The Washington herald., 1916-03-06
POWER PLANT
STRIKE FEARED
Company Makes Auxiliary
Station Ready to Light
City in Emergency.
MAY BREAK AT BENNING
Sympathetic Walk-out Believed Immi-
nent. Although Leaders and Officials
Deny Expecting Such Action.

A sympathetic strike among employees
OF the electric power plants last night
was reported Imminent.
Strike, leaders, labor officials, and ON
GERS Of the electric power and traction
companies declared they did not expect
a power-plant employees strike
The striking carmen are determined
that there shall be no demonstrations
of violence. But they are determined to
cripple the two railway companies. And
the power strike would be their most
effective weapon, it Is said
The most persistent rumors were to
the effect that the Benning power plant
of the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany was likely to be the scene of a
strike at any moment. This plant fur
nishes practically all the electricity sold
by the power company, and furnishes
power for all the lines Of the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company
To Keep Engineers on Cars.
rumors is evidenced in the fact that
orders probably will be issued today for
bidding members Of engineers unions
from patronizing the lines OF the rail-
way companies involved in the waIk-out
Most of the enineers OF the power
company are affiliated with the Inter
national Steel and Operating Engineers
Union. Local 80. and the National AS
ISOLATION for Steam Engineers. While the
great mass of employees, especially in
the lower grades, are not organized they
are in sympathy with the carmen.
John H. Torch. president OF Local g.
declared the crux of the matter lies In
whether the car companies employ strike
breakers.
If that course is taken the local would
be involved. Then we undoubtedly would
take action" he said.
President King, Of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company. last night
announced that strike breakers would be
employed.
Union officials declared that the power
company employees were complaining OF
conditions before the strike of the car
men.
Plant officials Feel Secure.
L. E. Sinclair. general superintendent of
the power company said the company
did not anticipate trouble.
I'VE have about $50 employees" he said.
They are not organized, so far as we
know. For them to strike would be a
surprise to us
The Capital Traction Company is sup
piled with power for its lines from plants
at Wisconsin avenue and K streets,
Georgetown and Chevy Chase, Md. These
They said last night that they did not
think a strike was likely; that the car
men had made a mistake" in striking.
officials Of the Potomac Electric Power
Company, which supplies power to both
companies, have been perfecting their
organization to protect themselves in the
event of a sympathic strike on the part
of their employees.
Emergency Plant Made Ready.
Last night they made arrangements to
throw into instant use the emergency
plant at the Fourteenth street station.
According to an officer of the company
the auxiliary plant at the Fourteenth
street station can supply sufficient power
to operate all of the four substations
and was built especially for use in case
OF emergency.
Official Organizer Rezzin Orr, Vice
President ]. Edward Toone, of the
Maryland State and District Fedora
ton of Labor, and Secretary Calder
field, of the Washington branch Amalga-
mated Association of Street and Electric
Railway Employees, last night denied
emphatically that any effort was being
exerted to bring abou~ Il sympathetic
strike of the unIonized public utilities
of Washington.
Mr.. Toone declared that since the rail-
waymens question has been brought to
a head and a strike ordered, the en-
ployes of the Benning plant have not
been approached, or have the employees
OF any other plant or company been
asked for other than moral support.
Secretary Calderfield verified the state
ment Of Mr.. TOone, and added, though
l have heard a rumor that a sympathetic
strike was contemplated by the BenninE
power plant employees, 1 have not heard
anything official