Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-27
TRADE UNION men
RETURN To- WORK
Building Operations Throughout
City Resumed Today.
MOVE TO SETTLE STRIKE
Arbitration Committee of Five Men,
bers to Be Appointed.
QUESTION AFFECTS PLUMBERS
Agreement Was Not Forced, It is De-
clared, and Means Victory
for Neither Side.

Work was resumed today. so far as the
rainy conditions would permit, on most OF
the unfinished buildings in the District by
all Of the journeymen builders, except the
plumbers. These trades had been on
strike for some time In sympathy with the
locked-out plumbers, and for other reasons
which have been stated heretofore by rep
resentatives OF the several unions Involved
The credit of bringing about this harmo-
Nous condition and the resumption of build
ing operations is due, in large measure, to
the Master Builders Association, incor-
porated of which Mr.. James l.. Marshall Is
president and the Original Master Build
ers' Association, of which Mr.. Charles A.
Langley is the presiding officer. These
gentlemen and their associates were gen.
orally congratulated today on the result
of their efforts in unraveling the tangled
skein which had threatened serious results
to the building industry of the District at
the most important and crucial period OF
the construction season.
The happy issue. which, it Is said. Will
terminate in the settlement of the differ
ences between the master plumbers ana
the locked-out journeymen of that craft.
came after a protracted conference last
night. which continued from 3 o'clock in
the afternoon to midnight
Inc COHIeTtes were Etpl SSShtdtiNCo VI the
two associations of master builders. those
OF the Building Trades and the Master
Plumbers Association.
Basis of Settlement.
AS the result of the meeting the follow
ing resolutions were adopted: THAT the
Master Plumbers Association and the Jour-
neymen Plumbers Association should sub
NIT their differences to a board of arbitra-
ton consisting of five disinterested busi-
ness men. two to be selected by the Master
Plumbers Association. two by the Journey
men Plumbers Association and the fifth to
be selected by the above four. whose deci-
sion shall be binding on both parties.
Pending the decision of the arbitrators.
all the trades except the journeymen
plumbers shall return to work Immediately.
THE first business of the arbitration
board shall be to decide whether the jour-
neymen plumbers will or will not return to
work pending the final decision of the arbi-
These resolutions have been agreed upon
by both parties.
Signed JAMES L. MARSHALL.
Pres Master Builders Association. Inc.
CHARLES A. LANGLEY,
pres. Original Master Builders Assn.
JAMES F. MURTAUCH.
chairman Representative Bldg. Trades.
GEORGE C. HOUGH.
SEC. Joint Master Builders Ass'ns.
JOHN ]. PURCELL.
'Sec. Representative Building Trades"
Members Of Board Appointed.
The master plumbers will hold a meeting
at 4:3O o'clock this afternoon. 1t is I'M
derstood, at which time they will select the
two members who will represent their In
terests on the board of arbitration.
The executive board of the Journeymen
Plumbers Union held a meeting today at
their headquarters in the Corcoran build
ing and named two members of the board
nP arbitration Thew also decided not to
announce the names of the arbitrators until
they are presented to Mr.. James L. Mar
shall, who. with the president OF the Orig
inal Master Builders Association, Will name
the fifth member.
It is expected that a meeting of the board
of arbitration may be held tomorrow.
Victory for Neither Side.
The agreement was reached after the
adoption of the above that the striking
bricklayers and others of the building
trades except the plumbers would resume
work this morning pending the settlement
OF the differences between the master
plumbers and the 1ourneymen by the arbi-
tration board as proposed in the resolutions.
Master builders today denied the published
statement that the result of the confer
journeymen plumbers. 1t was also denied
that the master plumbers persistently re-
fused all oyertures of the master builders
and that they were forced to yield by
1t Is not denied that the meeting was
rather strenuous one, but the Importance
OF the matter under consideration demand
ed careful treatment. Practically all the
building operations I'm the District were tied
up and the master builders had reached
stage in the proceedings where action was
necessary to prevent great financial loss to
themselves, to the real estate dealers and
owners of partly constructed buildings.
1t is conceded that result of the forth
coming arbitration of the differences be-
tween the plumbers and master plumbers
will be the establishment of a working
code that will be fair and just to both
sides of the controversy and to the pub
lie. AS matters stood Saturday 1t is said
the outlook for such outcome was re-
mote indeed.
That those who were parties to the con-
ference last night meant business Is shown
by the fact that they braved the elements
and remained in session until an agree
ment fair to both sides had been reached.
Not a Forced Agreement.
The master plumbers were not forced
into an agreement" said one of the master
builders to a Star reporter today. and it
is unfair to them to say they were. They
went into 1t OF their own accord and in
doing they have saved for the citizens
of this District thousands OF dollars"
The statement was made In explanation
or the reason for holding the conference
Sunday night that 1t was for the purpose
OF forestalling the putting to work this
morning on many of the partly finished
structures non-union workmen. 1t Is I'M
derstood that several contractors had ar
ranged to put to work today mechanics
without regard to their Affiliations In order
that the work now under way might be
carried on to completion. 1t is said many
bricklayers and others had fiocked to this
city with the view of taking the places
OF the strikers and that il was to circum-
vent this that the master builders called
the meeting
The elimination of the trades difficulty
was favorably discussed today in real estate
circles and the two master builders assO-
Citations and Presidents Marshall and Lang
ley were generally complmented on the
part they had taken in bringing about the
gratifying result.
The workingmen of the District are also
glad at the outcome. including some of