Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-01
It is Practically Unchanged
From Saturday.
UNION MEN STILL OUT
CONDITION AT THE WASHINGTON
BARRACKS TODAY.
Several Colored Bricklayers Discharged
Because Of Lack Of Efaciency-
Effect Of the Strike.

The strike situation at Washington bar
racks is practically unchanged from that
Of Saturday. The union strikers are stu
out, with slim prospects Of their return TO
work. while twenty-three non union brick
layers started In this morning on the walls
of the main barracks building, which Is
nearing completion.
The men at work today are. with one or
two exceptions, colored men, One OF the
exceptions is an Italian who is said to have
started on the job as union workman
An officer of the Bricklayers' Union is au-
thority for the statement that charges OF
''scabbing" will be preferred against him
at the next meeting of the union.
"Will the union men go back to work
with the men now employed TO lay pricK
on the army buildings being constructed
at the Washington barracks was the
polnt-blank question propounded to the or
ficer Of the union.
mo, SIR" was the reply. They are out
to stay unless the colored non-unionists are
discharged. and / don't suppose that will
be done. The strikers are looking for out
side Jobs and several of them have secured
work. l understand. Even were conditions
favorable. 1t would be a hard matter now
to get together the men who walked out
two weeks ago. and have them return In
q body"
This officer also stated that there are not
fifteen fully competent colored brfckiayers
In Washington or within Il radius or one
hundred miles of the city. He explained
that he meant men who could do first-class
work. which would be passed and paid Tor
by bosses on private work. The nearest
point from which competent colored work
men could be procured. he added, Is Rich
mond. The local union keeps record OF
all brtcklayers and their capacities IN this
jurisdiction.
Not Up to the Standard.
As foretold by The Star Saturday. several
Of the colored bricklayers on the Washin8-
ton barracks work were discharged that
afternoon because they did not come up
to the government standard. Twenty-three
men went to work this morning. indicating
that the number discharged was three.
An engineer officer at the barracks
stated today that the non-union men at
work there lay more bricks man for man.
than did the union bricklayers who walked
out. He also said the present difficulty was
not a strike ordered by the Bricylayers
Union. but a walk-out of the twenty-eight
former employees on their own account.
The men used bad tactics and played
poor politics by going out as they did said
the engineer officer. IF instead Of walking
out, they had remained at work. they would
have shut the door against nom union men.
Eut by walking out they opened the door,
and the automatic action Of the civil service
law which executes ITSELF has solidifed
the non-unionists in their positions. Had
they remained 1t might have been made so
for Taylor that he would have
been glad to quit the job Now. instead Of
having the open shop at Washington bar
racks. there Is probability of having a
scab shop.
While the striking bricklayers are anxious
to have the strike matter referred to Presi-
dent Roosevelt. they have been advised
against taking such, step by their attor-
ney. Mr.. F.. B. Neg Smith, and therefore
there Is no likelihood Of the question reach
ing the White House. Taylor has been
practically eliminated from the controversy
now that more than twenty cofored nom
1nionists have been put to work upon the
walls. These men are all civil service ap-
pointees and the only question. therefore.
that could be presented to the President
would be that of the open shop.
Effect Of General Strike,
A general strike directed against the en-
ployment OF non-union mechanics by the
government would cause even the meat
strike to pale. 1t would involve so Tar as
the War and Navy Departments alone are
concerned. all the navy yards. engineer
the United States.
1t is not believed by unionists here that
the international body of bricklayers de-
sire to enter upon such a gigantic contest
with Uncle Sam. 1t is the opinion of con-
sentative union men that the only way to
unlOnize government employment under
present conditions is to remain at work,
because the moment union workmen t..~ow
down their tools and walk out they con-
vert the job into "scab"' affair. The
Washington barracks strike is pointed to as
an object lesson of this.
An official of the War Department said
today that should there prove to be a
dearth of competent brickIayers flor the
work at Washington barracks second
class workmen can be taken on as emer-
gency men and instructed in first-clasS
work until they become proficient.
precedent for this is pointed out in
the case of the Signal Corps, which in the
seventies established a school Of felee-
raphy at Fort Myer, and graduated many
operators for service on the government
telegraph lines because opera
tors refused to enter the service.
1t was stated today that the civil serv-
Ice commission might refuse. under rule
4. to allow the striking brfcklayers to
requalify should they ask to be reregis-