The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-07
SCHOOL JOB
THREAT MADE
BY LABOR
Continues from First Page.l

the Burnet Street School job is tied up
by the union men the schoolhouse COM
mittee will have succeeded in blocking
the most important chool work of the
year. and of causing a ~congested con-
dition in a number of schools and ne
cessitating the halliday sessions in a
number OF classes.
Alderman William j. Reilly, of the
Tenth Ward, was at the City Hall.
ready to go before the committee on
school houses before the board meet
ing and talk on the labor question in
the name of the Building Trades Coun-
ell. He is business agent of the brick
layers and masons. With him, as MEM
bers of the municipal committee of the
Building Trades Council, were William
E. Ryan, business agent of the local
plumbers; Frank Fetridge, business
agent of the fathers, and Charles Kane,
a member of the bricklayers and dele
gate to the council.
1--WE realize that the committee
hasn't a whole lot of discretion in this"
said Mr.. Reilly in talking on the situa-
ton, but it seems unwise to consider
the bid of a man who is employing
men not citizens of the United States
to build schools. We say now in the
name of the Building Trades Council,
that if the mason contract is let to
Guerin, not a member of a labor union
will work on the job.
1--WE do not want to be put in the
position of holding up the work, and
have made known the stand we are
forced to take ahead of time. We have
told the school commissioners what we
intend to do md are here to talk fur
Their If we are wanted. For two years
Mr.. Guerin has been employing nom
union labor, and as a consequence We
have seen men who are paying not d
GER of taxes and have no interest in
Newark at work while our men were
without employment.
For the sake of seeing the school
hurried to completion in a number of
cases we have stood aside heretofore.
That cannot happen now. The trades
are united and prepared to stand to-
gether in this matter. If Mr.. Guerin
patches up his differences with the
bricklayers, why, all will be s~atisfac-
tory"
Mr.. Fetri6ge said he wanted to en-
phasize that the committees fight was
not personal and had nothing to do with
individuals. He said that the Trades
Council wanted union men employed
and would have to insist upon it or re-
fuse to work, contracts of employers
with the city, bonds and other things
Notwithstanding.
Commissioner James Shape stated
when the resolution to award the con-
tracts were introduced by Chairman
George Marley. of the committee on
schoolhouses, that he knew that the
argument had been heretofore that the
committee was required to give the job
to the lowest responsible bidder.
There is a proviso in the advertise
ment for bids which gives the board
the authority to throw out any and all
bids" continued Commissioners Shape,
st want to know if it is considered
good business to give a contract to a
man employing foul labor when that
will result in the work on the building
being tied up indefinitely"
Mr.. Shape cited that the Essex
County Park Commission had collected
$4,000 from a delinquent bridge con-
tractor. Mr.. Marley said that the
lowest responsible bidders, provided
they protected the city with proper
security, had to be given the
contract and that COMMISSIONS Shape,
as a former member of the committee
on schoolhouses, was well aware Of it.
Mr.. Shapes queries as to technical
questions would have to be taken up
by the law department of the city, he
added.
IT have spoken to Mr., Guerin." Mr..
Marley said, and he says that his re-
lations with the unions are satisfac-
tory
Notwithstanding what Mr.. Guerin
says" Mr.. Shape came back, Il will say
to his face that his relations are not
satisfactory and he does not employ
satisfactory labor"
There was a long argument as to
penalties. and when it was suggested
that Assistant City Attorney Charles
NJ. Myers, who was present, settle the
matter, he told the board that If an
opinion was desired it would be neces-
sary to request City Counsel James r..
Nugent to prepare ii. Under the city
charter, he pointed out, only hat Off
cial could give an opinion, and to be
of value, il should be in writing.
The contracts were finally awarded
on the following bids. Mason, Isaac
B. Guerin. $40. 1876; iron, Clements Iron
Works. $11, 100; carpenter, Charles
Schaedel & Brother, Sl3,950; roofing and
cornice work, Baier & Conrad, SEALS;
plumbing, Ralph b. Schmidt Company,
5 1903; painting, Charles Stopper, $l,l2I;
electrical work, Browe Company, $l,fho'
steam heating. Earl & Cook Company,
SIS, 1913; ventilating, Earl & Cook Com
pany, SO, 434. Total, $93.076. Architects
and engineers fees of s per cent, $4,-
500. so. Total cost Of completing build
ing 10 city, s97, 1880. Appropriation,
500, 900.
When resolutions were for
the acceptance of Belmont Avenue
Schools addition plans, as prepared by
Hurd & Sutton and Engineer Percy b.
Taylor, and the plans for the edition
for Bergen Street School, presented by
Architect Alfred Peter, Commissioner
lie Francis wanted action postponed.
He fought it out on the Belmont Ave
nue. School addition first. He said that
the plans should not be formally ac-
cepted until the bids were in md it
had been shown that the work was to
be within the appropriation.
Commissioners Tarley, Schaefer and
Backus took the stand that the
city couldn't advertise for bids UNI
til the plans and specifications had
been accepted and approved. MIR. Var
ley said that the only thing TO do was
to get bids, and. if they We're high,
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