Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-01
EMPLOyESOF CITY
VOTE TOPOSTPONE
BALLOT ON STRIKE
Board of Arbitration to Make
Decision on Con-
troVerSy.
MEETING NEXT TUESDAY
TO DETERMINE COURSE
Commissioners and Workers As
sociation Will Be Asked to
Name Representative.

, BY voting to postpone the issuance
of strike ballots until Tuesday night.
500 members of the City Employees
Association at a meeting at 1906 NJ
street last night opened vista
which may lead to settlement of
controversy between per diem en-
pIoyes and the District Commission
ers that threatened to tie up at least
several branches of municipal work
in Washington
Immediately after the meeting the
board of conciliation of the Depart
ment OF Labor held an informal con-
ference. 1t was decided through
efforts of Conciliators John B. Col
roys and Walter D. Davidge to form
a board of arbitration for the settle
ment of the difficulties tomorrow.
which would present to the meeting
on Tuesday night decision which
would be binding upon both parties
concerned.
The plan consists in requesting the
Commissioners and the executive
committee of the association to name
one representative each for the board
of,arbitration, neither to be connected
with the municipal government, and
to have as umpire and chairman
Justice of the District Supreme Court.
1t is believed by the arbitrators that
if such a board were formed the
award would be accepted by the en-
ployes at the meeting Tuesday night
and by the District Commissioners.
Steps for it's formation will be
taken either today or early tomorrow
morning. The entire case will be pre-
seRted to it. 1t is thoughtthat this
will be the means for prevention of
the strike OF the city employees. who
claim that they can tie up the gar
bage disposal and other municipal
systems through the calling out of
the membership of the organization.
The meeting last night was opened
with prayer. Rev. A c. Pryor pro-
nounced the invocation. He called
for the pouring of the oil of con-
Citation on the waters of dissension."
ami concluded with an appeal that the
controversy might be brought to a
just and amicab1e settlement From
many SeClioHS VI ehe hdii eSAoou
Amen"
Applause for Mahany.
President Joseph H Hurley intro
duced Acting Secretary of Labor Row
land B. -AIahany. chairman of the
board of conciliation in the dispute.
Mr. Mahany opened with the state
ment that the Department of Labor
intends that its efforts be treated
with the respect and sincerity that
those efforts deserve" at the conclu-
sion of which a round of applause
broke out.
Our advice to you tonight is the
same as it was last Saturday night"
he said I'VE are just as much
against a strike tonight as last week.
but we ,re going to tell you about
this controversy"
That's what we want" shouted
voice.
And that's what you'll get re-
Joined Mr.. Mahany. Two years ago
Mr.. Davidge and myself were appoint
ed by the Secretary of Labor to .ad
Just grievances existing between your
association and the District Com
missioners. The Commissioners then
were Louis Brownlow and Brig. Gen.
knight.
"At that time you didn't wish to ac-
cept the navy yard scale as a criterion
for your wages, but iusi sisted upon the
private outside scale comparable to
your respective classes of work.
United in Settlement.
Gen. knight proposed the navy
Eard scale with full concurrence of
commissioner Brownlow Both united
7 in urging it as settlement of diff
culties- The conferences resulted in
a deadlock. Gen. Knight summoned
me and said: You must make a
patriotic appeal to those men, and ask
them to accept that scale as basis
for wages I sent for Mr.. Hurley. 1
said to him that the organization had
to accept it as a war measure. They
did so. Then Gen. knight declared
that he took it as a great honor and
with great pride to find that the navy
yard scale had been set as a basis of
understanding. He was speaking for
All tne COMM SSiOnerS also when he
declared: 1t will stabilize for all time
the District scale, if the navy ward
|, scale is adopted"
Here applause interrupted.
Gen knight is dead. But there are
two witnesses to his statement One is
Walter ID. Davidge, sitting on this plat
form. and the other is myself No wit
nesses are actually needed. For the
scale was put into operation. And when
the navy yard decreased its/>employes
1920. the District employees suffered a
similar decrease.
In the present situation no doubt WAS
cast upon this working agreement until
3seven-eighths of the work was completed
We are here to tell the truth as repre-
sentatives of the Department of Labor
which Is established under an organic
act for the guarantee of the rights o.
citizens and workers under the Con
stitution'
Applause broke out again
you're entitled to the 76 cents a
day
I Here the hall turned into a bed
q