Evening star., 1939-03-18
Hotel Strike Accord
Appears Imminent
Under New Plan
Committees Are Given
Power to Agree Without
Reporting Back

Settlement of Washington hotel
strike appeared more imminent to-
day than at any time since the
Labor Department Cancellation Of
flee was called in as arbitrator.
Both sides of the dispute have
agreed for the first time to be rep
resented in the peace conferences
by small committees with full au-
thority to effect settlement without
reporting back to their organiza-
tions, it was learned.
Decision to follow this procedure
was reached late last night after
continuous separate and joint ses-
sions with large. unwieldy repre-
sentations of the warning factions
failed to restlt in breaking the dead
lock.
Committees representing the
management of the 13 strikebound
hotels and the labor unions involved
IN the controversy will be composed
OF no more than five or six spokes-
men. with orders to sign an agree
ment on the spot when a satisfactory
solution is reached.
The committees were to meet to-
day with DR.. John R. Steelman,
conciliation chief. in a Labor De-
partnent conference room. After
a joint conference of several hours,
the negotiators adjourned late yes
terday for separate parleys, which
continued until late last night.
Despite presence of thousands of
celebrating sons of Fire at several
of the strlkebound hotels last night
no picket line disputes of major
import were reported. Pickets at
the Mayfower and Carlton Hotels
distributed leaflets to the st. Pat
rick's Day revelers, asking them
to aid the strikers by not passing
the picket lines, but the parties
went on as scheduled and no dis
order occurred.
Petty violence which resulted in
the smashing of hotel windows and
damaging of automobiles earlier in
the week also was absent last night.
Concerning earlier property dam
age at the hotels, Miguel Garriga,
international vice president of the
Hotel and Restaurant Employees
Union, issued a statement today
in which he deplored the violence
and said the unions plan to police
the picket lines themselves to see
that this reprehensivle conduct OF
lawless persons is stopped"
He said the striking unions "appre-
ciate deeply the concern of the hotel
owners for the safety of their prop
erty and they appreciate, too, the
general willingness to withhold judg-
ment as to responsibility for dam
age done to hotel properties"
Augmented Lines.
Ordinary police protection seems
not to have been enough to safeguard
these properties" he continued"
We now propose to police these prop
critics ourselves through augmented
picket lines. Every picket will be
instructed to be on watch for va
grants and those who may be seek
ing an opportunity to do damage.
And If any picket can apprehend a
guilty party he will be under in
structions to exercise the right of
every citizen to arrest one caught
perpetrating crime"
Starting tomorrow" he said, I'VE
shall police the hotels against
which we are on strike"
Mr.. Garriga stated further, 1--WE
are conducting legitimate labor
dispute on an honorable basis and
we intend to allow no disrupting
force or factor to change it,"
Meanwhile, John r. Fitzpatrick,
dean Of Columbus University Law
School, announced the cancellation
of a dinner dance Of Alpha Mu
Chapter, Sigma Delta Kappa Fra
ternity, scheduled for tonight at
the La Fayette Hotel. Members of
the fraternity do no wish to pass
through a picket line, it was ex-
planned.
Support for the striking unions
was voiced last night by the Dis
trict Council Of the United Federal
Workers Of America in a resolution
which asked the hotel association
to grant the union demands in full.
Two former employees Of the
Raleigh Hotel appeared in Police
Court yesterday to answer assault
charges. Lawrence Brown, ~. COL
ored, of the 400 block of M street
N w., who pleaded not guilty to two
charges, was released on bonds total
ing 500. pending trial by jury. He
was charged with assaulting two
non-striking employees.
Similar charges brought q not