Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-09
THE PLUMBERS FIRM
Strikers Believe They Will
Win Their Fight.
THE SITUATION TODAY
THE JOURNEYMEN WILLING TO
HOLD A CONFERENCE.
Master Plumbers Persist in Refusal to
Concede Demand-Views of
Business Men.
THE SITUATION TODAY

There is no apparent prospect for an i'm
mediate adjustment of the difficulty be-
tween the striking journeymen plumbers
and the Master Plumbers Association. 1t
is said the employers have not signified
their willingness for a conference and both
sides appear to be Strengthening their IA
ciities for holding out in their respective
contentious.
The strikers said this morning that if the
employers import men to fill their places
all the building operations in the city will
be tied up The building trades section of
the Central Labor Union held a meeting
last night and asked the Plumbers Union
to send delegates to their body for a con-
ference. The strikers say. as result of
this conference. the building trades prom
Used their support to the journeymen, and
said they would stand by any action of the
strikers in the present trouble. Officers of
the union state that the members are re-
manning loyal to the organization, and
there is weakening.
One plan of carrying on opposition to the
employers. and which has been suggested
b. the strikers, is for some of their num-
Der to take out licenses master plum
bers and VIZ! the journeymen as their en-
picyes. go into the market and underbii
the members of the Master Plumbers Asso-
citation. with the idea of forcing them out
OF the business
The employers say they are not worried
at all over the prospective adoption of this
plan. as 1t has been tried in other cities
and has been unsuccessful. Wholesale
houses. they say, would cut their own
Threats by selling material to such a COM
bination. and besides the strikers would
not secure work easily as they antici-
pate. The bosses also stated that they
would not interfere with the journeymen's
attempt to tie up building operations
should such a movement be decided upon.
The Master Plumbers Association, which
has membership of 80, is unit in this
strike. according to the employers, and
their work Is not suffering at present. but is
going on as usual on jobs that demand i'm
mediate attention. e
New President Counsels Firmness.
The United Association of Journeymen
Plumb ers and Gas Filters Local, No. ), at
meeting last night. elected Mr.. E. j.
O'Brien president of that body, to succeed
Mr.. j. C. DarnelI, who recently resigned.
On taking the chair Mr.. O'Brien made an
address urging the strikers to stand for
their rights
The strikers executive committee made
statement today setting forth the posi-
ton of the men in the present trouble
They denied the assertion that doing away
with helpers would increase the cost OF
work - per cent, and said there were sew
eral first-class firms. which were mem
berS of the employers association. that
nave iIO helpers LOT several years.
They stated that these shops did a great
deal of fine work. and it was performed
satisfactorily to all concerned.
Does 1t not appear strange" they asked,
how these firms received such large con-
tracts III competition, if they We're estimat-
ing on a basis of 81 per day. when other
bidders estimated at the rate of $3.50 per
day for the journeyman, and 81 for the
helper
Members Of the committee said the boys
should learn the trade as apprentices; they
should not work as helper for several
years and then be obliged to enter ap-
premiership from the beginning. They de-
MED the assertion of the employers asso-
citation that they had been mainly respon-
sible for the maintenance of the union, and
stated that the union is well organized and
affiliated with all labor bodies. The trade
they say, has been allowed to run down,
on account of permitting a large number
of helpers. These boys. they claim, are
not employed in any of the other trades
in the capacity of helpers, and they claim
il is not their intention to discriminate
against the boys. but to make provision
that they will learn the trade thoroughly.
They also contended that the doing away
with helpers will equalze competition.
Want to Make Better Time.
Furthermore" they said, I'VE desire our
members to average more time per year
than at present. Ten per cent of our total
membership work about ten months per
year ~ PEI cent aDoul SI5iil LicHtIiS, oV
per cent about six months and the remain
ing 80 per cent from one to six months per
year
They said there were about 300 appren-
tees and 80 journeymen and with helper
for each the total aggregated to 100 per-
sons employd in the plumbing business in
the city.
We are not discriminating against the
boy" they said we are at present learn
ing more boys a trade in proportion to our
trade. but We do intend that the boy must
learn; he must be kept in employ and not
laid off when We are. and 300 APP
prentices as at present with 80 journey
men is enough. The result will be less
people working as machines at this trade,
and more work and better mechanics"
The executive committee said it was will
ing to appoint conference with the master
plumbers if such was desired
An Architects Statement.
MIR w j. Marsh, Of Marsh & Peter. arch.
fleets. when seen by Star reporter today
il, reference to the plumbers strike. said
II do not wish to appear as antagonistic to
union labor. for / am not Our firm has
frequently specified union labor in our con-
tracts. but in this case I do not see how
the public or builders can sympathze with
the journeymen plumbers. If it were a
question of wages and time l would prob
ably favor the men, but since they are sat
isfied with these things | don't see how the
public can sympathize with them in this
strike.
Il do not believe In their attempts to pre-
vent helpers from learning the trade. The
union ought not prohibit the younger gen.
Grafton from taking up the occupation OF a
plumber. II helpers have been sent out to
do a journeymans work the union already
has remedy to~demand OF the employer
discontinuance Of that practice"
He said that last year there were not a
sufficient number of plumbers to do the
work demanded by the builders, and he
thought the trade was not overcrowded.
Mr.. Marsh hoped for an early adjustment
Of the difficulty. the strike would inter-
fere with the building interests of the city.
Regards Demand as Unreasonable
Mr.. E. s. Hutchinson. who was formerly
one of the largest employing plumbers Of
the District said he had ALWAYS been In