Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-14
STRIKE OF THE TRADES
Agitation Therefor DepIored by
Business Men of Washington.
CONFERENCE MAY BE HELD
Verdict Of Plumbers Arbitration
Board in Dispute.
MASTERS ISSUE A STATEMENT
Allegation Made That Journeymen
Have Inaugurated Warfare to En-
force Their Demands.

| contractors with whom a Star reporter
| talked today concerning the agitation for
| strike Of the building trades Of the Dis
| trict deplored the perturbation that has
| been caused in commercial circles The
| active building season Is at hand, and the
| prospect Of causing the loss of millions Of
dollars to this city as result of useless
| wrangling'' was particularly commented
upon by leading merchant.
| 1t was found that in the plumbers con-
troversy the master plumbers feel that
they have been deeply aggrieved. They
| have issued an official statement to the
master builders. the business men and the
public of the District. 1t was also learned
that the master builders generally are with
| the master plumbers in the contention that
they are living up to the spirit and the
| letter of the recent award OF the board Of
| arbitration.
| The further informat ton was obtained that
the officers of the building trades unions
| desire q conference with the Master Build
| ers' Association concerning the award OF
the arbitrators; that they will stand by
| their original promise as to zoe carving
/ out of the decision. Of the board of arD:tra-
| ton. and that the other unions will with
| hold their support from the journeymen
plumbers or the master plumbers If 1t Is
| found that either side is diSObeytng the
mandates of the arbitrator.
Conference Probable.
| 1t was stated on good authority that such
| a conference between the master builders
and representatives of the building trades
unions will be arranged in the near future,
with the view of pouring oil on the trou-
| operations begin.
| 1t was further stated that he union jour-
| neymen plumbers have already begun
warfare against some of the master plumb
| ers by adopting a resolution which Imposes
| fine Of So on any member OF the union
| for every day he works in the same estab-
lishment or on job with a uon-unionist
! Also that as a result of this r--olution sew
eral walkouts at local plumbing establish
ments have occurred, the union members
! declining to work with the men who are
not members of the organization. and that
| tie-ups of work are already threa tened at
certain points.
| 1t was the opinion of leading builder as
| expressed to a Star reporter today. that
wiser counsels of the other building trades
will prevail and that the threatened strike
| will be ayerted by cool-headed elaboration
| between the representatives of the me-
chanics and those of the master builders.
Master Plumbers Statement.
When Mr. Robert p. Caverly, chairman
| of the press committee of the Master
| Plumbers Association. was today by
| a Star reporter he handed him the follow
ing official statement of that organization:
The following was noted in today's issue
| of a morning payer
| Members of the board of arbitration,
one of whom was appointed by the journey
| men plumbers, when asked yesterday con-
corning the proper Interpretation of the
disputed article said without exception that
the ruling gave the journeymen the right
to como and go they wished and the
masters to hire whom they wished
| In other words, say the arbitrator,
the masters were given the privilege Of
hiring both unto nand non-union men if they
| could get the two to work together. and in
| attempting to get both they were not b1Rak-
| ing any article of the decision. The jour-
| neymen, on the other hand. permitted
| by the decision to work for employers not
| members of the Master Plumbers Associa-
| ton
This is exactly the position that the
| master plumbers have taken.
| when they went into this arbitration
| they were guaranteed by representatives OF
| the building trades, in writing, that the
building trades would insist upon the jour-
| neymen plumbers living up to the findings
| OF the board of arbitration and on the other
| hand. the Master Builders Association
guaranteed our association would do like
| wise
when a dispute arose as to the inter-
| probation of article the logical and hon
| est method was to refer the question back
to the board for their Interpretation, and
| this is exactly what the master plumbers
have done and this is just what the Jour
| neymen plumbers refuse to do. This. in
| our opinion. Is unfair and only bears ont
our contention before agreeing to the arbi-
| trat1on that the JOurneymen would have to
| be forced to accept the award If 1t went
against them. If the building trades of
| Washington who are parties to the agree
ment do not now insist upon the Journey
| men living up to the findings of the board II
will be entirely useless for employers of
| labor unions in this city in the future to
enter into any arbitration Of disputes.
| THE reason that the Master Plumbers
| Association held alOOf 1OpD hafor
| ing to arbitrate this question last year
| was due to the firm conviction that IL the
arbitration board found In their favor they
| would be cheated out of their rights. by
| force by the other trades. When this was
| charged to the trades which were seeking
| to bring about the agreement to arbitrate
| they repudiated any such contention on our
part They stated that an agreement with
| the building trades was just as sacred as
with the Master Plumbers Association.
| we are nov, now going to see whether the
I'VE won out In the open fight and were
| forced to arbitrate; we won out In the
arbitration, and now we are threatened
| to lose out by force the fruits of our vic
tory If this last course prevails, the cause
of arbitration, which has been SO highly
| extolled by labor leaders in the District.
| has been given death blow"
Unanimous Agreement.
| 1t was stated that the board Of arbitra-
| tors unanimously agreed upon article O,
the meaning or which Is In dispute, and
that members Of the board have since said
the master plumbers are carrying that
article out according to the award.
1t was the opinion of a leading master
builder that unless the journeymen plumb
ers live up to the award they cannot expect
| the support Of the Master Builders Asso-
citation. and that II any unjst strike is at.
/ tempted ut will be strongly resisted by the
l employers Of labor in the District"
| I'VE have strike clauses in all our con-
| tracts" he added. and can afford to shut
| down all work If such a step should be-
| come necessary in defense of the right"
| 1t is said that James F. Murtagh of tho
| Bricklayers' Union. No l.. who was an
pointed on the committee to treat with the
| master builders. declared last night that
he had been placed on the committee with
out his sanction. and that he refused To
| serve. He gave as his reason for the re-
fusal that II the journeymen plumbers had
any grievance they should go to the board
of arbitration for a settlement and not take
INT bats