The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1937-03-18

In very SHADOW NOk the
Capitol. +
Warrington, March l0--lts one
thing to have o sit-down strike Q
thousand miles away from here and,
as many Neutrality-suspicious. found out
quite another TO have one In this
norl-industrlai capital city. Especial
~ one which ties UP food and drink
In that nationally famous hosiery,
the New willard.
When the strike involves John l..
Lewis and other celebrated labor
leaders, and Is settled by Assistant
Labor Secretary Edward r. Me-
Grady, maestro OF mediators, and
II all happens right In the heart Of
this strange clty-well, sir, you have
something such as q Washington
correspondent Is seldom privileged TO
observe.
The first surprise you get Is
when you 70 10 the hotel to check
up on labor's Partisan
leagues convention and find .
dozen walters, cooks and wait
resses plcketing with standards
which proclaim 1.-THE willard
Hotel, Residence Of Presidents, 10
on Strike" Then you find the
other walters and Mattresses site
ting down In the dining room, cot.
fee shop and cocktail lounges, and
q few remaining guests preparing
TO leave.
Down in the kitchen, 20 cooks
and helpers have put the food away
and stopped production at the
source. Union men prepare TO bring
them sandwiches. A hundred en-
ployes are sitting down.
Her Mama There, Too
Ask how come and you hear &C.
cvsations OF coercion and intirnida-
ton OF union members, plus dis
charge Of o coffee shop waitress, 81.
legedly for union activity. The girl
Is on the picket line, carrying q
placard and accompanied by her
mama. She's good looking. Report
ers and photographers are rushing
10 the scene. The management re-
fuses to make q statement. Guests
are checking out, especially labor
leaders there for the convention.
Word spreads that the strike Is a
hostile frame-up by the A. r. Of L.,
with which the walters and
cooks union Is affiliated. McGrady
comes to the hotel for dinner, but
refuses to pass the picket line.
Your correspondent encounters
Maj. George L. Berry, chairman
Of labor's Nom Partisan league,
dining at the nearby Occidental
Restaurant on q tender two-inch
steak, impeccably brOiled, black
outside and red In the middle.
Major Berry Is kind enough TO
buy drink eventually two
drinks. Berry knows Of the
strike, thinks IT'S . plot against
his convention and points out he
has contractual relations with the
hotel
He says: "1n my 20 years as a
delegate to A. r. Of l.. conventions,
there's never been one without q
cooks and walters incident In
which delegates are urged not to eat
or sleep somewhere" He says that
Is an exclusive statement which he
will give to nobody else. He says
the big night meeting In the hotel
ballroom, at which speakers are to
argue for the Roosevelt supreme
court plan will 60 on just the same.
Meeting Is Ruined
Berry's meeting goes on. but the
strike downstairs has ruined 1t.
Lewis. scheduled as the big speaker
of the evening. hears Of the picket
line, knows photographers are wait.
Ing TO shoot him as he enters the
hotel and announces he doesn't pass
through picket lines. Strike leaders
offer to call of the pickets two
hours while he enters and speaks.
Lewis declines with thanks. Other
speakers crate, but you can hardly
near them for the corridor. noise Of
angry delegates. Some believe the
meeting should be moved and others
insist It's q plot.
Strike leaders and walters from
other hotels come UP to propa.
yandize\ and ask for the floor.
Berry refuses them, but eventual.
y committee OF i've important
abor leaders Is appointed to set
lie the strike. II tries vainly,
hat night and next morning.
Down on the sidewalk you meet
. favorite walter from another
hotel and o chef from still nm.
other. They and many associates
have come 10 encourage the pick.
eta. Women toss obyects at screens
on windows OF the great main
dining room, attracting attention
Of their men folk inside. The
management Is telling walters
they're Aired.
The checkroom girl In the pop
liar corner cocktail lounge has
been persuaded TO serve drinks
which union bartenders still mix,
following an attempt to make O
lew lonesome customers serve
themselves. This was met by
inion complaints that such serv-
ce Is In violation OF local law.
4 richly dressed woman an
lounces. In the presence Of strik-
IT'S, that IF Landon had heen
elected, no such outrage would
nave occurred" and her COM
,anion warns that she may be
hurting the strikers feelings.
Everything Is orderly: strikers
rave been told to resist hotel ON
;ers who may try to evict them, but
lot officers Of the law.
Sit on Unmade Beds
Thig sort 0f thin0g 00ae On all