Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-08

early start from headquarters at Costellos
Hall this morning and visited a number of
buildings in course of erection. 1t was re-
ported this afternoon while the committee
was still out that number of building
mechanics had been called on from their
work where non-union plumbers were en-
pioyed. Some of the non-unionists are said
to be suspended members of the plumbers
local union.
The report that the workmen had been
ordered to strike on the big apartment
house being erected at 3oth and P streets
and on the dwellings being built by Mid
daugh & Shannon near the Soldiers Home
was denied by Mr.. Middaugh and the con-
tractor for the apartment house.
Congressional Buildings.
The statements concerning the strike of
stonemasons who were at work-en the
House and Senate Office buildings are said
to have been exaggerated. Mr.. Wood, super
intendent of the Capitol. who has immediate
supervision of the operations on the two
buildings, informed Star reported this af-
ternoon that the walkout of yesterday af-
ternoon comprised -four or FIVE stone
masons who were engaged in setting lime
stone In the courts of the new Senate
building" and the same number of helpers,
making total of about ten.
Inc grievance Is said to be against
subcontractor named Horshaw, who Is do
Ing certain limestone work, and it ema-
mates from Philadelphia, where there is said
to be a lockout of Mr.. Horshaw's work
men,
Mr.. Wood said at late hour this after
noon that there had been no walkout of
prlcklayers and marble workers. No such
walkout is expected.
sttement by Mr.. Nolan.
The Master Plumbers Association,
through Mr.. John ]. Nolan, chairman of the
executive committee has made reply to
certain published statements of officers of
Plumbers Union, No. 5. The statement,
which is addressed to The Star, is as fol-
lows:
The statement made that the strike was
ordered as protest on the part of the
Building Trades Alliance against the tend
ency OF certain master plumbers to run the
open shop in Washington only proves that
they are begging the question and seeking
1ustl1catfon for their action, as the award
OF the arbitration committee and the de-
c1sion of the umpire, both of which are
binding on them as parties to the contract.
prohibits them from striking on account of
a union or a non-union shop. AS there are
no open shops in Washington in the
plumbing trade there can be no strike
against them.
eliminated from the controversy and the
master plumbers are running either all
union or all non-union shops under the
award of the board of arbitration and the
1.-THE Building Trades Alliance and Local
Union No. 5. Journeyman Plumbers, are
trying to revive the agitation against open
shop, by claiming that the expelled men,
bers of Local Union No. 5, who are still in
the employ of master plumbers running
non-union shops, are suspended members of
the union and that therefore the shops en-
playing these men are running open
shops but their position is untenable, as
1t was against four members of the union
muGicin9i
ing that the strike was declared, they being
held to be non-union men, and Mr.. Foley,
the business agent; Mr.. Downey, Mr.. Rear
don. Mr.. Mccarthy and Mr.. Ferryman of
Local Union No. conference committee
declared in most emphatic terms at the last
meeting that these men were no longer
members, but had been expelled from the
organization.
Regarded as Ridiculous.
THE statement of an officer of the Jour-
neyman Plumbers to your reporter that
Plumbers Union No. has nothing to do
whatever with these walkouts of the car
penters, bricklayers, plasterers. and other
trades and that the action was to stop
the open shop tendency in the District, is
merely seeking justification for his violation
of his obligation and such a claim is on It's
face ridiculous. Mr.. Foley, the business
agent of Local Union No. 5, has been prom
inent In all the actions taken by the
'straightening-out' committee, as they call
themselves, and We find him quoted very
generally in all the newspaper articles. We
find in the report in the meeting Of the
trades council Of May 5 that the Journey
men reported to the council that the mas
ter plumbers had pledged themselves to.
clear their shops of non-union men during
the next twenty-four hours which proves
conclusively that the Journeyman Plumbers
are a party to the meeting at which the
strike was called. 1t is also stated on the
best of authority that the plumbers were
asked to name the jobs on which they de-
sired the strike to be first called, and they
selected the Metropolitan Club as the first
one and the jobs at Both and P and on
PARK road. in their regular order.
1t Is, therefore. a self-evident fact that
the Journeyman Plumbers Local Union No.
is the prime mover in this last strike.
despite the fact that their representative
promised in the conference committee to
act in good faith" and live I'D to the award
of the arbitration committee and the UNI
pire. The journeymen make sweeping"
claim that the statement issued by the
master plumbers is misleading" but fail to
point out any particular point to which thew
take exception. AS a matter of fact the
statement itself as regards the action of the
conference committee Is practically a YER
batim copy OF the minutes Of that meeting
Condition Does Not Exist.
at has never been claimed. as has been
stated by the journeyman plumbers and the
members Of the allied building trades,
that the journeyman plumbers conceded
that a master plumoer could work union
and nonunion plumbers in the same shop,
for as matter of fact no such condition
exists, the shops being all union or all nom
union. and in this condition it might be in
teresting to state that out of the entire
membership of the Master Plumbers As
ISOLATION there are fourteen union shops
and forty-three nonunion shops now in
operation. Mr.. Casey. the contractor for the
plumbing work on the building at Both
and streets northwest. states most posi-
lively that he has no intention Of changing
his shop and employing union men. Mr.
Casey has been conducting a nonunion shop
for more than year previous to the lock-
out and he has declared his intention to
continue in that policy. The carpenters
and painters employed on the houses on
Park road between 9Th and 7th streets
northwest are nonunlon men. and 1t is not
believed that they will 60 out on strike in
sympathy with the allied building trades
Of which they are not members and against
nonunion plumbers. as they themselves are
nonunion men. 1t Is also stated on good
authority that Philadelphia firm having
the Timing or sheet iron contract on the
municipal building under Contractor Par
sons are working nonunion timers, and that
the allied building trades are familiar with