Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-27
WORK rs PROGRESSING
PLACES OF STRIKING BRICKLAY-
ERS AT ARSENAL FILLED.
Twenty-Five Non-Union Men, Most
All Of Them Colored, Reported
for Duty Today.

So far as the engineer officers in charge
of the work of constructing the army
buildings at the Washington barracks are
concerned, the strike Of the twenty Eight
br1cklayers who were employed there has
been broken. Twenty-Five non-union brick
layers. nearly all of them colored. were at
work on the walls today. Other mechanics
are applying for employment in place Of
the strikers and the outlook seems to be
that before the. end of this week a full
gang will be at work.
The Bricklayers' Union will meet tOmor-
row night and the Washington barracks
strike will be thoroughly ventilated. Should
the union decide that the strikers shall re-
turn to work they will have but five days
In which to do So within the provisions of
the civil service rules, as on August 1, the
non-unionist emergency men now employed
there will be placed on the permanent list.
This phase of the situation will be consid-
cred at the meeting.
Object to Taylor.
The only obstacle to the return of the
strikers is said to be the retention of Tay-
lor. the negro bricklayer. He is the storm
center, labor leaders declare, and they ex-
press the hope that the civil service COM
mission may find some irregularity in his
appointment, which will bring about his
dismissal before August l.
The civil service commission was engaged
today investigating reports that Taylor was
Illegally appointed. A statement was Is
sued yesterday by the commission that
Taylor's name was entered first on the
brick mason register for Washington July
l, 1903, with a general average of 100, and
that his year Of eligibility therefore expired
June 80, 1904. IF the regular official pro-
cedure looking to his selection and appoint
nent was initiated on or before June 30.
hn MIMIC uynl
in accordance with the practice of the COM
mission to allow the appointment, even
though his year of eligibility expired before
the appointment was completed" Other
wise, it was stated, his appointment was ir-
regular and would be revoked. The COM
mission has asked for a report of all es-
sential facts from the chairman of the
board of civil service examiners engineer
department at large, before determining the
case.
No Colorel Union.
The statement that the colored non union
bricklayers employed at the Washington
barracks may organize colored bricklay-
ers union is pooh-poohed by local white
brickldyers.
"Under the circumstance" said one of
the latter today, 1.-The national body would
not entertain such a. proposition for mo-
ment. Why, ii is absurd to degree Dor
dering on lunacy to believe that charter
would be granted to a lot of country work
men who figuring as strike breakers In
a fight we making for principle. even
though it be against the great government
of the United States. Should they be al
lowed to organize union then We might as
well acknowledge and announce to the
world that our association is a failure. But
there is no danger of such an organization
being formed and all such talk is the veri-
est bosh."
The statement that several non-union
bricklayers are working with union me-
chanics at the Washington navy yard may
also be brought before the Bricklayers
Union tomorrow evening.