New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-28
NOW 1T IS n STRIKE.
Something More to Delay Finishing
FOrty-SccOnd-St. Paving.

According TO present conditions there seems
10 be small chance that the sandy wastes OF
WesL Forty-second-st. Will be paved for some
time TO come. The asphalt PAYERS employed
by the Continental Asphalt Paving Company
which has the contract. have struck. and 10 all
appearances have delivered a knockout blow 10
the hopes of the merchants and property own
ers along that part of the street
The strikers. according to the paving com
pany. demand ten hours pay for an eight-hour
day. clause in the contract Law specifies that
all contract work shall be done under the eight
hour law. but this clause has never been strictly
observed. and was considered among contractors
as dead clause. one of the delegates Of the
union recently called attention to this law. and
backed by the Labor Bureau demanded its OBJ
servance by the contractors. The asphalt paw
ing companies contend, however. that as their
supplies of asphalt are often detained for hours
on the way TO the work It is impossible to
guarantee an eight-hour day but that they are
willing TO pay, as they always have for the extra
time. The strikers want the extra time pay con-
tinued with the eght-hour day. The Continen-
tai Company says il viii not go to work in West
Forty until this question is settled or
until the city issues an emergency call on them
TO finish the work Immediately.
Albert H. Mentz superintendent of the West
Side Dispensary, said yesterday that steps We're
being taken by him to get the Health Depart
nent Interested in the condition of the street
The paving company. after laying Belgian
block as bed for receiving the asphalt pave
ment covered it with gravel and left it, The
gravel has been ground into powder and on
dry days is a serious menace TO health. Many
of the patients treated at the dspensary suffer
with tuberculosis, and in coming to and leaving
the dispensary eXpectorate into this dust which
IN turn, Is blown about. Mr.. MentZ said that
Ut. Darllngtons secretary had promised to exert
all his powers 10 have the subject brought to the
Health Commissioners attention.
Joseph MCHugh, whose store is in Forty-sec-
ond-st- near Fifth-ave.. in speaking yesterday
OF the fact that the city would insist on the
Degnon Company repaving the south side of the
street between Fifth and Sixth ayes. said that
he would like 10 know whether the city would
back up the demands Of the property owners in
Forty second-st. to have their property. which
was deranRed by the company put into as good
. condition AS before the company began its
work. Mr.. McHugh asserts that when the Deg
non Company undertook to restore his storage
vault under the sidewalk the workmen made
mistakes twice I'm the grading of the floor. and
each time laid additional layers of concrete to
remedy the mistakes until the height of the vault
reduced nine inches
He showed yesterday where the roof of the
vault had been leaking since il had been re-
placed by the DegnOn Company. He said the
company finished restoring the vault two months
ago, and that although he had repeatedly writ
ten complaints to them about the poor work
manship no attention had been paid 10 his com
muncatiOnS.