New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-25
WARRANTS FOR TILE MEN.
CONTRACT LABOR CASE.
arrests Expected To-dag1Resuit OF
.Subzcau Lockout


to-day TO arrest eleven members of the Tile.
Crate and Mantel Association. the employers
association Of the tile layers on Il charge of
violating the contract labor law by bringing. or
attempting TO bring, tile layers into this coun-
try from England. The penalty for breaking
this law is ine of from $1,000 to $4,000. or i'm
1risonment for not more than two years The
government intends to push these cases to the
limit. and. if convictions achieved. to ask
that the extreme penalties be imposed, in a de-
te7Tnined effort TO put end 10 the constant
violations Of :he Contract Labor law.
The cases are brought in the United States
District Court for the Southern District Of New
York and are the result of many months work
bv the Department of Commerce and Labor
which since its formation has had to deal with
violations Of the Contract Labor law. This case
has offered the greatest hope of success in prose-
c,ltion. and the department has kept four Eng
Iisb tile layers on Ellis Island. paying them 81 a
dav each since January. for witnesses in the
case while other points were worked up. It is
on the evidence OF these four men that the gov
eminent chiefly relies.
They are said TO be the final four of large
number who were brought to this country in an
svver to several advertisements published in Eng
Iish newspapers year ago. The other men
succeeded in returning to England, but these
were left without money. and it was through
aware Of the case.
The case goes back to a lockout of tile layers
IN August of last year. In connection with the
subway strike in progress at that time. The
employers association, according to the charges
in the case. learned that their men We're pre-
raring 10 strike and got ahead Of them with
lockout.
Then, it is alleged they advertised extensively
IN English newspapers for tile layers and
had no more than arrived than the trouble with
American workmen was settled and they re-
turned to work.
ThereupoD the Englishmen were told that
they were not accustomed TO American tools or
the methods of working In this country and
we're therefore useless. They were speedily dis
charged.
Some of them got home. and IT Is said that
a Fawcett with money collected from the
locked out worknlen, cared for several Of the
Englishmen and got them places to return home
on cattleships Four Of the men, Charles Lewis
William Angle. Henry Johnson and Edwin J.
Wright. fell into the hands OF the Department
Of Commerce and Labor. and gave such in
formation that the department decided that its
long looked for case had arrived at last
The men, 1t is saio told the officials of the
department all that they knew. and have been
held on Ellis Island to tell their story to the
at home, and they have been getting only 81
day while they stayed on the island. # is not
improbable that means viii be found to make
their stay here worth while
1t is understood that one of the men accused
by the government is Arthur T. Mart Of Mart &
Lawton. No. 1.123 Broadway. It is understood.
also, that 1t will be charged that he went to Engs
land and got the tile layers to come to this coun-
try
aFr 1Ts-+ lives a. M eoo Ar.c,, - ra-oo1,-,
He explained his connection with the case last
night as follows;
In October last. while the lockout of the tile
layers was in progress visited my old home at
Stoke-on-Trent. England. which is a large tile
manufacturing centre While was there, del
egation of tile layers visited me at my hotel
and said that they had heard that lockout ex-
listed in NeN-Y York and high wages might be OBJ
tstned by experienced men who went there
explained TIE situation them. telling them
of the lockout and the conditions. I told them
the wages paid in this country and the hours OF
labor. But I told them that if they wanted
work here they would have to come and seek
f. 7 SID that I could not employ them. and
explained the legal ban 10 my doing so. I did
not advertise for men and 1 did not employ
any. All the men who came did their
evn responsibility and no inducements
offered them.
In my opinion the Tile Layers Union is back
of this affair / think It is All endeayOr to get
hack at the employers shall make no attempt
to evadA service Of any warrant that may be
issued for ne | shall be at my place of bust
shais can find me there.
Edwin B Currier. Of Z Bradley Currer &
CO. No. 119 West 23d-st., another member of
tTa employers association said last night that
IL would be ready to-day for any warrant that
might be issued for him. He denied all knowI-
,dze Of any details Of the case, but said that he
had 10 fear Of the outcome
1t Is said that tie employers have been aware
70 some time that the four men were being held
O. Ellis Island and have, accordingly, been lay
hg plans fer their defence The case for the
&C. eminent viii be in charge OF Assistant
United States Attorneys Clarence Sheriff.
Houghton and Michael J. Byrne. The warrants
viii charge the eleven with violation of
Section $40 of the Revised Statutes, which de-
haes conspiracy against the government. 1t is
understood that the warrants will be issued this
morning by United States Commissioner Ridge
way and will be placed in the hands of United
states Marshal Henkel to execute.