Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
REACHES ACUTE STAGE
DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
PLUMBERS AND JoURNEYMEN.

It Is believed the differences between the
Master Plumbers Association and the Jour-
neyman Plumbers Union have reached an
acute stage. This was indicated by a state
ment made to a Star reporter this afternoon
by a prominent member Of the Journeymen
Bricklayers' Union, who said:
We very much desire that the matter be
settled very soon. but If the master plumb
ers persist in being contrary, 1t may become
contagious -
He referred to the threatened strike of the
bricklayers in sympathy for the journeymen
plumbers, who have been locked out for
more than twenty weeks.
In this connection Mr.. Robert B. Caverly.
chairman of the executive committee of the
Master Plumbers Association, gave The
which has an important bear. ng on the mat
ter at Issue.
Mr.. Caverly's Statement.
The statement is as follows:
1.-THE committee. consisting Of Ave MEM
bers from each, the Master Builders Assoc
citation, Qnc.). the original Master Builders
Association. the Employing Bricklayers' AS
sociatfon and the bricklayers union. recent
~ formed to consider the evidence submit
ted by the Master Plumbers Association
and the Journeymen Plumbers Union. NO.
3, relative to the lockout instituted March
i, decided by the overwhelming vote of
thirteen to four that the master plumbers
were fully JUS lied in taking the course they
did in severing all relations with local
union. No. 8 When this committee re-
quested the Master Plumbers Association to
submit the evidence they also asked IL the
findings of the committee would influence
the master plumbers in their decision not
to have further relations with the Journey
men plumbers union. The evidence on the
DrenOnder.
ate, thier brief replete with sworn testi-
mOny covering more than eight instances
tn which the written contract with the jour-
neymen, expiring In 1868, was broken and
they left their case with the committee to
determine whether they were right or
wrong. Not SO with the 1ourneymen plumb
ers-they refused point blank to be gov
erned by the decision of this committee.
THE master plumbers in their brief
stated they were not opposed to labor
unions when fairly conducted. They had en-
tire faith In the bricklayers' union an other
local unions conducted on business princi-
pies in Washington. and knew they would
consider carefully and fairly the causes Of
this trouble, realizing as they must that
for any labor union to enter on a sympa-
thetic strike in defiance of truth and JUS
tice would but bring such organization to
the depths in which the journeymen plumb
ers union find themselves today.
THE Master Plumbers Association expect
within few days to issue their case in
ply copies to any one interested in the sub
ject.''
Regarded as improbable.
1t Is the opinion of several of the mas
ter builders that the. bricklayers will not
find sufficient cause in the differences be-
tween the master plumbers and the jour-
neymen to cause them to go on strike
and seriously tie up building operations.
frir1 Ia oro 4, II he,
locomotive engineers in the matter of go
ing on strike said one of the master
builders. They are cool and longheaded
on such propositions and will not walk
out unless they find strong justification for
SO doing. Like the locomotive engineers,
too, the bricklayers believe in arbitration
instead of strikes, when the proper end
can thus be accomplished.
1t is understood the house painters will
take up the matter of the plumbers at
meeting of their union to be held this
week. Should the bricklayers go on
strike 1t Is said the painters viii follow
c,,ff