Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-04-17
Painters and Paperhangers
Plan to Underbid Employ
ers on Contracts.
PLEDGE FINANCIAL AID
TO MASTER PLUMBERS
Latter Ask and Get More Time on
Wage Ultimatum From Opera
tive Builders.

Union painters and paperhangers
in the District took a new line of at
tack in their fight with builders and
employers today with the announce.
ment that beginning today painters
VIII operate their own shops, supply
painters TO do work at cost, under
cut the master painters in price and
get their S10-a-day scale at the same
time.
Similar shops, it was announced
from union headquarters, would also
be opened Immediately to take care of
the paperhangers. William J. Gal.
lagher, international organizer for the
Painter and Paperhangers' Union. de-
clared that the union paDerhanging
shop can do work for SO per cent less
than prices charged by master paper
hangers. This he partially explained
by stating that wholesale prices for
material would be charged in place of
the retail scales.
Union Workers Called OF.
Two other developments marked the
course of the strike today; they were:
Ffrst-Appearance of non.union
painters on construction work in
progress at 81 l street resulted in
orders being issued from union Of
ffcials calling off painters, paper
hangers, elevator installers, plumbers
and steamfitters.
Second-One hour before the ulti.
fnatum from the operative builders.
demanding the attitude of the master
plumbers as to whether they would
grant a wage increase, expired. Fred
w. Quinter, chairman of the master
plumbers conference committee,
called at the office of Rufus Iusk.
secretary of the operative builders.
and asked that they be given until
the middle of next week to decide
whether they would pay the increase
to the union plumbers. This exten-
sion was granted.
Hope to Avert Strike.
The increase demanded is from SO
TO $11 per day. Mr.. Quinter explained
that his association was endeavoring
TO get meeting with the union men
for Monday or Tuesday, at which il
was hoped to avert strike. He ex.
planned that the master plumbers
could not give a definite answer unfit
that time, but would let the builders
and contractors know Immediately aft.
er the meeting just what stand they
would take
Mr.. Lusk stated that he desired a
definite answer. and since the meet
ing was to be called he did not desire
to do anything that might hinder the
conference. He said he would extend
tne tline at the request of Mr.. Quinter
until the middle of next week.
Discussing the plumbers threatened
strike today, Mr.. Gallagher stated
that If any of the master plumbers
found difficulty in getting loans If
tney grant wage increase his mr.
gan1Zation has $1,000, 900 in it's treas.
ury. and there are also two local
banks from which loans to these men
can be made.
Ready to Fight.
Mr.. Gallagher asserted that if the
builders and employers want 10 fight
they can get it," He said If they
were anxious to keep his men out of
work, then the union men were ready
10 take their work away from them
And L want TO tell you one thing
that we have only just begun to dem
onstrate our power. If the fair wage
committee wants to see Just how DOW.
erful 1t is, or we are, then we are
ready" he declared He explained
that an advertisement would be run
in today's paper announcing the open-
ing of the union shop.
Mr.. Gallagher said that efforts. as
lar as he was concerned, to get the
union painters to confer with the fair
wage committee would be useless.
I'VE will confer with the master
painters, but 1 see no reason why we
should confer with anybody else We
might as we'll confer with the street
car conductors" was his answer.