Evening star., 1939-08-30
|Carmody Hits
'1-Man Block
To Ending Strike
Firm Procedures
Contemplated in
Building Tie-up

Responsibility for delaying con-
struction Of Federal buildings in
Washington was laid at the feet of
one person today by John M. Car
mody, Federal Works Administrator.
Without direct reference to L. E.
Smoot, chairman of the board of
Smoot Sand & Gravel Co., who has
been reported i'll at his home near
Colonial Beach, Va, and who, ac-
cording to leaders of 200 striking
workers at his concern, has declined
to designate an authorized repre-
sentative to confer with the strikers.
Mr.. Carmody said:
If there were war, it would be
lntolerable to think that any one
person could delay construction of
buildings authorized by Congress
ana badly needed for current Gov
ernment business. Assume that a
single company supplied the District
WIN gasoline and that the owner
left the city during a labor dispute,
leaving the city without any gasoline
and his employees said nothing could
be done until he came back-what
would the people do?"
Officials Of the Smoot Co. here de-
cllned to comment on Mr.. Car
modys statement, and telephone
communication could not be estab-
lsned with Mr.. Smoot's Virginia
residence.
Firm Procedures Considered.
During the day officials of the
Labor Department Cancellation
| Service conferred in an effort to
devise new and if necessary firm"
procedures for terminating the To-
day-old strike at the Smoot con-
Germ. Pending solution of the strike
| construction on millions of dollars
worth of buildings has been virtually
halted, and upward of 5000 men
have been thrown out of employ-
ment. DR.. John R. Steelman. direc-
tor of the Cancellation Service. to-
Gay Joined Conciliator Howard T.
Colvin, whose settlement suggestion
was rejected by the Smoot company
Monday. in an attempt to bring an
early end to the strike.
Upon solution of the gravel strike,
according to Mr.. Colvin, settlement
may be expected in the week-old
plumbers strike. Representatives Of
plumbers and employers met with
Mr.. Colvin for several hours yester-
day afternoon, but no agreement
was reached. Arrangements were
made, however, for another confer.
ence to be called by the conciliator.
| Mr.. Colvln was scheduled to con.
fer today with Hugh C. McKenny.
spokesman for Commercial Teleera-
piers Union, Local No. "a, and
other officials of the union regard.
ing the locals differences with the
Western Union Co. The union had
empowered a negotiating COMMITTEES
With the right to call a strike il
necessary in furtherance of its dis
pute with the company regarding
wage and hour demands.
Western Union Denies CHARGES.
MeanWhlle, b. r. Allen, superin-
tendent of the local Western Union
office, today issued a statement de-
nylng union charges that the COM
pany has remained adamant in its
refusal to arbitrate /. ." Mr..
Allen asserted that "the telegraph
company has at no time declined to
negotiate with the c. T. U. at Wash
lngton, and, as proof of that, several
conferences have been held attended
by officials representing various de-
partments of the Western Union
and the officers representing the
G. T. U. The telegraph company
has at no time declined to negotiate
with the C.. T. U. - In fact.
the Western Union has agreed to
some OF the unions requests, num-
Der OF which are now in effect"