Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-21
IN LABOR CIRCLES
c.

| C1sAtSss0
! The difficulty between the Bridge and
Structural Iron Builders Association and
| the American Bridge Company, which dates
| from early last August, has been submitted
| to referendum vote of general strike,
| return Of which will be made next Monday.
| 1t is anticipated that the vote will be ia
| vorable to strike, as 1t is stated that
about 1900 iron workers have been more
or less idle in different localities because
| of the trouble. In these localities the men
| have refused to handle the fabricated ma
| terial Of the company, or such material as
| is prepared by the company for fnstalla-
| ton. At this time, 1t is stated, about $780,
| 600 worth of such material is being held UP
| In this city, and should the strike become
general and continue about 81, 500, 600 value
| Of building construction in this locality will
| be affected 1t is said however, by the
| iron workers that so far as they con-
| cerned the difficulty will soon terminate in
| the defeat of the company, as number OK
| general contractors who have experienced
| trouble in having the finished material Of
| the company installed have refused further
| purchases and the sales of the Iron
| product Of the bridge company, have been
| largely reduced. This condition, it is said,
| Is due mainly to the determined organiza-
| ton of the iron workers, of whom about
| 8, 900 have been on strike since last August,
| and 1t Is reported from headquarters that
| not one has deserted his organization.
At the last meeting of the Central Labor
| Union the following delegates were ad
| mitted: Printing Pressmen's Union, No. l,
Norman c. Sprague, David Self. John F.
Sullivan; Local Branch No. 10, Steam and
Hot Water Filters, Charles 2. Allison, vice
George Stewart; Electrical Workers, Local
Union. No. 14S, A: Stanley Nathanson, R.
F. Lafourcade, j. H. Graham, W. Melon
aid. H. c. Holiday; Press Feeders and AS
sistants Union No. AZ, 3. F. Carrick, vice
Simon Greenberg; Window Cleaners Union,
No. 5000, A. F. of L., Charles e. Evans,
Blaine McCollum, Robert Forringer.
The recent convention Of the Bricklayers
and Masons International Union held at
Minneapolis. Mimi, decided to submit to
the subordinate unions of bricklayers and
masons the proposition of utilization with
the American Federation Of Labor. This
will be the fourth time the question has
been submitted to the bricklayers, and at
each vote the proposition has been defeated
by substantial majorities. 1t is said that
the national officials Of the organization are
favorable to utilization and favor frequent
submission Of the proposition educa-
tional means, believing that if the laity
understood the matter in all it's relations
the bricklayers would affiliate with the
federation.
The initiative and referendum Will also
be again submitted to vote of the local
unions. This proposition was voted upon
last year and was defeated by the nsg-
nificant vote of six and two-thirds. This
vote was not satisfactory TO those repre-
senting the rank and file in the last ma
tional convention, and an amended plan, 1t
is stated, will be submitted to be voted
upon during the summer, and it is pre-
dicted that the proposition will be approved
by large majority.
There was a large and enthusiastic gath
ering of members Of Local No. 400 Ice
Wagon Drivers Union, held in Costello's
Hall, last night, and after the transaction
of much business of Importance to the
members and to the union the meeting took
the form of SOclahlp and literary
tainment. A program consisting of speech
making by prominent union labor adyo-
Gates, recitations and songs was rendered,
followed by smoker. Refreshments were
served, after which numerous applications
were filed from men engaged In the same
business asking for membership in the
union These applications will be favor
ably acted upon at the next meeting, it is
said which will be held the first Tuesday
In March at Costello Hall.
Opinions still vary as to the outcome of
the coal controversy between operators and
miners The editor of Fuel a trade journal
devoted to coal mining. in the last issue,
still adheres to his peSSimistfc opinion of
the possibilities of strike. He says:
while there are many who profess TO be-
lieve or who really believe that the labor
leaders are too good generals to have
general strike on in all fields at the same
time, their opinion is not supported by
what really happened at Indianapolis. The
declaration there was most positive and
there seems to be no foundation for the be-
lief that part of the miners VIII be allowed
to work in order TO aid the rest In obtain
Ing a settlement That there will be any
settlement on the terms promulgated by
the miners is not to be expected now, de-
spite the fact that the general strike will
reduce the means OF prolongfng the strug-
gle and sap the resources at the founda-
ton. In the great strike of 19O2-O3 1t was
the steady work in the bftuminous fields
that enabled the miners In the east to
tinue the contest, and with all the btu
minous miners unemployed the result can
not be anything like in 1902
consequently the belief Is much more
general that the mine workers were deter
mined when they announced their plans
that they will actually stake everything on
the result of one mighty and prolonged con-
test Victory for them will mean that fu-
ture resistance to- their demands Is not to
be seriously thought of. while defeat may
put them back to a position from which
they have been gradually working upward
during the past nine years. 1t is against
the expressed hope of the miners to cut off
the entire coal supply from railroads and
industries and so force public cutlery from
the people at large that the railroads and
large consumers are fighting in ordering
supplies sufficient to last them for months
after the strike has been declared. What
will actually be done is a mere matter OF
guesswork after the declaration at Indian
apolis, but so far nothing has developed
that lends any comfort to those who expect
a change of front
President Samuel Gompers of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor recently said. in
regard to the printers strike for an eight
hour day:
| tout of the AZ 900 members of the Inter-
national Typographical Union, approxi-
mately 43 900 ara now working eight-hour
DAYS. or less SO when the typothetae peo-
pie say they are going to defeat the print
ers in the fight for the eight-hour day 1t Is
simply absurd and out of the question"
In closing, Mr.. Gompers said: I'VE hope