Evening star., 1939-03-12
BY HAROLD b. ROGERS.

BY HAROLD b. ROGERS.
A new proposal for settlement of
the strike at l3 hotels will be laid
before parley of labor leaders and
motel operators at the Department
OF Labor this morning by j. r.
Steelman, director of Cancellation.
Details of the new plan were not
disclosed, but it was learned from
reliable sources that Mr.. Steelman,
who has headed up two days of
strenuous negotiations. will be ready
with something definite and diff
ferent for both sides to the con-
troversy to consider.
The conference is scheduled for
II O'Clock in the big conference
room at the Department of Labor.
where two previous Joint confer
ences in attempts to resolve the
questions at issue have met only
in deadlock.
Still hanging over the situation
was the threat of labor leaders to
pull OF on strike the stationary en-
glneers who handle the heating
plants. lights. power and mecnan-
lcal equipment of the big hotels
Strike leaders claim they could
cripple the hotels with this blow.
Ihey had planned the move first
FRIDAY, and again yesterday, Just
before the Saturday night hote!
business, with its banquet5, dances
and night club activities. But on
repeated insistence of Mr.. Steellnan
the engineers were left in their
places. and there was no difficulty
on this score last night.
Hotels Declared Ready
| From spokesmen for the hotels,
| however. came the statement that.
even II the unions should carry ,ut
their threat and pull off he en-
glneers. some arrangements would
be made to provide both heat and
light.
All the hotels are prepared to
man their engine rooms, regardless
OF any and all strike calls" said
the statement issued by Osgood Rob-
erts OF the Maflowsr Hotel, spokes-
man for the picketed institutions.
The hotels have demonstrated
that they are mindful of their re-
sponsibllities to the public, and will
| continue to be so.
This threat has been heard for
days and we are still unworried
1t apparently springs from a source
/ intended to alarm rather than in
form.
There is not the slightest chance
! OF single one of the l3 hotels being
without heat or light. even if this
latest of the so-called solar plexus
blows should be carried out.
we repeat, the hotels are fully
prepared, not worried in the slight
est, and forever remain conscious
OF their own responsibilities to the
washington and travelling public"
Union Officials Due Today.
The joint conference late yester-
day afternoon was adjourned after
only short session, because of a
message that Miguel Garriga, inter-
national vice president of the Hotel
and Restaurant Employees Interna-
tlonal Alliance, directing the strike,
would be able to join the negotia-
tors this morning. Otherwise. it had
been expected the issues at stake
would have been threshed over for
hours yesterday afternoon, with the
outcome problematical.
AT the meeting this morning. it is
understood the same personnel will
represent labor, management and
the Government, with the exception
that labor's forces will be reinforced
by Mr.. Garriga, who had been here
before in connection with the strike.
He was in Pittsburgh late yesterday.
When he sent word that he could
come to join the negotiators here.
Meanwhile picket lines which con-
tlnued throughout the night, were
still thrown about all l3 hotels this
morning. Strikers planned to keen
up the picketing until a settlement
is reached.
LABOR leaders estimated that even
though they had withheld what thev
considered their most powerful
weapon, strike by the engineers, the
Saturday night business at the no.
tells vas less than it would have
been without the picket line and
the strike.
Banquet Is Shifted.
checkup of the hotels them.
selves disclosed that one BANQUET
had been shifted from the Willard
Hotel to the Washington Hotel be-
cause OF the strike. 1t was dinner
TO Lewis G. Hines. secretary of labor
and industry for the State of Penn
sylvania.
There were other banquets as
scheduled at the picketed Willard.
Lafayette, Raleigh and Ambassa-
dor Hotels, according to the man
agements. and night club activities
were under way at the Wardman
Park Metronome room, the Shore
ham Hotel, Carlton Hotel Shar-Zad
room and Raleigh Hotel Pail Mall
room.
The most important cancellation,
announced several days ago, was
that by the White House Corre-
spondents' Association, which had
planned its annual banquet at the
Mayfower Hotel for last night, with
President Roosevelt as the principal
guest of honor.
The meeting Of the Ohio State
Society, scheduled for tomorrow at
the Raleigh Hotel. has ben post
poned because of the strike, it was
announced by the society's Execu-
tive Committee.