Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-07-27

UNIONS.
This City's Building Conditions
Warmly Considered at Mas
ter Builders Convention.
THEY FAVOR OPEN SHOP
AmbOy Contractors Accused of
Hiring Elizabeth Strikers
Same in Jersey City.

The building trades conditions in
this city were the subject of much
discussion at the thirteenth quarter
ly convention of the State Master
Builders Association at Plainfield
Wednesday, as told in the NEWS.
Emil Koyen, of this city, vice pres
ident for Middlesex county in the
association, reported that building
conditions in this city have been in
an unsettled state for months. The
carpenters union had started trouble
and struck last May, it was stated.
The bosses are experimenting with
the open shop proposition, but Perth
Amhoy is a thoroughly unionized
town, and non-union men are hard to
get and harder to keep, 1t was as
serted. Work had been cut down sew
enty-five per cent, owing to the
strikes, but the bosses propose to
stick manfully by their colors and
continue a never-surrender policy
against the journeymen, he said.
Relations Between Cities.
The secretary's report evoked a
discussion that took up nearly the
whole of the session. Communica-
tions read by the secretary accused
certain contractors, by implication,
of hiring union men who had struck
or been locked out in other cities,
said procedure being contrary to the
law and spirit of the Master Build
ers' Association. Strike-ridden Perth
Amboy was aggrieved at Elizabeth
for this cause, and strike-ridden Jer-
sey City at Newark. There was some
warm discussion among delegates
from these aforesaid towns. A mo-
tion was offered to the effect that no
contractor belonging to the associa-
ton should hire striking workmen
from another part of the state, and
where such men had already been
hired, they should be discharged
forthwith; notice to this effect to be
sent to all members of the associa-
ton. This motion was objected to,
as laying the convention open to the
charge of conspiracy, and it was lost.
The chair explained that there is al;
ors of the association should not en-
ploy strikers, and that the motion
was not only risky but unnecessary.
1t was withdrawn, and another sub
Stituted and adopted, that contractors
should inquire into the references
of applicants for jobs to ascertain
whether or not they were strikers.
Intimidation of WOrkmcn.
The intimidation of non-union
workmen by unionists and the boy
cotting of open shop material was
entered into. A motion was intro
duced to instruct the legislative COM
mittee to prepare a bill defining con-
spiracy, and to see whether an in
junction against the strikers, in the
case of Jersey City, could not be OBJ
tanned. The motion was lost, but
later the vote was reconsidered, and
it passed in an amended form.
Mr.. Koyen Prominent.
President Hugh ID. King, of Bloom
field, was in the chair when the con-
vention was called to order at 2
O'Clock for roll call by Secretary Alex
e. Pearson, of Orange. On the plat
form were the eight vice presidents,
as follows: Henry w. Egner, New
ark; l.. b. Woolston, Plainfield; Emil
Koyen, Perth Amboy; John M. Lath-
rop, Jersey City; George A. Mills,
Morristown; r. H. Hughes, Long
Branch; A. Dickinson, Paterson, and
Andrew ID. Bogert, Englewood.
The meeting ended at 6 o'clock,
and after an hours intermission, the
delegates reassembled for dinner, the
excellent menu and addresses occu-
pying their attention for three hours.
The next quarterly convention in
October, will be held at Elizabeth.