The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-20
GRANITE MEN HOT
Protest Against-the Specifi-.
cations for the Soldiers
3 and Sailors Monu-
So .ss SIS ment.
; r -.esrs EyG gk9 Is...s 20
HUDSoE'S VETERANS TALK IT OYER
Think That Home Talent Has
Been Unjustly Dabarred from
the Competition.
HUDSoH'S VETERANS TALK IT OYER

saturday nlgntS meeting Oh II sSN
Grams Rights Association of hudson
County, which was held at the Avenue
House, proved to be a very important
one for that organization. IT assocla-
ton in no uncertain tones renewed its
protest against the action of the Tucson
County Soldiers and Sailors Monument
Committee adopting such specincatons
for the work asswould exclude the possl-
bility of its being done by home talent.
When the meeting was called to order
shortly after eight o'clock by President
Simmons. G. Frank Sutherland moved
that the regular order of business be sus-
pended to hear the committee OF Local
granite workers. which had been invited
to attend the meeting and state their po-
sition on the matter of the proposed
Soldiers Monument. The committee,
which consisted of Messrs. George F.
Riley, John Dickson, Adam Durks, VIM.
Luckhardt and D. P. Lenahan. were then
admitted. Mr.. Riley, as spokesman Tor
the party. presented the following conf
munication containing suggestions as to
the proposed work by William Gahagans
a members of the Granite Manufac-
turers' Association
ST most earnestly protest against the
action taken by the committee who have
charge of the erection of the Soldiers
and Sailors Monument, not only for the
reasons which were expressed in the open
letter already published, but because L
believe that undue haste in this matter
prevented a due consideration OF the same
by the committee. 1t is very evident tnaI
the consulted the National
Society of Sculptors and Architects 81
New York city; and it is just as apparent
that none else was consulted Ine
Sculptor Society knew exactly what 1t
was about when it prepared its submits
sion for plans and specihcatlons 1ofsllae
committee, and it took special ~recautlons
to have the no personal interview clause
inserted. Were they afraid that some
one other than a sculptor or architecl
sible that you will consent to be bound
by the provisions In the submission that
you must accept any monument tnat -
worthy of being executed, notwithstand-
ing the fact that it can be erected for q
sum much less than s1o, 900? Because they
say so are you going TO permit a monu,
ment worthy of being executed that VIII
only cost IS, 900 to be erected and give the
remaining 5000 to the designer? Is that
business like? What a howl would nave,
been raised if your committee had stipu-:
lated to be entirely bound by a committee
of four from our association
Il haye only time TO offer a Few sug-
slider before taking final action in TINS
matter G Aa zt
First. II sculptor, or ,sculptors and
architects combined. are alone to do the
work, then limit the price which the suc-
cessful competitor is to receive to a def
mite amounts and appropriate the balance
SECOND. n-your committee is favor
able to- sculptor or sculptors ana archl-
tects Isombinsd. have commune q
scuiptors and anahttectss combined, then
let your committees give them sueh por-
ton OF the ~ wark .s aS comes set w ssIde o rae
third or one-haf of the amount appro-
priated for the monument for the statue
Sire ST sfa anu prea en the Balance for the
monument or granite portion.
Third. Give everybody an opportunity
Be- Be- s aeeepted ds'1 Bier a a ~ressonabie eomDen-
eatiuus to theeuccessfulEcenapetiter.
Fourth IT is entirely unnecessary to
have a5model of a statue or figures on
which to base an estimate; because an
estimate can be made on the plans apoYe,
and If The planseare accepted IT Will be
easy TO .obtainza model based on those
plans. e ~ = -
This will save unnecessary expense
and considerable time, and, lastly, DC. not
Stand by those who stand by you. Is it
right thai no Jarseyman shall figure on
a monument to be erected in New York?
Is it right that you should permit New
York people to figure on one for New
Jersey? With the use Of business-like
methods the people of Hudson county will
have. a monument they can well feel
proud Or ~, r
w ACl SSSAetoiy W oAc h~o q
ing the communication Mr.. Riley stated
the case of the granite workers. protests
ing against the action of the committee
having the building of the monument in
hand and explaining that there WAS no
such thing in the State of New Jersey as
q sculptor and architect combined"
whom the advertisement of the Menu-,
ment Committee says can alone compete
for the work of the proposed monument.
and he added that the National Sculpture
Society Knew that at the time. He said
that the sculptors and monument makers
of this State have erected many beauti-
full throughout the country
and one of them now has or his books
an order for the erection of q SIS, 900
monument.
G. F. Sutherland said:-"From the ex-
plantations offered by the granite workers
we are constrained to believe that there
is a niger in the fence and I very much
doubt II the school children now grown
up, the widow who contributed her mite,
the wealthy man who gave from his
abundance, and the societies which do
mated their money, will feel satisfied to
know that two men wearing the Grand
Army button-Johns Ramsay and Or. L..
J.. Gordon-shaH spend $l3, 900 Of the;
peoples money with Mr.. St. Gaudens."
Mr.. Sutherland then produced a picture
OF the New jersey SKATE monument WHICH
was erected on the battlefield of Thicka-
magua. 1t is, he said, a magnificent piece
of granite work by local talent and cost
but So, 500.
1--WE should arraign the Monument Com
mittee," he continued, "for asking anyone
to furnish q design without competition;
for If our own people were allowed freely
to compete there would be forthcoming
q design which would consign MI. st.
Gaudens' innocuous desuetude.o
President Simmons then appointed Com
rades Sutherland, Post, O'Neili, Moore
and VALE a committee to communicate
with the Monument COMMITTEES and to
ask citizens to sign a protest against the
action of the aforesaid committee.
President Simmons, referring to the sud-
den death of Emanuel Sands, Department
Commander of N. j., G. A. R., In aefeeling
ant had befriended the association and
had promised to be with them on that
very evening.
The following resolutions were then
Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God
in His inscrutAble wisdom to cali from
our midst our late commander, Emanuel
Sands, Department Commander of the
Department of New Jersey, G.. A.. r.; and
Whereas, In his death the Grand Army
of the Republic of New Jersey has lost
an able and efficient commanding officer;
the old soldier a valued companion and
genial friend; the city of Jersey City, an
upright and worthy citizen; and the COM
munity a man who in all the walks of
life was worthy gof emplafion; therefore
Resolved, That We the members Of the