Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-15
INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION
MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK
BUILDERS LEAGUE TESTIFY,
Believe in an Intelligent Plan of Ar
bitratiOn, Not Com
puIsory.
COMMISSION

At todays ession of the industrial COM
mission representatives of the Builders
League of New York were heard. Mr.. John
+. Leo, president of the league, was the
hrst witness. He said the league was form
ed about six years ago, and consists of en-
ployers of LABOR in the building trade.
Labor difficulties, strikes and lockouts are
constantly occurring in this line of indus
try, and questions relating to employer and
employe are always arising. Mr.. Leo told
OF the methods used in settling troubles in
the different branches of the building trade
upol one occasion there was a strike
among the plasterers working in the lower
part of the city of New York 1t was the
custom in such strikes for the men in the
upper part of town to support the men in
the lower end while they were on strike
This time wher. one crowd struck the
mas-er builders uptown declared lockout
ana the strike was declared off within two
days. This difficulty occurred with the
plaSterers, who, Mr.. Leo said, caused most
of the troubles in the building trade. The
stone cutters had a big strike. which re-
suited in victory for the men. There is
very little trouble with the bricklayers.
They get 90 cents an hour, which in the cir
cu-ls,ances is not too high.
An Intelligent Plan of Arbitration.
The employers would encourage and pre-
fer an intelligent plan of arbitration, but
Mr.. Leo did not favor state national
boards. He thought there was a constant
ly increasing sentiment in favor of SEN
sible, rational arbitration between the men
and employers.
The discussion turned upon the question
Of the utility of the walking delegate to
the unions Mr.. Leo said these men un-
doubtedly serve purpose to unions, but.
on the other hand they often do things
which seem tyrannical and harsh to the
men and to the employer alike. Referring
to the liability of employers for accidents
to employees, he said 60 10 per cent of
accidents were due to the careessness of
the victims or some of their fellow work
men, yet the employers are made RESPONSE
BILE.
Mr.. Judson Lawson, first vice president of
the Builders League of New York, then
gave testimony, indorsing what Mr.. Leo
had said. He added that he was very
much in favor of arbitration, although he
would not have 1t made compulsory. He
would favor a law which would subject
either party to a penalty for entering upon
a strike or lockout before proposing arbi-
tration. Mr.. Lawson outlined some of the
labor laws of New York. which he con-
sidered onerous to the employers, and some
proposed laws which would be very un-
fair.
State Labor Legislation.
y MI LOUIS f1drulHS, oHe Ol Tie DohTd VI
managers Of the Builders League, followed,
giving Endorsement to the remarks of his
two colleagues who had preceded him. He
gave an account Of the participation of the
labor organizations in legislation before the
state legislature The unions, he said, kept
a representative at Albany all the time, and
legislators were threatened with the black
list by the labor unions If they opposed
bills advanced by the unions. A list is
printed annually by the unions naming the
Legislators who to be blacklisted and
this list Is circulated among the laborfng
men.
He thought that every labor law enacted
In the last few years had proven a detri-
ment to the men instead Of a benefit. One,
for instance which provided that no piece
of granite for use in any municipal or state
building should be cut and finished outside
OF New York. AS there were not the ap-
pliances in the state for finishing certain
large columns, substitutes for granite had
to be found. He said the extra cost in the
granite for the Metropolitan Museum build
ing by this law amounted to s1O0 900.
Mr.. Harding favored arbitration for the
settlement of disputes between employers
and employees. He would be willing to i'm
pcSe a penalty for not offering arbitra ton
prior to a strike or lockout.