Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-05
FIGHT TO A FINISH
srHu0oLz ON BETWEEN PLUMB
Ens AND EMPLOYERS.

The journeymen plumbers vino were
locked out Saturday evening by the master
plumbers, as told In The Star, have appar-
emily settled down to stubborn struggle
over the apprentice and other questions
that are at issue between the workmen ana
the bosses. The members of the union
have opened headquarters at Costeilo's
Hall, 9th and 6 streets northwest. and
when a Star reporter visited the place to-
day the men were congregated in the hall
discussing the outlook.
A meeting of the locked out journeymen
was held yesterday, and the decision was
arrived at, it is said, to maintain the stand
they have taken and not to return to work
unless they are guaranteed protection In
the matter of apprentices. One of the
plumbers said the tendency of the master
plumbers is to employ large number OF
boys to the exclusion of the men, and that
this proposition will be resisted by the
union with all the moral force att COM
mand.
A strike committee has been appointed
by the union. and it's members will be con-
stantly on duty at Headquarters. but. ac-
cording to one of the officers of the union,
no pickets will be posted about the places
of business of the master plumbers who
have locked out the workmen as is the case
in most strikes
Other Matters to Adjust
In addition to the apprentice question, the
journeyman say there are other matters
that will require adjustment. and they
added that the present is as good as any
other time for the final settlement of all
the controversies. One of these is said to be
an attempt of the masters to regulate the
initiation fee charged for admission into
the Plumbers Union. the masters claiming,
it Is alleged that the fee is too high, being
almost prohibitive Another matter that
the Journeymen say they may call to the
attention of the municipal authorities is the
defective gasfitting that is said 80 be done
in new buildings by apprentices. Still an
other is the official examination of men
VINO do plumbing work The plumbers may.
1t Is said demand that the District Com
misSioners require all persons who are en-
gagged In such work, or who may in the ftl-
ture engage in it, to pass rigid examine
ton as to their capabilities as plumbers.
This. they claim. will prevent their places
from being filled by helpers and appren-
tees.
The Helpers and Apprentices Union has
not been called out by the plumbers yet,
and it is not known whether such step
will be taken.
One Firm Yields.
The report was given out from the head
quarters of the journeymen this afternoon
that one employer had recalled the lockout
and the five men employed had been re-
stored to work. The employer in question
is said to be Mr.. I. Freund The statement
was also made that there are 1906 men who
were working Immediately before the present
disagreement came up who are now idle.
The strike. however, affects much greater
number of men, because of the fact that
there are many union plumbers in the city
who are not working at present, as it is
the Off season in plumbing work.
The master plumbers are holding a meet
ing late this afternoon in the rooms of the
Employers Association in the Small build
ing. 1t is said a conference will be
ranged between committees of the masters
and journeymen to consider the matters
in controversy.