The Washington times., 1925-04-15
LINER
ACTS IN
STRIKE
Moves for Wage Board to Get
All Views at Meeting-con-
tractors Stand Pat

William T. Galliher, chairman
of the fair wage committee of
business men and financiers, today
returned to Washington and i'm
mediately machinery was set in
motion for a meeting within the
next forty-eight hours on the
latest important developments in
the building trades situation.
A. conference committee of the
Master Plumbers Association, ap-
pointed at a meeting of the asso-
citation last night, will meet with
the wage board, to state the en-
ployers' ideas on whether union
plumbers should be given the in
crease in wages which they de-
mand by May z.
Master Plumbers Plans.
The master plumbers meeting,
which convened last night, adj
journed at an early hour this
morning, after five hours of debate
on the wage question.
The decision of the master
plumbers, as to whether or not
they will fall in line with other con-
tractors opposing the increase or
accede to the unions request IS
regarded as Of vital Importance Dy
both sides in the labor trouble.
E. J. Ewing, president OF the
employing plumbers organization,
TODAY said he was not at liberty to
divulge the plans of the association,
but that the conference committee
would bring definite information 10
the fair wage meeting.
Stand Against Increase.
Rufus S. Lusk, secretary Of the
fair wage committee and also OF
the Operative Builders Association,
stated today that the conference
probably would be held tomorrow.
James c. Robertson, chairman of
a subcommittee which canvassed
the general contractors OF Washing
ton to obtain their support Of the
program opposing a wage increase
to building tradeSmen at this time,
will also report to the meeting.
Practically every important con-
tractor in the city has signed an
agreement to stand against an in
crease.
While negotiations toward the or
ganizing Of the conference went
forward throughout the morning.
John Colpoys, Federal mediator, was
at work on a plan to bring every
element in the building trades stu
alton into a general conference, it
was learned.
Such a meeting, II is believed,
would widen the scope OF Mr.. Col
poys' past activities in the trouble.
and would bring contractors, bank
ers, builders and union representa-
tives around a table where they
might 'lay their cards down. face
up and then get down to the
basis of a settlement.
William J. Gallagher, interna-
tional organizer of union painters,
decorators and paperhangers, is re-
viewing the situation in other
cities, with a view toward applying
certain information to Washington
conditions.
While Secretary Click, of the
painters union, stated there were
no new developments today, it was
intimated that Mr.. Gallagher Will
return from his trip in time to out
line a course of future action to
the union meeting on Friday night
It was stated a Central Labor
Union headquarters today that the
plumbers and steamfitters' unions
were still withholding their plans,
in regard to wages, from the
public.
The master plumbers last night.
before the business of the meeting
got under way, were visited by
members of the fair wage commit
tee, and were told of the no-in-
crease agreement signed by other
employers organizations. The
master plumbers were asked to
take similar action, but the meet
ing adjourned without having act
ed upon the pledge.