inspector OF the action taken
by the employees. He Immediately set about
| to secure new men, and believes he will
| have ample help by tomorrow morning to
continue the street sweeping service The
| strike does not affect the streets swept by
machine, as that portion of the work is I'M
| der entirely different management.
I'VE did not hold back 81. p of the mems
| wages" said Mr.. Daggett today That
| statement Is absolutely false. We were
one day late in receiving money from
| the District government and consequently
! were delayed one day in paying off the
| men. The pay rolls were all made out to
| include the work of the 18th instant, with
! the expectation that the sweepers would be
paid the 18th usual. When the twenty
| four-hour delay In receiving the money
| came we did not think 1t necessary to go
| over the rolls and add in the work of the
| 10Th, that day would be included in the
| pay for the last half month. The pay for
! a day Is S1.25, and II was In this way the
men got the impression that such an
amount was being purposeiy withheld from
| them, in which they were imposed upon
| If We wanted to secure payment of fines
| We would take the money out of the en-
velope at the end Of the particular half
| month period, Very few OF the men would
| be fined, and it would be worse than I'M
| wise for to bother with Withholding the
| money as claimed by the men.
Men Grew Careless.
! None of the employees has been to see
me or Mr.. Dugan, they should. had they
| any grievance. Recently some Of the men
| became careless In their work, and failed
| to sprinkle properly two blocks along Penn
| sylvana avenue. The District inspector
| placed the blame upon US and sustained
| loss. 1t was clearly not any fault Of
| Dugan or Daggett. but of the men en-
ployed by us. We warned the men at that
| time that they would be fined in the future
! when such was the case AS q matter of
fact, all fines imposed of late have been re-
| mitted, as the men have shown vast i'm
| provement in their work. In regard to the
| claim that they were required to go
| the street surface allotted them by II
| o'clock. that is perfectly true, and, further
| more. Is just and not unusual require
! ment. Since July j each man has had less
| territory to cover, and they can easily
! sweep 1t in the time allotted.
| Lastly, | may state, there Is no law gov
erning the especial time that We shah pay
| our employees. We might pay them mont h.
| ly instead of semi-monthly, or we might re-
| turn to the old system of weekly payment.
| None of the strikers will be again given
| work
| Has No Information.
| Mr.. Warner Stutler the superintendent of
| the STRENGTHENING department of the Dis
| trict is confined to his home by illness, but
| 1t stated at his office today that moth
ing is known there of the strike beyond the
| statement Of the inspectors that but thirty
| six of the 165 men employed by Messrs
| Daggett & Dugan. the contractors went