The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-28

business in New York. It has made itself
the biggest construction company In the
world. Capitalized at $40, 100000 IL Is
owned and operated by another corpora
ton, the United States Realty and Con-
struction Company. with a capital Of
500 900, OOO 1t combined many great
and powerful influences, in real estate,
finance, politics, life insurance, railroads,
1t adorned its board Of directors with
many distinguished names. 1t devel-
oped many new economies and able
pulls" What concerns us Is its in
genious method Of negotiating with
labor" A quotation from Mr.. BAKER
may put us near the heart Of the secret
Of the success Of this corporation:
During tho whole time OF the building tradel
lockout the man the street may have noticed
that work on many new buildings. some Of the
most important In New York went forward with
out interruption, quietly. persistently. Further
inquiry would have shown that all. or nearly all,
OF these buildings were under contract by . single
conceru-the George A. Fuller Construction Com
pAny Now. why Wa this company working when
did /, rise superior to strikes and lockouts, Had
It solved at last the labor problemi-
The solution came from Chicago with
this ingenious corporation. Curiously
enough, SAM PARKS came here with these
same persuaders Of labor Came as
scab, Mr.. BAKER tells us, 'and there is
evidence that he was on their payroll
long after he had become leader Of the
union; that while he was drawing wages
from his union to look after its interests
he was also drawing money from the
Fuller company to look out for it, inter-
ests." For instance: SAM PARKS met, by
appointment, in saloon, the superin-
tendent Of the Hecla Iron Works Of
Brooklyn. SAM said the company was
violating rules, but he would make 1t all
right for $1,000. The superintendent
told him to get out. SAN called strikes,
which threw 200 men out OF work and
cost the company $4,000. The president
of the company met PARKS and tried
to get the row settled. A part OF their
dialogue is labor classic:
I'm 1t; you pay me-. said PARKS. 'rou can
20 to work when you pay SAM PARKS
what about the men who arc ssrikingf' asked
| Mr.. PouLsEN
ITO he'll with those - responded this leader
concerning his constituents
Mr.. PoULsEN gave PARKS a check for
| 50 900, check now in the hands Of Dis
trict Attorney JEROME. That check
was cashed by the Fuller COMPANY
The original policy Of the Fuller COM
pany was to yield to the demands OF
labor and take 1t out Of the public.
Its close associ alton with PARKS and
its immunity from strikes have led
inevitably to differences or suspicious:
The Fuller company. as a labor leader ex-
pressed IL TO me. went the old builders better
on their own game Instead Of buying delegates
occasionally they were able TO own a supply out
| right 1t Is common talk In the building trades
tina. the Fuller company. through Its influence
with the labor bosses could and did cause strikes
against their competitors and even invited strikes
/ against themselves when they wished TO secure
| Immunity nom penalties under the strike clause
In the ir contracts but could not md any specific
| evidence, even from the oompanys worst enemies.
| Of this dastardly sort Of warfare. But this idea
Of being friends with labor. good or bad. has kept
the Fuller buildings going through all the strike.
has made good their claim to getting their building
/ done on t!n.-at any cost OF money honor.
! Other construction companies, Like the Thompson.
! Starrett company. more conservstivey managed,
buried their differences with tho old line consrao-
tors temporarily and joined the Employers Asso-
citation In thelr ngh. to down tho black ma ing
! labor boss
AT any cost OF money or honor!' Pleas
ant words for those directors. eminent,
wealthy, some Of them pious. "Cor-
ruption' may be, as Mr.. BAKER says,
"a good investment but the world
is 50 censorious. Many or most of these
figures Of high and high flying finance
have no personal knowledge Of these
transactions with labor leaders, these
dexterous means of avoiding strikes and
njuring competitors. But so most OF
PARKss fellow unionists had no knowl-
edge of his forced loans
The exile of PARKS doesn't alter the
situation. The accomplices or suborn-
ers of PARKS are not interfered with.
They are free to continue their inter-
esting plan Of campaign for their own
benefit and the discontinue of their riv-
| d. 1r1vy