Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-07
IN LABOR CIRCLES

The members Of the Building Trades
Mechanics Council Of this city are hav-
ing some fun over a proposition that
was recently made to the building trades
Of New York city. The grave diggers
Of the metropolis recently formed labor
union. and then the question of utilization
presented itself. The head grave-digger
finally decided that the proper place for
the associated 'old sections" was under
| the jurisdiction of the Building Trades
| Council of Greater New York
i The head grave-digger reasoned that as
the bricklayers. carpenters. plasterers.
etc. that formed the membership of the
| council came under the heading of home
builders. the diggers of graves also came
under that head, as it is their craft that
build the last homes for departed hui
manity. The bricklayers ct al. declined
| TO admit the cemetery craftsmen to their
fraternity of house-builders and told them
| TO go hence.
The matter was finally adjusted by ad-
hitting the diggers of mans final home
| to the Miscellaneous Trades Assembly.
When the question came up here for
discussion, in view of some talk of the
formation of a grave-diggers' union in
| Washington. Sam de Nedrey took a
| whack at the matter. He declared that
| the arave-diggers properly belong in the
Farmers Union, as grave-digging is pure
Ily planning process.
There is perhaps no one subject that is
being discussed with more vigor in local
|. la Dor circles at this time than that of the
proposed employment of prison labor in
the erection of the new reformatory and
| jail for the District. 1t is realized that
the Commissioners under the law of Con-
gress providing for thel buildings have no
option in the matter. but there is a de-
termination on the part of the building
fr narficIIarly IL tn
the contamination. if possible 4 leading
| member of a building craft voiced the
sentiment of many Of his felow-workmen
| when he said it would be far preferable
| to have the work done by open-shop nom
unionists than by men wearing prison
| stripes. Just how the members of the
unions propose to fight the matter has not
yet developed. They have entered vigor-
Gus protests, but have been informed
| that as the law provides for the employ
ment of the prisoners of the workhouse
and Jail. the law will have to be carried
into effect.
april fool day" 1909. was fraught with
| many foolish jokes in the nature of ru-
mors in the District One of them
| changed the entire personnel of the Office
and gave several downtown typos fat
berths at the public printery. OF course
I he reports were all fakes. but they gave
the front office officials at Uncle Sans
PRINT suOp an uHCOIuIoTtdDie HouF OF TWO
responding to the 'ting-a-li ns-ting'' of
the telephone bell and the many queries
that came hot after the bell ringings
Another april fool" report alleged that
President Taft had decided to appoint an
inspector of federal mechanical work"
to have his headquarters in Washington,
and the busybody quid nuncs appointed a
prominent member of the building trades
to the position, with a good, fat salary
With the dawning of April 2 the prospec-
tive appointments all vanished in thin air.
Nine printers are entered in the contest