Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-16
MILL WORKERS STRIKE
All Plants in City Shut Down
as Result.
QUESTION OF WAGES
EXPRESSION OF VIEWS OF LUM-
Der EXCHANGE.
General Effect May Be Serious Should
Lockout Prove Of Long
Duration.
QUESTION OF WAGES

Not wheel is turning today In the
eleven lumber and planning mills In and
about Washington, and the whirring ana
buzzing of machinery has been hushed I'M
til the mill owners and mill workers settle
their differences. This condition is due to
a general strike of the mill workers, which
was forecasted in The Star about one week
ago.
The men. who are members of Mill Work
ers' Local. No. 1103 of the United Brother
hood of Carpenters and Joiners of North
america, in pursuance to instructions from
that body, walked out of the several mills
yesterday, and their officers declared the
strike was on.
There are said to be approximately 300
men on strike, and these assembled today
at Building Trades Alliance Hall, on 4
street near 18th street northwest, and reg
istered at the office of their secretary.
The cause of the strike is said to be the
failure of the mill owners to accede to the
demands of the union for the equalization
of the scale of wages paid the several
classes of workmen employed in the mills.
The present scale is said by the workmen
to be unfair to them, as different rates Of
pay prevail in different mills, extending
from $3.50 to So a day.
D4dy x1dtc Del iOUS GncCI.
1t is believed by some Of the workmen
that the strike, If long continued, may have
a serious effect on the building operations
in the District. as the window and door
frames and other pieces used In house con-
struction here are largely the product Of
the local mills. The workmen also say
that when they called on the mill own
ers and requested that a uniform scale of
We ges be adopted they were referred to
the lumber exchange. and that body re-
fused to give committee of the union a
hearing.
Mr.. Lee L. Herrell secretary of the lum-
Der exchange and also mill owner when
asked today IL the mills were running. said:
Not a wheel is turning. The strike Is
pretty general"
Speaks for Lumber Exchange.
The mill owners and lumbermens side
Of the controversy was related to a Star
reporter today by Mr.. W. T. Galliher. pres
ident Of the Lumber Exchange Of the Dis
trfct Of Columbia. He said.
Under date of March 1, 1905. local union
No. HOB submitted to Mr.. Joseph L. Crup-
per, whose mill is at 18th street and Ohio
avenue, and who is member Of the Lum-
Der Exchange a wage scale and rules and
regulations for the use Of the label Of the
United Brotherhood Of Carpenters and
Joiners Of America, with which the mill
workers are affiliated. The rules and reg
ulations provided that all outside door
and window frames be milled and put to-
gether in union shops; all interior finish
to be furnished by union shops and to
bear the union label That all mills should
be allowed to handle all stock doors, sash
and blinds only except where the contract
calls for union labor, then such work must
be furnished by union shops and bear the
union label.
That no stock work be allowed to be
handled, only that specified in these rules
and regulations, and that the mill oper-
ators be granted until July l, 1903, to
work off all stock they have on hand at
the present time.
scale, were laid before the Lumber Elk
change of the District of Columbia. and
were referred to a special committee for
consideration. The report of this commit
tee was unanimously adopted by the Lum-
Der Exchange which report set forth that
the conditions already imposed by Union
No. 1103, and not imposed, SO far as the
exchange could find, anywhere else, GER
tainly not in cities which are regularly
furnishing large quantities Of work in this
city in competition with members Of our
association, have reduced profits to the
point where further curtailment means pro-
hibition of the business in Washington, and
also that the application of labor restric-
tions, necessitating a further Increase OF
expense. will put members Of this asso-
citation in unfair competition with dealers
are not and cannot be applied or enforced.
The Lumber Exchange therefore de-
clined to yield to the demands Of Local
Union, No. 11O3.
Subsequent to this action the rules and
regulations as to the union label were with
drawn and the exchange was asked to
adopt the wage scale originally submitted.
After due consideration, and in response to
this request, the lumber exchange adopted
a resolution setting forth that the wage
scale submitted by Local Union No. 11O3,
does not operate equitably and is not fair
to men of merit. That the members of the
lumber exchange of the District of Column
bia reserve to themselves the right to pay
employed.
'The mill workers yesterday morning
walked out of the various mills and the
strike apparently was on.
Declares for Open Shop.
"At meeting OF the Lumber Exchange
last evening the situation was thoroughly
discussed and the only alternative left to
the exchange. so far as the mill owners are
concerned, was to declare for the open-shop
plan, employing workmen without regard to
affiliation OF generalization with labor
unions.
1.-THE mills are closed for q provisional
period to enable the mill operators to adj
just their forces as above indicated.
1.-The Lumber Exchange includes in its
membership practically all the mill opera
tors in the District, employing about SOD
mechanics
1T is only fair to say" concluded Mr.
Galliher, that the eight-hour rule obtains
in Washington. and that the mill men are
paying in some instances higher wages than
is demanded by the union, and this, in view
of the fact that the competition they meet
outside of the city, Is based upon a ten
1ft,V dow md Inc- 20 Of