Evening star., 1938-07-20
HOUSE NPLAzA
WILL Be OPENED
Junior Trade Body Members
Are Completing Work for
Weekend Display.

AHe CeAtuIy>oAu mousse UnaL JACK
rebuilt" will be open for public in
spection Monday-more than three
months after the project was launched
as part Of the Junior Board of
Commerce city-wide cleanup CAM
paign.
The board issued q statement yes-
serday saying that labor trouble"
had caused the delay in repairing
the dilapidated structure, standing in
the plaza at Fifteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue NV. since the
middle Of April.
THE house was scheduled to be
finished. decorated. and open to the
public the first Of this week." said the
statement. issued through the boards
Beautify Washington Committee, but
when the painters local union dis
covered that the plumber on the lob.
a member Of the Junior Board of Com
merce. was non-union, they refused
to finish the interior.
"Thirty-six members of the local
union had already painted the exterior
In the record time OF 50 minutes. and
had agreed to donate their services to
do all the painting"
Finishing Work Themselves.
The committee then pointed out
that since everything has to be
donated, and the junior boarders did
not wish to antagonize union labor
by accepting offers of assistance from
non-union paint contractors, they are
| finishing the interior themselves"
j. w. Brabner-Smith, chairman of
the committee. and several other
members yesterday took of their
shirts and went to work with paint
brushes. Several members, Mr.. Brab-
ner-Smith said, have been working on
the house during their lunch periods.
! Mr.. Brabner- Smith explained that
the board had been having labor
trouble" since the very start of the
project. designed to launch . CAM
paign that would stimulate employ
ment Of building tradesmen as we'll
as beautify the city. He emphasized,
however. that all work except the
plumbing land the interior painting)
had been done by union men. He
said the board member non-union
plumber was Morris Poland.
Carpenters Cause Trouble.
The committee chairmen said the
first trouble came with the union car
penters. He said he had been under
the impression" from the start that
the carpenters were to donate their
services toward renovating the old
house.
Just before the carpenters were to
have started work." Mr.. Brabner-
Smith said, they held q meeting and
decided not to 1t because, they said,
non-union men would get nine -tenths
OF the work such = campaign would
develop"
Frank r. Howard. business agent
OF the Carpenters District Council.
said We couldn't see where we would
get anything out of it." He said Mr..
Brabner-Smith had come before the
council with the plan but it had been
rejected. 1t Is true, he said, that
nine-tenths OF carpenters hired on
repair projects would be on-union.
Knew 1t Would Be Flop.
John Locher. business representative
OF the Washington Building Trades
Council, said Il knew the renovating
campaign was going to be a fop from
the start. The public just doesn't
take to such things"
As for renovating the old house
the board has had on the Plaza. Mr..
Locher said he doubted IF the build
ing inspector would even give a permit
to remodel such an old structure"
The carpentry work on the place
has been done by the owner, Ray
Taylor q member of Carpenters
Local No. 1872. He said he has hired
several union carpenters to help him.
The house WAS moved from the corner
Of Third and N streets S.W.. near the
house in which Mr.. Taylor lives.
Thirty-flve firms have donated
500 worth of materials for the
house 1t will be furnished by =
department store for the two-week
public inspection. 1t had been tenta-
lively planned to sell the house At auc-
ton as q ballyhoo stunt to give the
campaign a good send-of. but now
it will be turned back to the owner,
since he's done most OF the carpentry
work on 1t.