The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-09
CITY'S NONUNION LABOR
CLAIMED THAT TAGGART BROKE AN
OTHER ANTE-ELECTION PROMISE.
But Central Body, That Denounced the
County Commissioners, Will Not
Tackle 'sIIey Tom"

There was long wrangie at the meeting
of the Central Labor Union last night over
the proposition of Delegate Purcell. of the
Electricians Union, as to whether com
mittee should be appointed to call on Mayor
Taggdrt and the Board of Public Works to
ascertain why union labor is not being en-
ployed at the new police station building.
Before the election, Mr.. Purcell said, the
mayor had assured a committee from the
Electricians Union that no contract for
wiring the new police station should be
signed without a stipulation that union
labor should be employed. After the cleo
ton the contract was awarded and the
work is being done by nonunion labor Mr.
Purcell called up the subject to see if there
was net some way in wh.-A the union
could be aided in getting ante-electon
promises made good. After a prolonged
discussion the meeting adjourned without
taking any action. This was pointed out
by several of the delegates as being incon-
sistent, after the body had adopted a reso-
luton denouncing the County Commission
ers for awarding the contract for the
plumbing at the new home of the Board
of Childrens' Guardians at Irvington to a
nonunion firm, at a higher price than a
union firm was willing to do the work. The
resolution also scored the commissioners
for giving the thing work in the City Hall
to nonunion contractor.
When the Taggart matter was called up,
Mr.. Perkins made an elaborate excuse as
to why the Central Labor Union should
take no action on the station house case.
in denOunclng the County Commissioners.
He doubted whether the resolution would
do any good: There is only one way to
hAn1 hQ q all lxpn
what that is, but we are not allowed to
discuss it up here This was a reference
to the rule prohibiting political discussions
at meetings of the union.
''Taggart has made all kinds of promises
to u.s., said Mr.. Purcell, but that is as far
as they go. Every time we have appealed
to the central BODY, we have been put off
and advised to let things go. There was
the case of the City Hospital, where Tag
go without making trouble, if anything
came up in the future he would see that
we did not get the worst Of it. Promises
do us no good. When other unions come
here they get what they ask for. 1 think
the electricians should have the same treat
ment."
let things go at the station house as they
are, as it would dc no good to make
rumpuS over nonunion men being employed
there. IT the contractor We're compelled to
employ nonunion men on that job, it would
not amount to as much as if the organza-
ton committee went about to unionize all
the electricians in the city.
Mr.. Burgan took exceptions to what Mr..
Perkins had said. He told how the electric
workers had come, asking for assistance
time after time and were required to "let
things CO." "If the Board of Public
Works has this matter in hand, and if Tag
CART has made promises, it is about time
to put him on record, said he. Another
delegate remarked that promises made be-
fore elections ought to be good after cleo
lions. Nf9
Referring to the City Hospital job, Per-
kinS said that was long ago when the cleo
trio workers had barely enough strength to
possess a charter, and after it ended they
had not taken enough interest to send their
delegates to meetings of the central union.
He Insisted that it was use trying to
help the union until it was more thoroughly
insisted that the time a union needs the
most help is when 1t is weak and unable
to help itself