The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-06
RIVALRY OF WORKINGnEN
Local Building Trades Unions
Likely TO Come Together.
Encouraging Progress of the Com
mittees Appointed to Settle Their
Dinerences-The origin of Their
Contention - Opposition to the
knights of Labor to Be Pat Aside.

The members Of the local building trades
unions are pleased over the probable adj
iustment of the differences which have ex-
1 listed among them for a long time.
The progress made by the committees
appointed by the two factions, at the con-
ference held last week, gives ground for
the belief that the troubles will be AMIGA
bly, settled. and that before long the
members Of the different unions will be
working tremendously together.
The settlement of the present troubles
Will have farther-reaching effect than
the mere bringing together of the two con-
tending bodies which composed the old
Building Trades Council According to the
terms of the agreement which the con-
ferees have submitted to the unions COM
posing the two factions Of the building
trades, there is no prohibition, of knights
of Labor organizations being admitted to
full membership with the same privileges
and benefits as trades union bodies
When the first council of the building
trades was formed in the District in 1885,
it was composed of both trades unions and
Knights OF Labor assemblies. The trou-
BILE which grew out OF the beer boycott
in the spring of 1896, however, resulted in
the withdrawal OF the Knights OF Labor
assemblies. Soon after this some time
in December Of the same year. the Build
ing Trades Council, composed entirely OF
trades unionist organizations, adopted a
resolution prohibiting the admission of any
Knights of Labor assembly to membership.
Two or three years later an effort was
made to rescind this action, but II failed.
As a matter of fact, the disruption of the
Building Trades Council, in March last,
the result of heated discussion in
relation to the admission OF an organlZa-
ton which, ii was alleged, was affiliated
with the knights of Labor One faction
contended that the organization was con-
nected with the knights of Labor, while
the other claimed it was not. 1t is, how
ever, recognized as a fact that two or
three of the most important of the build
| ing trades organizations are affiliated with
the Knights OF Labor, and il is not made
clear how the building trades can co-oper-
ate successfully without being in friendly
touch with these assemblies. The friend
" relations which have existed between
the four organizations Of carpenters, two
of which are trades unions and two
Knights of Labor assemblies, is pointed to
as one of the beneficial results of the
close cooperation Of local building trades.
During all the trouble which has existed
between other labor organizations in the
District, the carpenters. though having
different national affiliations, have main
tanned friendly relations. The success at
tanned by the carpenters, 1t is claimed, can
be gained by other building trades under
the same plan of friendly cooperation.
The plan formulated for the settlement
of the differences Of the two factions OF
the building trades will be submitted at
the meetings to be held tomorrow night,
and from what has been said by the lead
thprp ig douhf that the NJ
agreement will be accepted In that event
It will only remain for the Inherent unions
composing each faction 10 endorse the
agreement.