The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-21
Carbonda1e Department.


the unions pay for the work, as II was
suggested unless, however the park
] board order the same In regular form.
Mr.. Alexander. however. gave the vis-
tors this satisfaction, that the park
| commissioners would likely meet to
| consider the petition, and If they
would, the labor unions representa-
tives would be SO informed.
Respecting this, The Tribune is in
| formed enough to say. that 1t is more
| than likely that the park board, with
the exception of Mayor Kilpa trick. who
is at Atlantic city, will hold an early
meeting. What action the board will
take however is purely speculative.
No prediction can be based on the
present indications, for II is an open
secret that there Is some division of
opinion among the commissioners as
to the expediency of ordering re-
painting Mr.. Alexander has stated
his position. which, conceding his
promises. no one will question that he
will alter It. Then 1t is the belief,
based on opinions that have been ex-
pressed since the opening of the con-
troversy, that not all of tho members
of the board would favor a re-painting
now that the work has been done.
Whatever opposition there may be
among the board to a re-painting, II
is not founded on n disbelief in organ
lied labor. but rather that IT would he
less prudent and dignified than if the
vexinC questions were disposed of by
merely passing a resolution that here
after no work he done about the parks
unless carried out by recognized union
workmen
MATTERS AFFECTED.
Whatever may he the outcome. it is
the earnest wish of the promoters of
the semi-centennial celebration that
the regrettable incident be brought to
speedy close. one of the Conse-
quenCes Of the controversy is the sus-
pension Of most of the jubilee plans,
particularly the work of decorating
The decorators are in town ready to
carry out their plans, hut the fear
that possibly the celebration might be
interferred with by reason Of the
threatened action of the labor unions
matters were sort of slowed up until
the prospect of safe travelling would
become a bit brighter
HOW PAINTING WAS ORDERED.
There seems TO be a misapprehcn-
sion of the facts that led up to the
painting Of the fountain by Frank &
Sons, at the direction of Mr.. Alexan-
der. The story that one hears every
quarter of the town is that Mr.. Alex
ander acted directly against the wishes
of the board and gave the job to a
mn al
of the board that union painters be
given the work. Among the facts
gathered by The Tribune man yes
terday was that the board did not
put itself on record in the matter of
painting. Reference To the minutes Of
the secretary Of the board shows that
there was no action taken about paint
There WAS some discussion, however,
relative to painting. Mr.. Alexander
announced that there would bc no
painting TINS year, and during the
discussion II was pointed out to Mr.
Alexander to he cautious and not give
out park work in a way that would
ihlure his business. This SUGGESTION
was called forth by Mr. Alexander tell
Ing of certain action that the labor
unions took against him, presumably
Sons. There was nothing done with
reference To thu painting until some
weeks ago, and a couple of months
after the meeting in April. when May
or Fitzpatrick suggested to Mr.. Alex
ander that ii would he well to have
the park fountain frightened with
paint COlors for the semi-centennial
celePraJ ion. Mr.. Alexander SAYS he
acquiesced, and, as customary with
him, he gave the work to Mr.. Frank.
who has done all of the park painting
for over dozen years. This covers
all of the circumstances of the work.
so far as the records show.
Mr. Alexander affirms that he has
no opposition to organized labor, and
the only circumstances that led him TO
give the work to Frank & Sons, were
that this firm has always done the
park work, long before the labor union
agitation, and that he was the heay-
lest taxpayer among the painters of
the town.