Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-28
BOTH SIDES HEARD
DISCHARGE OF MECHANICS AT
THE FILTRATION PLANT.
The Men Declined to Work Thanksgiv-
ing Day-The Statements
Made Today.

Work at the filtration plant is proceed
| ing as usual today, and one of the superin-
| tendents stated that there had been ne
serious trouble among the LOO employees
except the discharge of ga few workmen-
about fourteen in ail-who had disobeyed
| orders by failing to go to work Thanksgiv-
ing day.
The superintendent said 1t had been sought
| s'to make a mountain out of a mole HILL
The discharged men. he was informed to-
day, had all secured employment on the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad terminal oper-
atoms.
The officers of the Sand Filtration Cor
poration of America, which is doing the
filtration work, stated In defense of their
position in the matter that '.Just before
THANKSGIVING dayaa petition was presented
to us signed by about forty or fifty men
asking for holiday on Thanksgiving or
| that we should pay extra for work on that
day. We did not object to their making
such a petition but we did object to grant
ing a holiday on THANKSGIVING. The con-
tract for our work demands that 1t be COM
pleted within certain time, and In order
to do so we must rush the work as much
as possible. If the government directs US
to do so We may be obliged to close for
time when the frosty weather begins. For
this reason We could not grant the men s
request for holiday on THANKSGIVING day.
AS a result about eioht carpenters did not
come to work on THANKSGIVING. and we
put other men in, their places When thew
returned Friday morning they protest ed
but they were given their paw and dis
charged. 1t would not be feasible for us to
have men work one day and stay away the
next. These men wanted the extra pay
more than they wanted the holiday, any
way.
1t is further stated that the company has
employed a comparatively small force of
| 49, f4v n1rc
During the fall it was not thought neces-
sary to work Sundays, and 1t is not likely
that any further Sunday work Will be re-
quired. Yesterday. however, between 100
and 200 men were at work. mostly car
penters. No concrete work is done On
Sunday.
When it was announced that Sunday work
for a portion of the force would be re-
ouired the company voluntarily offered ten
hours pay for eight hours work. but no
agreement was made regarding work on
holidays.
The Mechanics Make Statement.
A committee representing the mechanics
who left the filtration plant Friday made
statement of their side of the contro-
yersy today, declaring that the first reports
which appeared were ''garbled and mis-
leading They give as 1.-The true history"
of the case that ION November % official
notice was served that the men would be
required to work on Thanksgiving day. A
petition was circulated among the mechan-
les demanding an eight-hour day with ten
hours pay as condition for the men to
work.
1.-The petition. owing to the shortness of
time, only reached portion OF the me-
chanics on one alteration bed, but was
signed by forty-eight men.
tsRut few of these men. it Is stated, re-
ported for duty November "A On the FOL,
lowing day the men reported as usual and
all began work. After working nearly an
hour it became known to small number
of the petitioners that Mr.. Joseph Cook.
who presented the petition to Assistant
Superintendent ]. W. Lott was dismissed
for not having worked November "A. Nine
men {an petition signers). working within
radius of few square yards. II is further
stated. gathered their tools, went TO the
office of the company and demanded to
know why Mr.. Cook was dismissed. -
ron being told because he did not work
Yesterday the officials were Informed that
none of US had worked and under his rule
he had a right to dismiss us.
All We're Dismissed.
"Then we were informed we were dis
missed. e,. Il.
mot one of the forty-eight men would
have been dismissed, except Mr.. Cook, had
they kept on working. leaving mechanic
to fight a battle or suffer alone a fumilia-
ton for which we were as guilty as him.
self.
There was no attempt made to call out
the entire force. as has been stated"
The committee believes Mr.. Cook would
not have been discharged had he not pre-
scented the petition Of his fellow-workers,
and in conclusion says the deposed work
men have all secured employment else
where.