Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-05
BAKERS ARB|TRATE,
4. STRIKE CALLED OFF
Agreement Whereby House.
holders Are Assured OF Usual
Supply of Bread.
ISSUE IS OVER WAGES

There will be bread on the doorsteps
rs usual tomorrow morning.
A strike which would have LETT Wash-
3nrton without this staple food after
today was averted when committee
representing the big bakeries VI INC
CITY met with representatives OF tneir
employees last night and agreed 10 SUI
NIT to arbitration the disputed ques
ton of pay for night work.
Had the conference resulted IN d
deadlock, none of the bakers "ouio
have reported for work today to oake
fomorrow's bread, for they had already
voted to strike at IL o'clock last nish'
in the event that the master bakers
declined to arbitrate.
The master bakers already had
granted the mems demand for an IN
crease from $3.50 to $3.50 for gay VOTE I
TIE only point still at issue Is the de-
mand for an additional 10 per cent. or
$4.95. for night work
Labor Department, Arbitrator.
The Department of Labor will be
asked to arbitrate and the case prop
ably will be laid before the depart
ment tomorrow. Charles l. Coroy.
spokesman for the bakers commlttee.
stated after the conference last h's sr
trat the master bakers also Will ASH
the arbitrators to decide what consti-
tytes night work.
In explaining the reason for this re
quest Mr.. Corby stated that. accom-
ing to the unions interpretation. II a
man went to work in daytime anu
worked after o'clock in the evening
his pay for that day should De on the
night scale. Also, Mr. Corny contlm
ued. if a man went to work an hour
before the period of day work the
pay for that day. according to the men,
should be on the night scale.
The shortage of labor. together with
the abnormal increase in Washington's
population, has resulted in almost con-
tinuous overtime work for the pax
ers. Although they receive time ana
half for overtime. members OF the
union declared last night that they
prefer a regular eight-hour day.
Would Discourage Night Baking.
1t is understood that one reason for
the demand of the men for s49o Tor
night work was desire TO discourage
the practice of night baking. Although
members of the union admitted IT
would be impossible to do away with
night baking entirely during the sum-
mer, they say it would be possible to
reduce il substantially.
clared that the baking of one days
bread on the previous day not only
would tend to save ingredients now
used in bread. but also would make the
product healthier when eaten.
He pointed out that the custom OF
night baking grew out Of the desire
of the master bakers to furnish the
bread Trash every morning In the days
when competition was keen
At their meeting IN Naval Lodge
Hall. 4th street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. southeast, yesterday afternoon. the
members of the union voted unani-
mously to strike at midnight II the
master bakers declined to arbitrate.
During the meeting 1t was learned
that a committee representing the en-
ployers would meet the men for a final
conference at o'clock at union head
quarters. 512 street northwest. The
union adjourned prepared to carry out
the strike order if the eleventh-hour
conference failed.
What constitutes night work and the
pay 1t should command was discussed
ut the night conference, which lasted
more than an hour.
In further explaining the position of
the master bakers Mr.. Corby pointed
out that they willingly granted the
increase to $3.50 asked for and that they
did not know until late yesterday that
the men were willing to arbitrate the
disputed question Of night work, AS
soon as they learned this they readily
consented to another conference.
Men Glad to Arbitrate.