The evening times., 1896-08-18
THEY FILED TWO PROTESTS
Central Labor Union Men Call
on Commissioners.
DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION
District Granite Curb Contractor As
cused OF Hiring Unskilled Cheap
Labor-Rate of Wages to He Paid
PAYERS Also Considered-MinOr Dis
trict Matters.

| A delegation of the representatives OF
| Central Labor Union called upon the Com
| missioners today and filed two protests,
one against the awarding of further con
tr;icis To Francis A Jones, who has been
furnishing the District with granite curb,
| ami the other against the reduction by the
Commissioners OF the rate OF wages to be
paid PAYERS in the District.
The gentlemen also had something to say
| concerning the delay In the construction
| Of the Langdon public school building.
hey said they desired very much that
mere should be more expedition in the mat
ter, since the children Of the community
are greatly In need of the increased facil-
tiles.
In respect to Contractor Jones. the dele
CATION represented that he is having his
worA at the quarries done by unskillctl,
cheap labor, at wages that range from ST. rs
downward, and that large part of tie
curb, as received here, has to be recut-
Low GRADE OF LABOR
They charged that Jones discrimuates
against labor, aud that ny reason OF such
discrimination and the low grade OF labor
and the low rate OF wages paid he Ia
enabled 10 deliver the curb here from
Lirhonia, Ga, at lower rates than Others
ca:i do the same work, with the result
that skilled labor is despoiled of its rights
and the District gets au inferior class OF
curting.
The other question, the reduction OF the
wage rate, was discussed also, from the
standpoint of law and Justice
1t was argued that II a private CON
tractor can afford to pay So per day it is
manfestIy unjust for the District TO set
the example of low wages, and thus com
pei men to compete with a compensation
that is barely enough to keep them above
pauperage. They argued, upon this point.
that S1.75 per day 10 in reality an aver
age of less than 81 per day, since the work
Of paving can only be done during seven
months in the year.
The tendency OF this action of the Dis
trict government is TO force wages below
recognized and just standards, they de-
cared, and thisis not creditable to the po W.
ers that be. from any standpoint. In re-
ducing wages the grade of citizenship is
reduced. for the better the wages the better
the citizen.
1t was suggested also that the reduction
of the wage scale was in violation of the
statutes. which provide that the rate of
compensation upon public work shall be
the same as that established in tn e matter of
private contracts, and this, they claimed
was not done. since the rate on all cor
tract work for private individuals is 80
per cent higher than that sanctioned by
the Commissioners.
An appeal was made to the Commiss
or n bai nd
Compensation to the proper grade
The delegation was composed OF Milford
spohn. president OF the Central La Dor Union;
William Silver, president OF the Building
Trades Council; william Welch. president
OF the PAYERS Union, and John A. Brett of
the Steamfittcrs' Union.
THE RAILWAYS RIGHTS.
The Commissioners herd Mr.. A. E. Ran
die today in behalf of the Capital Railway
Company as TO its rights under its charter
to construct trolley over the Anacostia
Bridge. 1t seemed to be considered as q
question OF privilege for the Commissioners
to coDstrue, and they unanmosly decided
that tile act of March 2, amending the act
to incorporate the company, clearly gives
it the right asked for.
The provision upon which this decision Is
. based, is found in the second section of the
act, and is as follows:
"The motive power to be used on the
lines in this act specified shall be under
ground electric system within the city of
Washington and the overhead trolley sys.
TEN outside the city of Washington. For
crossing the Navy Yard bridge the said
company may In the discretion of the Com
rnissioners, use either horse power or the
underground electric system to propel its
cars, and the said company shall have the
privilege of carrying an electric current
across said Navy Yard Bridge in such man
ner as the Commissioners Of the District
shall prescribe"
The company was evidently n some doubt
as to Its right TO come that far with its
trolley, and awaited the Commissioners
decision Mr.. Randle says he regards it
as most desirable privilege. The en-
gineer, he says, has been directed to
proceed accordingly with his spectrca
tons.