Evening star., 1902-05-05
SITUATION UNCHANGED
PLUMBERS WILL NOT RETURN TO
WORK TOMORROW,
Statement Issued by Press Committee
Of the Strikers-Win Keep
Up the Fight.

strike of the journeymen plumbers the sit
uatfon remains apparently unchanged. Sat
urday last there was a conference of COM
mittees representing the union and the
employers association, but nothing was
accomplished, 1t is said. toward terminating
the trouble. After the conference the
Master Plumbers Association issued an
open letter as an ultimatum to the strik-
ing journeymen.
The letter states:
ITO those members Of your association
who are known to be law-abiding, sensi-
BILE and Industrious. and in the past have
not wanted for work and. who from the
beginning were not In sympathy with the
ridiculous demand of the strikers, and who
have been cajo1ed into following the lead
ership of the few labor agitators who derive
rich profit from the positions they occupy,
we have to say to you that continuing
means the destruction of your association,
the degradation of yourselves and the
financial ruin of your homes. 1t seems as
the weeks pass, and expressions are made
privately by Individual members of your
association that you heartily condemn the
present strike and earnestly desire to re-
turn to the means Of earning your liveli-
hood; that you have not the courage of
your opinions expressed privately, sufficient
to state them in the meetings Of your as
sociation. To those men in your associa-
ton who wish to return to work on a basis
or $500 per day Of eight hours, with a
helper allotted to each man, when, in the
opinion Of your employer, such Is neces-
sary. we have to state that your positions
are open to you until Tuesday, the 9th in
slant To those who return the Master
Plumbers Association guarantees protec-
tion and steady employment
In the event that you do not see fit to
return to work within the prescribed time,
1t is the intention of the Master Plumbers
Association to declare vacant forever the
positions you formerly occupied and to re-
fuse absolutely to employ you again"
Not Seriously Considered.
Referring to the letter, the press commit
tee Of the union stated today that 1t will
not be considered seriously by the Journey
men, and that not man of the organiza-
ton will return to work tomorrow under
the conditions stated. The letter Is only
intended to place the men in false posi-
tion before the public said member of
the committee, for the employers know
that we are more determined than ever in
the stand we have taken, as 1t had become
evident that the real object of the employ
ers Is the destruction Of our union. We
have refrained from entering into public
controversy with the employers, although
they have, through frequent published
statements. misstated theq position Of the
1ourneymen and distorted the facts as they
relate to the pending trouble
The press committee Of the union has is
sued a formal statement, in which it is de-
clared the question of the employment of
heipers Is not generally understood, many
being under the impression that If the
helper Is dispensed with q number of bows
will be deprived OF the opportunity to learn
a trade. The committee states that "the
nelper system deprives boys from learning
the trade, as not more than one in ten ever
become apprentices and graduate as jour-
neymen. They are kept as a source Of
profit to the employer. as It is the usual
practice to charge the Customer Journey
mems wages for the services of a helper
who Is paid 81 or 81 a week, These bows
after wasting that period when they should
De learning a trade, hopeless of ever be-
unskilled workmen. while others, with a
superficial knowledge Of the trade, work
for wages scarcely more than that Of the
common laborer. bzf75 sE"r0-
Declared to Be Vicious.
The system is vicious, says the COM
mittee, land the public generally should
commend the journeymen plumbers for the
position they have taken in opposition to
its continuance. The building trades fully
understand the question and are in hearty
sympathy with the journeymen plumbers
and will. doubt when necessary render
them effective aid"
This matter, it is said. will be brought
to the attention of the building trades dur
ing the present week, when the various or
ganiZations will take action
Ihe plumbers state that they are In
position to maintain the strike until their
demands are conceded, having the moral
support Of all the local trades and the
abundant financial backing of the national
organization Of the craft. They further
state that 25 per cent Of the membership
is now employed by those firms who have
dispensed with the helper or who, in the
past. We're opposed to the system and never
employed boys They also report that the
efforts of the employers to procure plumb
ers elsewhere have failed: that notwith-
standing liberal inducements, but three out
side journeymen are employed
The plumbers say that it is impossible
for the employers to get help from other
cities, as all members of the craft are en-
ployed under conditions as favorable as
have prevailed in this city.