Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-02
MARKET CONTRACT
PROTEST TERMED
POLITICAL JOKE"
President of Local Builders AS
sOciatiOn Says it is NOT
Back of Waldr0n.

John F. Dey, head of local build
ing contracting firm and president of
the Builders and Traders Exchange,
Of 45 Clinton street. in statement
issued today declared that the con-
troversy over the awarding of the
contract for the building of the new
Centre Market is nothing more than
q big political Joke"
Mr.. Dey also took exception to a
story concerning the meeting of the
Associated Building Contractors,
which was held Saturday afternoon
in the rooms of the Builders and
Traders Exchange in Clinton street.
Mr.. Dey said:
I'm yesterdays Sunday Call there
was an article about the meeting of
the Associated Building Contractors
which was held in these rooms Sat
urday afternoon. l want to say that
the Builders and Traders Exchange
had nothing to do with that meet
ing.
According to the Call story, reso-
lutions were adopted stating that the
Associated Building Contractors are
strongly opposed to the way in which
the contract for the new Centre Mar
ket was awarded and the sale of the
bond issue carried out. These resolu
tions were signed by W. W. Schouler,
who the Call article says is president
of the exchange. That is not SO. l
am the president of the Builders and
Traders Exchange.
81 am going to have a talk with
the Mayor and tell him that the ex-
change. as a body, has taken no ac-
tion in this matter. OF course, the
members Of the exchange, individua'
ally, may think what they like. but
as the exchange is not political body
no action will be taken.
Strange to say, Z. M. Waldron,
who is making all the fuss in this
affair, is not a member of either the
Builders and Traders Exchange or
the Associated Building Contractors.
yet he was the principal speaker at
the meeting of the Associated Build
ing Contractors held Saturday after
noon.
"I attended the meeting Saturday
afternoon as president Of the Master
Masons' Association, and / was the
only one at the meeting who opposed
the action taken at the meeting. The
whole matter hinges on the political
pull that Mr.. Waldron has, and the
affair savors too much of the politi-
cal. and for that reason the Builders
and Traders Exchange will have
nothing to do with it."
Another thing I can't understand
is why James J. Dunn, Kearny con-
tractor, should come to this city and
protest against the building of a
Newark building"
Just at this point Mr.. Dunn hap
pened to enter the room where MI
Dey was speaking.
Mr. Dunn, when asked what his in
tefest m Tife rnatter. was, said:
MY interest in the Centre Market
question is based on the fact that ]
am a member of the Master Masons'
Association, and was a delegate to
the meeting of the Associated Build
ing Contractors Saturday from that
association. The Master Masons' As
sociation is opposed TO the way this
affair has been conducted"
Here Mr.. Dey interrupted and saidi
We'll the majority of the Master
Masons' Association, from what / can
learn, are not opposed at all There
will be a meeting of the Master
Masons' Association Friday afternoon
In these rooms We will then con-
slider the advisability of Withdrawing
from the Associated Building Con-
tractors l, as president, will call the
meeting for that date"
We'll, If it wasn't for me you
wouldn't be president of the Master
Masons Association" was Mr. Dunn's
reioinder.