New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-25
Contracts WITH TR4DES-UNION%.

Dr. Rainsford suggests that bargains for pub
lie works should be made not with capitalists
or contractors. but directly with workingmens
organizations Thus. when the Government
wants new clistom-house or the city a new
courthouse instead Of making a contract for
the whole job with some firm of builders. it
should make contracts with the StonecuttcrS
Union. the Brcklaycrs' Union. the Iron Work
ers' Union. the Plastcrcrs' Union, and the other
organizations whose members will be employed
On the edifice; or perhaps with the Central
Labor Union. which comprises all these. The
scheme is not novel, nor original with DIR.
Rainsford. but in spite Of that fact or because
Of il. is none the less WORTHY Of notice. 1t has
often hitherto been put forward, both in this
country and in Great Britain, and probably
will be hereafter and is entitled TO respectful
consideration as a plan seriously proposed by
many more or less thoughtful men, for the
Luton of at least one part Of the complicated
thing known as the labor problem.
1t may as well be conceded. 10 begin with,
that it is an entirely logical proposition from
the point of view of many labor unions 1t
means merely carrying out 10 a consistent
conclusion Of the system already adopted If
the labor unions are 10 dictate the conditions
on which the work is 10 be done. the source
from which the material is to be secured the
men who are 20 be employed, the number of
hours n day they are To work. the wages they
are 10 receive il is only reasonable that they
should themselves make the contract and as
sumo responsibility for the performance of The
work For il IS manifcSty unfair for n con
tractor to bind himself 10 do job for Il GER
tain price, expecting to get his material from
Il certain quarry and To hire his men ut Il Ger
tain rate. and then be arbitrarily compelled 10
get the material elsewhere where il will cost
much more, and TO pay his men IA higher rate
of wages. From one point Of view, the power
that regulates these details should also settle
the price at which the whole job is 10 he done
and take upon itself the task Of doing it al thar
price.
70 such an arrangement. however, there have
been found in Great Britain TWO apparently i'll
supcrabe obstacles one is. that the perform
ance of works of magnitude requires a large
working capital and that is something Il labor
union does not possess In building the new
Custom House in this city. for example it may
he necessary 10 pay ont hundreds Of thousands
of dollars for material and wages before "A
single dollar is received for the purpose from
| nc trON'THIntHI. W Ill HlOT union mas SHrn
an amount of ready cash on hand for even Il
single job. moi to mention the scores Of Jobs
il might be called upon 10 undertake at once:
For if the plan is 10 be applied TO public works
il is 10 be applied TO private ones also The
great hotels. oflcc-buildings. and other edhccs
under construction in this city during the last
year commanded aud absolutely required the
use of millions Of dollars of working capital
Is il supposablc that the various working
mems unions whose members were EMPLOYED
upon them could have furnished IL? II they
have such slnI> Of money which can be with
out Inconvenience devoted TO such PURPOSE
the fact has certainly been most successfully
concealed from the world
The other obstacle is equally Formidable. IL
is found in the responsibility OF the labor or
CARNATIONS. the impossIbility Of holding them
10 the futlmcnt Of contracts. the impossibility
of recovering indemnity from them for non
fulfment. Let IL be granted that the unions
are invariably honest and faithful; still the
objection is not answered. On some large lob
after careful estimates had been made con.