The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-26
HOW THEY LOVE
The L-ABORER
Jersey City steamitters
Barred From Employ
ment Oh New
Schools.
cONTRACTSGO TO NEW YORK
Mayor Fagan's Directors Say
Tney Can Do Nothing for
Local Workmen
CONTRACTSGO TO NEW YORK

Afayor Fagan and his Republican ad-
visars have demonstrated once more how
much they really have at heart the well
fare of the Jersey City workingman, and
a strike which has just been declared on
Public Schools Nos. and % is the result
Of this i.ypocritical policy Of retrench-
ment and reform. The Republican Board
of Education awarded the contract for
the heating of the new schools to two
New York firms that for No. z going to
Frank Dobson and that for No. % to the
Balaw n Engineering Comp ny. These two
concerns employ over here their own en-
ployes, who are citizens of New York,
who come here every morning and return
to New York every evening, taking with
them the money of the tax payer OF Jer-
sey City and spending it in New York
where it does absolutely no good to the
property owner and merchant of this city,
from whose pockets it comes. It IS alb
solutely in vain that any Jersey City
steam filter applies to either of these
firms for work, for none is furnished
them Not only do these New York
firms refuse to employ Jersey City work
men, but if they should happen to take
one on their New York employees would
refuse to work with the Jersey City men,
and there would be trouble right away.
The rank injustice of this course OF
Mayor Pagan and his Republican admin
istration is the more apparent vixen it be-
comes known that under no consideration
are New Jersey men allowed to work on
similar jobs in New York That is, If it
should happen that an administration Of
New York City We're to give such an inn
portant piece of work to Jersey City
firm that firm would not be allowed to
take their Jersey City employees over the
river with them. but would have to em-
pioy New York men on the work.
The result of this state OF affairs in this
city is that a general strike has been
ordered on the two schools and the work
is practically at standstill. The work
men belonging to the other trades at
work on the two buildings naturally side
with their fellow citizens and refuse to
work with the New York men. As a con-
sequence all work except that of the
steamftters has ceased and is at a stand
stiH. How far this will retard the work
on the two schools and how long it viii
keep the children from the school facili-
ties they stand so much In need of at
this time remains to be seen But what
ever the loss is the citizens and school
children can thank Mayor FaganS and his
Republican administration for it.
Mayor Fagan had left town this morn
ing when a News reporter endeavored
to ascertain what he had to say about
the situation. President John Ward, of
the Board Of Education, was seen, how
over. and in endeavoring to apologize for
the action of his Board in the matter said:
Work was stopped on Schools Nc. ?
and % on Friday noon by all employed
but the steam filters. They are working
and will continue until the jobs are COM
pleted Then suppose the other trades
men will resume where they left off and
rhe only thing I can see is that the
strikers are losing time to no purpose.
"The situation is rather complicated
one In New York the steam filters have
an organization known as the Enterprise
and Progressive Chapter They reserve
fifty miles about New York as their terri
tori. None but those who are members
OF this organization are permitted TO work
for any contractor who has an arrange