Evening star., 1918-06-08
Quit at Noon Today When
Their UItimatum Is
Ignored.
HINT DISCHARGES WERE
AIMED AT UNION MEN
Officials Say Lack Of Funds Caused
Early Cutting Of City's
Force.

OF th0 SECOND Time within q WON
normal functions Of the District gov
ernment this afternoon were halted
by a strike Of mechanics, laborers
and per diem employees.
approximately thousand men
walked out at noon, tying up the
operations Of the street cleaning. sur
face, sewerage and other departments
where both skilled and unskilled labor
is employed.
The strike was called because OF
the laying OF Of twenty men in the
sewerage department on account OF
a shortage Of funds.
Men Give Warning.
An u1timatum was served on the
Commissioners this morning by the
City Employees Association that unless
the demand for more pay, contained
in their original petition OF May 29.
was granted by noon. there would be
a general walkout. The Commission
ers, their hands tied by lack Of money.
were unable to comply with the demand
They appealed to Secretary Wilson OF
the Labor Department to try to effect a
settlement.
The first strike, lasting few hours
Monday, terminated when the Commits
stoners agreed to take up the de-
mands of the men for more pay.
There was every indication this aft
ernoon that the present trouble would
be more difficult to settle and the
strike would become a serious one:
menacing the health and comfort OF
the general public.
Joseph H. Hurley and representa-
tives of the union had not conferred
late hour today, the only information
the District heads had as to the strike
being the written ultimatum that the
demands must be met by noon.
clay Off, Explained.
It was explained at the District
building that twenty men in the
sewerage department had been laid of
because that department has insult
dcient, funds to carry it to the re.
fmafnder OF the fiscal year. June 80
The funds amexut to $1,000. and the
expense, IL the present force were
carried, would be $500. it was stated
Five times within the past ten years
according to Supt. Phillips of this de-
partment, 1t has been necessary to lay
of men before the end of the year
because of lack of funds. They have
been re-emDioyeQ at tne beginning OF
the new fiscal year.
In the present case the order 70,
laying of the men was not issued un-
til after the strike of Monday. though
the Commissioners previously had de-
termined upon 1t, as they had been in
formed that the departments funds
were insufficient to carry the full
force to the end of the year.
Deny Blow.Was at Union.
It apparently is the impression OF
the City Employees Association that
the order was issued to get" the
union men. The Commissioners in
dignantly deny the Implication that
there was any connection between
that the action had been determined
upon as necessary before they knew
a strike was contemplated.
During the first strike members of
the union who operate the water and
sewerage pumping stations were in
structed to remain at their posts. as
1t was realized the lives of Washing
tonians would be seriously menaced If
this important work should be neg
lected. Whether that policy will be
followed in the present difficulty is
not known.
The Commissioners this afternoon
were almost in complete ignorance as
to the plans Of the strikers Efforts
to locate Mr.. Hurley had failed up to
1 o'clock.