The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-25
ASKS TO Be ARRESTED
AS ALIEN EMPLOYER
{. 4. Crane Anxious to Test
Law Regarding Foreigners
on City Work.
MAY GET CHANCE TODAY

Won't somebody please arrest e. y
tors Association
lie invites nay. u'ces ~. All day NeS-
terday he walked about the city confess
ing he is a lswbr-aker and pleading that
ne DE held for il. but nobody granted him
this boon Finally he appeared before
the City Hail reporters to make final
plea. Said he:
II have a city contract for constructing
a sewer basin at Cleveland place and
kenmare street. near the Delaney street
bridge. Two Italians, one Greek and one
Irishmsn are working for me. None of
them is naturalizod The law say, every
person employed by contractor on public
work must be citizen Let me repeat.
! have TWO Italians. one Greek and one
Irishmsn on my contract and not one of
the four a citizen.
II shall be al Cleveland place and
Kenmare street at 10 o'clock tomorrow.
Wednesday. morning. ready to be ar
rested. ! invite the Public Service Com
mission the District Attorney. the po-
lice. the sheriff. the labor unions or any
charge me with violating the alien labor
law. Then III get a writ OF habeas
corpus and well soon find out whether
this law il unconstitutional"
Mr. Crane, like the other members al
his association and many lawyers. be-
lleves the law will fall Nat when il gets
to the Court OF Appeals He thinks I
ought to be tested at once. and as nobody
else, to his knowledge had volunteered
as subject for the experiment. and as
the Public Service Commission. the sub
way contractors and the District Attor-
ney's office appeared unable TO agree on
procedure at once etiicacious and seemly.
he was willing 20 be the victim.
However representatives of the various
interests affected by the labor union
threats had "A series of conferences at
the Public Service Commissions offices
yesterday and by nightfal! a plan of
action was agreed upon.
Previously a contractor had been Sc
lected who was TO be arrested yesterday.
But it developed that several Of the con-
ferees We're In favor OF testing the law
civilly by means Of a suit for forfeiture
OF contract Eventually this idea was
abandoned because OF the prosper, of long
court delays, and an arrest was again
decided upon. II nothing goes wrong,
O.
Crane may get chance after all.
Meanwhile opposition 30 the course Of
business Agent John Gin in demanding
that all aliens be discharged from sub
way work is increasing in some OF the
labor unions. Mr.. Crane says this is es-
peclally marked among the building trade
unions, and that agents of these unions
will be on hand to confront Mr. GIL when
the hearing OF his complaint against the
Dock Contractor Company is held before
the Public Service Commission to-day.
state Labor Commissioner Lynch. tes-
tifying before the state Factory Inves-
tigating Commission in the County Court
House yesterday, said
Prior To the present business depres-
sion IL would possibly have been difficult
to have obtained enough citizens for the
subway work. hut now, with the building
industry SO slack, | am pretty sure
enough citizens can be found for All the
work. probably more than required"
The hearing was adjourned until next
Tuesday.