Evening star., 1934-05-31
Harry D. Watts Says Fed
Grafton of Labor Failed
| to Cooperate.
CONFERENCE is CALLED
IN ICE CREAM WALKOUT
Effort Made to Mediate Disputes
Among Engineers and
Teamsters.

New efforts to settle the strike on
the triplet buildings in the Federal
triangle and the ice cream strike in
two local plants got under way this
afternoon.
Harry D. Watts, vice president Of
James Stewart g. Co., general con-
tractors for the Interstate Commerce
Commission, Department of Labor and
the Auditorium, triplet buildings,
failed to get cooperation he desired
from the American Federation of
Labor and this afternoon turned to
Senator Wagner, chairman of the
National Labor Board. Watts planned
conference with Senator Wagner
and said he would ask the National
Labor Board to do something definite
to bring an end to the juriSdictional
fight between two parts of the Amer
ican Federation Of Labor, which is
tying up three Government buildings.
Mems Removal Demanded.
Watts announcement of his new
move came after a long conference
with M. J. McDonough, president of
the Building Trades Department of
the A F of L., at the Stewart Office.
Watts said McDonough offered to end
the strike if the Stewart company
would remove plasterers of the Brick
layers, MaSons and Plasterers' Inter-
national Union, who are on the jobs
from which plaSterers of the Oper-
ative PlaSterers and Cement Finish
ers' International Association are on
strike. The company refused to oust
one union to put in another. and
Watts then turned to the National
Labor Board.
Meantime, second move was under
way to settle the strike of engineers,
f1remen and oilers in the ice cream
plants of Carry's and Southern Daries.
A meeting of manufacturers and
representatives of the union was held
in headquarters of the Merchants and
Manufacturers Association in The
Evening Star Building in efforts to
compose long-standing differences.
The men now are asking an increase
Of $3.50 a week.
Teamsters Also Meet.
The teamsters Of ice cream COM
panies also scheduled a meeting to
discuss new wage agreement. It
was to be held in the same room i'm
mediately after the negotiations to
settle the strike.
Richard A. Dickson, president Of the
Central ah0Y TTninn
by representatives of the Ice Cream
Union to handle the negotiations and
went to the conference with his
Executive Committee. augmented by
the Grievance Committee Of the
| Central body. James McCloskey a
business agent of the Ice Cream
Union is taking part in the negotia-
tions.
Union carpenters remained on strike
following their fiat rejection yester-
day OF the proposed compromise wage
agreement. which would have placed
the hourly wage at SIPS for an eight
| hour day.
The vote was said to have been
536 to 466 against the compromise
and in favor of the carpenters de-
mands for $1.3712 an hour, six-hour
day and 30-hour week.
The compromise had been worked
| out at series Of parleys held by
District Commissioner Allen. The
carpenters Wage Committee agreed
to carry the proposal back to their
membership, with the understanding
that the vote of the membership
would be controlling.
The carpenters have been on strike
since May /. Several firms and con-
tractors were reported to have signed
! at S1.37h an hour and a six-hour day.
Bridge Also Tied Up.
Rejection of the agreement by car
penters means continued tie-up in the
moving Of Calvert Street Bridge, an
unusual engineering feat, which
awaits return Of the carpenters, for
about three days work.
The Senate Education and Labor
Committee, headed by Senator Walsh,
Democrat, of Massachusetts,, is ex-
pected to meet within 10 days to
launch the investigation ordered by
the Senate yesterday into labor con-
ditions on public buildings here and
| elsewhere.
The chairman indicated the De-
partment of Justice would be asked
to cooperate in gathering all neces-
Fl, sary information.
AS originally introduced by Senators
Walsh and Davis, Republican, of
Pennsylvania, the resolution related
to the Federal building program in
Washington, but was broadened in
committee to apply throughout the
country.
The resolution directs the commit
tee to inquire specifically whether
there exists a so-called "kick-back"
racket, described as taking back from
! laborers a part of the wages to which
they are entitled under contracts.
The resolution went through the
Senate without debate after Senator
Byrnes, Democrat, of South Carolina
had filed the recommendation Of the
Audit and Control Committee, fixing
$4,000 as the cost of the inquiry.
II