The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-05-24
BOARD COULD NOT
PREFER UNIONS
Resolution of President List
Finally Withdrawn
Request That Contract for School
Buildings Provide for Union
Labor. A
TRUSTEES HAVE NO CHOICE.

Moral influence on public opinion
seems to have been the motive in the
request to the school board last night
from the striking carpenters in the
city, that in the erection of the new
school buildings. only union labor be
|employed. This request came in the
form of motion by President List,
who moved that the motion to ac-
|cept the plans for the new buildings
be amended by the specification that
only union labor be employed in
their erection. Half of the board was
taken completely by surprise by the
motion. After strong speeches from
most Of the trustees, President List
withdrew his motion. The plan of
other trustees to give the striking
carpenters the moral influence OF
the school board, by making the mo
ton read. ito favor union labor so
far as practicable, was not carried
out.
Without any ado, President List.
toward the end of the meeting, called
Vice-President Potter to the chair,
and made the motion that only union
labor be employed. Visibly. a ripple
of surprise, characterized here by
opposition and there by approval, ran
around the board Not since the
meetings last summer when the Eng
lish position was a bone Of conten-
ton, was the atmosphere of the
school board meeting electrified as 1t
was this motion. Trustees arose In
quick succession to express their
opinions and some of them were
sharp, while all condemned the mo-
tion as ii was stated.
Trustee Beckenback following
President List said he could not IA
yor the motion because he did not be-
lieve It was legal. but that If 1t was
qualified to mean that so far as prac-
ticable union labor would be approx
ed in the erection OF the buildings by
the school board. he would second
the motion. Trustee Kelly said that a
committee of the carpenters union
had called on him to request him to
use his influence in passing the mo-
ton, but that he had told them that
he did not believe the idea was either
legal or just So far as he was able,
he said he would gladly lend his in
fuence to them, but did not see how
their idea could be executed other
than by getting the contract through
the lowest bid. Speaking to the
board, he said he did not think over
three bids would be received If the
motion was adopted. However. to
get the motion before the board for
general discussion, Trustee Kelley
seconded President Lists motion
Trustee Karnes said he did not be-
lieve such a motion would be legal
and cited instances, where he said
similar plans had failed. He spoke
against the motion. Trus-
tee Davis in a few words expressed
or the other trustees
present, Trustees Byrd, Potter.
Clements and Brame did not speak
on the motion. The situation in the
board was unique for such motion.
Trustees Karnes. Davis and Brame
are contractors, who have not sign
Cu the cdApShtSi uhioh oCdles tnou6h
counterbalancing any opposition
they might have, Trustee Beckenbach
is member of a union and Trustees
Kelley employs union men.
Trustees Kelley and Beckenbach
both admitted that the motion was
an admirable war measure OF the
striking carpenters and expressed
with the union. but they
as well as the rest of the trustees.
who took positive stand. condemn
ed the idea Of discriminating in the
specifications on the point Of labor.
President List seeing the unmistaka-
Bile attitude of the board on his mo-
ton as stated, withdrew 1t without
a substitute. His action
closed the incident.