Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-20
IN LABOR CIRCLES
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ihC pieSCHtt vi lilo HnetnberS OF inc SN~
ecutive council of the American Federation
or Labor in Washington at this time will,
1t Is believed. exert a healthful influence
upon the settlement Of the differences be-
tween the master plumbers and the Journey
men. The controversy Is one of long stand
ing and has been in the nature of a bone of
contention between the employers and en-
ployes for long time. 1t has exerted a
most depressing effect upon the building
interests OF the District, and the claim Ia
made that unless 1t Is speedily settled the
existing uncertainty will result in the loss
of many thousands Of dollars in wages.
profits and purchases to the community
1t Is, therefore. the hope of conservative
men In the ranks Of both the workmen and
the employing class that the presence of
the executive councilmen. with President
Samuel Gompers at their head, may bring
about solution of the difficulty.
After the lockout by the master plumbers
the matter was referred to a board of arbi-
| tration, and now after that body of repre-
sentative men has given its decision there
Is still serious hitch and the problem has
been taken up by joint committee of mas
ter builders and representatives of the al
lied building trades. meeting of this joint
body has been called for this evening at
! the Master Builders Hall, 14th and q
streets and the hope Is expressed that the
tangled skein may be unraveled.
AS showing the sentiment of some OF those
who are ready to invest their money in
local realty, a read estate man who is In
touch with the situation remarked last
night:
This fight between the plumbers has al
most worn out the patience of men who
want to build here and it is a question if
some Of the prospective builders have not
already been frightened away by the con-
tinuance OF the wrangle. Near the close of
the last building season this battle royal
was started and has continued since
with intermittent force. 1t Is about time
now, at the beginning of what promises to
be prosperous building period, for the
master plumbers and the journeymen to
get together and settle their differences
once for all time and let the wave of pros
perity in the realty market roll on"
Secretary Sam De Nedrey of the Central
Labor Union after forming the lamp
lighters into union, hied himself eastward
to the Washington navy yard and there
formed a big union of helpers 1t is said
the organization of this union is in line
with the efforts being made to bring all
the various crafts and trades employed at
the Washington navy, yard within the fold
of organized labor. A majority of the
men are already organized, and through
their separate organizations and the Gen.
trail Labor Union affiliated with the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, and are endeav.
orng to bring in their fellow-workmen.
There are over 1000 men employed in
the naval gun factory, nearly oneNlalf OF
whom machinists of Columbia Lodge,
who have perfect organization.
With the patternmakers. carpenters,
boilermakers, molders and the newly
formed organization they represent a big
majority The object, however, is to bring
all the employees together composite
whole for mutual betterment At present
the blacksmiths and coppersmiths are
practically the only trades having no or
ganization whatsoever. They making
rapid progress, and. 1t is understood, are
about to make application for entrance into
the federation.
1t is intimated that Mr.. De Nedrey's next
move will be to take steps tor organize the
employees of the several government de-
partmentS here into a composite associa.
ton for mutual protection and advance
ment. He is said to believe such a move-
ment will do much to bring about the de-
sired increase of the salaries of govern
ment clerks, watchmen, messengers, labor
and others.
A correspondent writes to The Star that
October - of last year Washington AS
sembly No. 81, Artisans Order of Mutual
Protection, was instituted in this city and
now holds its meetings on the fourth
Wednesday of each month at Pythian
Temple on 9th street.
1.-The assembly has had a rapid growth,
so that it now has about forty members on
it's rolls. The Artisans Order of Mutual
Protection has been in existence since 1873
and has about 10000 members, but it was
not until within the last few months that
a assembly was organized in this city,.
The official motto of the society is Peace,
power, protection" and to this a member
suggests the alliterative addition-'pros-
perity.'
One hundred and eighty-five monthly
and 179 weekly journals In the United
States and Canada are devoted exclusively
to the advocacy of trades unionism This
does not include socialist periodicals,
which nearly all also preach organization
of the workingman.