Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-02

, arc directly responsible for this delay.
Two Of the most frivolous and ut
terly groundlcss complaints OF labor
law Violations have recently been be-
fore the Public Service Commission and
the Finance Department one OF them
lodged last Nov5H Der. was dismissed
last week. Over $4,000 of the CON
| tractors paymcn wer. held up FOR
ten weeks The other was withdrawn
after "a cc-days' hearing. 1T held
/ up large payment for more than n
month. Contractors cannot proceed OK
peditiousiy with their work without
their payments. Have the labor lead
less ana unwarrnntcd holdups?
what have the labor leaders Of
Tered in the way OF helpful suggcs-
lions? The World recently published
an Interview with the general secrc-
'ary Of the Central Federated Union
To the effect that committee OF that
body had discovered over S2.cOO,OOo
worth Of AUTHORIZED contracts for pub
/ lie improvements in the Bronx alone
mat could he started within twenty.
four hours y large part Of this was
sewer work Such talk Ia absurd
What contractor would start sewer
'ohstEurli"n now, or any masonry
work, with the prospect of heavy win
ter weather setting in any day?
These leaders know that this kind
Of work is rarely done in the winter:
IL AT all. II Is only with small forces
on such work rs VIII not be injured
by the elements.
we noticed a report the other day
from Boston that Mayor Curlcy. Of that
city, had summoned before him some
sixty contractors who had been award
ed street and sewer contracts, and re-
qucs,cd that they begin work ut once
II they did so. would the city pay them
for doing large part of the work
over again In the spring?
such actions. do more harm than
good Tho published reports give an
entirely erroneous impression to the
public. who are unaware Of the prac-
teal cNigcncics Of the case. COntrac-
tors wnnt to geo all the work possible
given out-ws have all along been adj
NocatinE the advantages accrung 10
the city by letting it's work now but
II can't he started before spring. Ad-
vcrtisc IL now by all means. The ar
engagements for bonds, tho purchase
{ OF plant and materials viii require all
the time between now and spring be-
fore the work could he actually started.
The World article concludes with
Comptroller prcndcrgasts comment on
the Central Federated Unions report
1T has been my experience with the
officers OF the Central Federated Union
that they never knew what they were
! talking about"
The New York Times in recent
editorial on the immigration hill, says
of iabor's share in the unemployment
problems
Mr.. Gompcrs is not thinking of the
American people. He is thinking OF
| the American Federation. represent
ing ne-tenth of the wage earners and
a small fraction Of the population. The
| principle which Mr.. Gompers repre-
scnts is the limitation OF employment,
TO the federation, and the main,en-
ance OF wages on the highest scale
which can he enforced by the boycott
! and dynamite and Legislation under
duress. The country Is not ruined by
cheap labor or by an excess of labor. a
leading cause of unemployment mt
present is the union scale Of wages
and the union ban upon anybody
working except with the unions ap-
prevail. II the unionists kept them
selves employed, they might claim to
know what their true interests are
IIut the fact Is, the unionists cannot
enforce their requirements, which are
Il greater obstacle to the revival of
prosperity than the capitalist trusts
There is undcnlahlc proof OF that here
, There are millions of city money wait
| ing to be spent in subway wages, but
| which are kept unspcnt by processes
Of law. similar to that represented in
the bill which the President is asked
to sign"