The Washington times., 1902-01-02
BRICKLAYERS
REJECT CUT.
Trouble Ahead if They Are
DOcked Today.
OPINION OF THE COMPTROLLER.
Pay for But Half Day on Tuesday
Means No Wages for New Year
Day-Possibility of Bringing the
Grievances Before Congress
Confident of sympathy.

The refusal of Secretary Root to ALLOW
the members of Bricklayers' Union No
half holiday, with pay, the day befor,
New Year is likely to cause trouble /
the workmen are docked when they lin
up to receive their pay today.
Before receiving their wages the brick
layers, like all other Government EN-
ployes, are compelled 10 sign the payroll
They will present themselves for thi
purpose today, but If they are docked fo
half days pay it is said they will re
fuse to sign the payroll, and also declin,
to return to work.
barred From Wednesdays Pay.
The cutting of their wages for the hal
holiday taken because it was just preyi.
GUS to general holiday will Also unde,
the ruling of Comptroller TraceweII. ba,
them from receiving pay for New Yeai
Day
The members OF organized labor are IL
hopes that the differences both at the
Government Printing Office with the
bricklayers. and with the printers at the
Census Office, will be settled satisfac-
torily.
Similar QIestiOns BefOre.
A member of Columbia Typographical
Union, No. 101. in discussing the troubles
last night. said that questions of a siml-
lar nature have arisen before. He spoke
particularly of the granting of leave to
the employees at the Washington Navy
Yard and the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing. and also of the restoration of
wages of the employees at the Government
Printing Office
He said that the members of organized
labor appealed to Congress for relief, and
it was granted to them in every instance
From this he concluded that the mem
bers of Congress. individually and as
body, construed the law differently from
the heads of those departemnts
May Appeal to Congress.
In the cases under consideration, the
speaker said, there was but little doubt
that if the trouble was not amicably
settled an appeal would be made to Con-
gress by the members OF organized labor.
As in every other instance of this kind.
he said. organized labor throughout the
United States would appeal to their Rep
resentatives in Congress to secure for the
local men the relief they desired.
No difference is recognized by the Gov
ernmert," a member OF the Brickiayers'
Union said, between per diem or tenn
porary employe and a permanent per diem
employee
Difference Between Workmen.
Comptroller Tracewell maintains that
there is a difference and that while the
latter is entitled to pay for hall holidays
the former is not. The bricklayers con-
tend that they are as much permanent"
employees as any of those at work in the
Government Printing Office and other de-
partments of the Government service. who
are allowed pay for half holidays.
In the event that the bricklayers do not
return to work this morning their
places must be filled by other mechanics
or the work come TO a standstill. 1t will
be impossible for the Government to get
other union bricklayers to complete the
work begun by the local men. it is said.
and to continue the work non-union brick
layers must be employed. If this is done it
is said a sympathetic strike may result.
If this should happen the matter will be-
come even more complicated than it is
at present.
Situation at Census Ohice.
The situation at the Census Office.
while not so serious as at the Govern
ment Printing Office. is very unsatisfac-
tory TO the members of local organized
labor. \ member of Columbia Typo-
graphical Union, No. 1O1, said yester-
day. in discussing the trouble. that since
the union caused the bill to farm OUT
the Census Office printing to be defeated
before Congress skilled labor at that Of
fee has always been getting the worst
Of it.
The talk to the effect that there is no
appropriation out of which to pay the
at the Census Office for half
holiday is declared by William NJ Garrett.
secretary of Columbia Union, TO be nom
sense.
IF Director Merriam was inclined to
allow me men half holiday and pay them
for it he could do So" said Mr. Garrett,
and that would be the cud of it, There
is no reason in the world why the en-
ployes at the Government Printing Office
should be allowed and paid for a half holi-
lay and the compositors at the Census
)dice debarred This privilege"
President Roosevelt expressed himself
dearly on this matter q few alyz age "
" Garrett said. and here s no rea on
yhv "Tetnry Root should differ rom
aa hs OF other departments On this
r3tt,l