Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-04

| They did not act, they state, In a manner
calculated to frighten. intimidate or CO.
cree any of the arriving workmen.i The
only disorder on these occasions was con-
fined, it is said. exclusively to the con-
fusion created by the solicitations Of the
defendants. on the one hand and the
agents of the employers on the other in
enueavorfng to induce the new workmen
to side with or against one solicitor or the
other. No arrests followed any such out
breaks. it is declared, notwithstanding the
presence OF policemen. except October Il,
1907. when an arrest was made by SER
Seant of police of his own motion.
| While this method of solicitation is adj
| mitted. 1t is expressly denied by the de-
| PENDANTS that any of the jobs upon which
such workmen were employed were picket
it is declared not true that any Of the
| Workmen. while at work upon any Of the
jobs. were approached; but all such as
| We're approached. or accoSted were so
approached, accosted and spoken to when
away from their respective jobs. at such
a distance. at such times and places, and
under such conditions as to avoid the
possibility of interference with them in
respect of the performance of their work. !"
Presentation Of Labor's View.
| Not content with mere denial Of the
| allegations of the master builders. the de-
| PENDANTS proceed to advise the court Of
labor's view of the present difficulty in the
| local building situation, and charge the
| employers with the responsibility for the
| building industry in the District of CO.
lumbia being greatly demoralized because
| of present conditions" From personal
observation and on informant ton. the de-
PENDANTS claim that in imitation of en-
| poyers in other cities of the United States
| the complatnants and their associate en-
| ployers, in 1902, after certain disagree
ments and controversies arose, determined
n nd In
| deliberate and carefully conceived plan
| of hostility to the various trades unions
| of the District Of Columbia. having for
Its object the gradual forcing Of the open
| shop in the several trades represented by
the unions and the ultimate crushing of
| the unions by the establishment of the
open shop to such an extent as to make
the employers wholly independent of the
| a condition such that no member of any
of the trades continuing his membership
in any such union should receive employ
ment at the hands of the compliments or
any of their associate employers.
AS part of the plan the defendants
tell the court it was the purpose and
scheme of the complainants and their as
sociate employers Ito attack the sew
er,.l trades in detail, one by one, in an
order previously arranged and agreed
upon. regard being had to the favora BILE
ness of opportunity from time to time for
attack upon any particular one of the
trades. In furtherance and execution of
the plan, the compliments and their said
associate employers awaited themselves of
| the difficulty in the plumbing trade to
| make that trade their first object Of at
| tack. intending. after the issue of the con-
| troversy in the trade, or upon the arrival
| of a critical stage therein suitable for the
| execution of their plan or scheme as to
| that trade, to force an open shop therein.
! believing that the effort so to do would
| be successful, and that success in such
o. nrf no n fhn frN~fh nr
| carrying out of their plan or scheme In the
| other trades.
Principle Of Closed Shop.
| The Master Plumbers Association of the
| city Of Washington. in the District of Co
| lumbia. June o, 1902. and April IA. 1903. 1t
| is declared, procured certain contracts to
| be entered into between itself and the
Journeymen Plumbers and Gasfitters'
| Union, No. ). of this city. and November
g. 1903 procured the Journeymen's Union
to agree upon certain working and shop
rules, which contracts and shop rules
were entered into and adopted by the
Plumbers and Gasfitters' Union In the be-
lief that they in wise impaired or af-
fected one of the cardinal principles Of
the union and of all the other trades
unions in the District, namely, the prfn-
ciple of the closed shop: but from time
to time. through oversight or Indulgence,
or both on the part of the Plumbers and
Gasfitters' Union, the provisions of the
contracts and working and shop rules
| were so disregarded or ignored that the
| principle of the closed shop was, in many
| Instances. ignored and condition created
| such as to put 1t In the power of the Mas
| ter Plumbers Association to contend. and
the association did contend, that it was
not the contemplation and intent OF
| either OF the contracts and rules to pre-
| serve the principle of the closed shop
When these differences between the
| Master Plumbers Association and the
| Plumbers and Gasfitters Union had be
| come acute in respect of both the prin-
| ciple of the closed shop and other mat
| ters alleged and professed to involve
| violations of the contracts and working
| and shop rules. declare the defendants,
| the Master Plumbers Association pro-
posed to the Journeymen Plumbers As
ISOLATION to refer the matters in differ
ence to the board of arbitration
Referred to Arbitration.
On the acceptance Of this proposition.
the differences were accordingly referred
to a board of arbitration. with the result
that the board rendered and made an
award and report by paragraphs, OF
| which, as construed by the Master
| Plumbers Association, the Plumbers and
Gasfitters' Union was deprived of the
right to demand closed shop. SO far as
members of the Master Plumbers AS
ISOLATION were concerned. The Plumbers
and Gasfitters' Union, not asserting to
the construction put by the Master
Plumbers Association on the fifth and
sixth clauses Of the report. contested
the same. with the result that the subse-
auent references of the matter In the bill
of complaint mentioned were had and
ended in the support of the contention Of
the Master Plumbers Association. rest
ing for it's final upholding upon the in
depreciation put upon the contracts and
:. lcho rrla nv ,xy
; the report declared. meaning thereby
as shown by the disregard, through over
sight or indulgence by the Plumbers and
Gasftters' Union Of certain features Of
the contracts and shop rules and the
principle of the open shop.
! Having thus gained the point SO far as
J the plumbing trade was concerned. of APP
parently establishing the open shop over
the protest of the trade, the members
of the Master Plumbers Association and
employers in the allied trades. including
4 ~H-s,,