New-York tribune., 1915-02-27
Two Contractors to Stop
ito Reorganize the
Working Forces"
LAW AND DECISION
BOTH TO BE FOUGHT
WuSt Have Aliens, Builders Say
Men Assert Americans
Can Be Got in Plenty.

.,s.. one section Of the subway pos
..b,v .- others. Bu, the Gordisn knot
.-.,h Tho Cour, Of Appeals has tied
rsv soon be severed by legislative &C
zion. .., 80, T.,
r is probable that bill will be
almost Immediately introduced IN the
Assembly repeating or altering the ia"
-rstrs- tho employment Of aliens. In
40 ,~ear time the General Contractors
association will go 20 the United
States supreme Court on the grounas
.rs, tho decision violates not only the
Constitution. but also treaties.
Edward NJ. Grout, counsel for the as
,o-,ation. said last night:
OF Will take stems for writ OF error
a. once. The only thing TO do a. pres
.-t ,s 20 comply with tho Law 50 Tar
rcpeal is concerned. that rests with
The sentiment Of the Legislature ana
.rr ncoplc OF the state.
The Rapid Transit Subway Construc-
..ou Company notified the Public Ser
vice Commission last night That II
would stop work to-day on section
q The Lexington Avenue route FOR the
ryrposc oF reorgsnizinG the working
sorccs" The section runs from Forty
.rird 20 Fifty-;hird Street
The company has contracts for Sec
ION IA o. tho Seventh Avenue-Lexlng-
.on Avenue line. the Battery section.
ne section from Battery Place 70
Vesev Street on Greenwich Street, and
from Thirticth 20 Forty-thlrd street
7; is expected work viii be shut down
.u these sections. too.
Dernon Co. Also VIII Stop Work.
The Decnon Contracting Company
gave the same reason for stopping
g.ork within a few days. This company
has work on the Broadway line, from
Pan. PA @ 20 Walker Street; on the
Fourth Avenue line, from Forty-tnird
20 SN'v-frst Street, and from sixty
-rs. 10 Egh;y-siNth Street; on the
seventh Avenue line, from Nesey 10
Roach and from Beach 70 Commerce
-.rco.. on nc crosstown line on Cen
.al PARK South, from Seventh TO Sec
urd Avenue.
sneaker Thaddeus c. Sweet Of the
Assembly said in Albany that he eI-
rrr'Cd legislation remedyIng the STU
...or would be introduced next week
he was quoted a. fsyoring an invesu-
cation into the subject Sentiment IN
mis- c5ty appeared 20 be for change IN
'rc law.
Chairmau Mccall OF the Public Ser
,.co Commission said the results OF the
decision were stupcncous and wouId
mean 2 decided delay Of the subway
work Commissioner Williams said ne
thought the work should 60 ahead and
contracts be let as usual. Controller
Prcndergast characterized the law as
against public interest and species
Of intolerance Mayor Mitchell lacon-
-rar1y esrd: "It viii he expensive
Tho labor forces which mad been sue
.cssfuI I'M forcing the issue, we're high
., .latcd At the headquarters OF the
Tunnel and Subway Constructors
Union, Il was said the situation could
not be better. jeremiah A. OLesry,
counsel for John Gill. Of the brcKlay-
,rs Nasons and Plssterers' Union. gave
out this telegram, which GIil hsd sent
20 Governor Whitman:
Gill Blames Tammsny.
Il, is 10 be hoped that no importu-
mites Of Tammany contractors Will m
|.ro Won 10 help abolish law enacted
bv former Republican administration
-or the benefit Of American cltizenS
over the padrone system. The state
mcnt that the subway contractors can
not obtain American laboTers 70 do the
work is deliberate falsehood.'
Gill said 100000 Americans were IDLE
row md ready 20 do the work. Mr.
UIearv said his client intended 20
force immediate compliance with me
decision. not alone on the subway. nut
on the aqueduct and all other pubic
works in the state.
Tbe statement by Gill that Ameri-
,sns could be had in abundance to do
the work was directly opposed 10 that
made IN Albany By {. A. Crane, secre-
-sry Of the General Contractors Asso-
cation He said:
"lt IS impossible 20 get natlEes 20 90
tho work We've tried IL and can't get
them. We even offered them more
tnar 81 66. the rate We pay aliens but
hey won't do the heavy work OF eNca--
waiting. Unless the decision IS reversed
bv the federal courts il means the END
% subway construction
Forty contracting firus employed on
subway work we're represented at
meeting Of the General Contractors
Association IN the Hotel Manhattan.
Nr Crane came down from Albany 10
attend He said later ne believed go
pcr cent Of the common laborers ana
20 per cent Of the skilled workmen IN
The subway construction were aliens.
VIII Add TO Idle Problem.
1T is probable the stone masons
union has the largest percentage. Inc
contractors will begin dischSrging
aliens Immediately, and the unemploy-
commented.
The Public Service Commission has
contracts for S4OOOOO,000 worth Of
rapid transit work now on hand. Sixty
four of the eignty-three contracts for
trc dual system have been let, and
seven are ready to be let. Chairman
Mccall said bids we're TO have been
uDcned on another section Of the Sew
tuth Avenue line, but had been held up
II we opened them, We might be in
nc position Of having 10 award the
contract TO the lowest bidder" he said
The law says the commission must
void any contract on which alien labor
is employed or be subject 90 a misde-
meanor. On the other hand, II we void
an the contracts on alien labor COM
plants. and the United States Supreme
Court reyerses the Court Of Appeals,
t, puts US in a position TO be sued FOR
millions Of dollars damage.
We cannot let any more contracts
until a decision is rendered from
Washington. ] think the Legislature
SHOULD give the commission some other
alternative than the yoiding OF con
tract as the penalty for violation OF
the labor law. The penalty is too Sc