New-York tribune., 1915-03-02
WHITMAN TO ASK
ALIEN LABOR LAW
REPEAL AT ONCE.
Governor Will Send Emer-
genCy Measure to the
Legislature.
CITIZENS IN RUSH
FOR SUBWAY JOBS
Foreign Workers CIamOr for
Observation-Disclosures
Forces Reduced.
lFrom star corrc.pondcnt Of The Tribune


lfrom star Correspondent of The Tribune
Albany, March J. Governor Whit
man announced to-day that he would
request the Legislature 10 repeal the
alien labor law in an emergency mes
sage. II is first desired to have a
hearing on the bill making that pro-
vision, which already has been intro
duced by Senator Spring. The hearing,
it is expected. will be held tomorrow
afternoon before the Labor and In
dustries Committee Of the Senate
Charles r. Crane, secretary OF the
contractors association, arrived in AL
bany tonight to be on hand for the
hearing, and it is expected that a large
delegation of labor men will be here
tomorrow to oppose the bill.
There is no doubt, however. that the
measure will pass. and Governor Whit
man will give It every aid in his power.
There will also be no trouble in get
ting through an amendment to validate
the existing subway contracts in New
York City, which. it is said, were in
validated by the employment of aliens
in violation of the law it is sought to
repeal.
Senator Spring. the introducer Of the
repeal bill, was not here tonight, but
Senator Brown, the majority leader.
and other Senator'S declared they would
not oppose such an amendment II 1t is
deemed necessary.
"Wc are now employing 500 men.
instead of the $500 We usually have
at work" said an official Of the Deg
non Contracting Company last night.
He added he believed this summed up
the general situation during the day.
These men are inexperienced. un-
used TO doing the heavy subway work,
he continued. They are natives. Only
a few of them are foreigners we had
before. who were able to produce cltl-
zenship paper
According to the reports of the Pub
lie Service Commission February j.
there were 17.769 men, all to d, Mt
work on the dual system. or these,
the Degnon Company. which has
rumbcr of contracts. was working a
daily average of 2,312 men.
Other companies employed daily
averages as follows: Rapid Transit
Subway Construction Company. 1880;
United States Realty and improvement
Company. .397; Bradley Contracting
Companv. g54: Crawford Company,
65G. and +. /. Crawford, Inc, G95. The
Terry e. Tench Company employed a
daily average Of 2,7S7 men, but most
of these are Americans. as the com
pany's chief work is steel construc-
tion.
However. the Degnon Company Off
cial said he did not believe any of the
bic firms were working more than 20
per cent OF their usual force. In
some instances the contractors had
,hut down work altogether, incident
TO the process Of wedding out the non
citizens.
Citizens Rush for Jobs.
Men swarmed to-day to the various
sbafts TO obtain employment. AT
Tweutv-third Street and Seventh Ave
rue long line waited. Nine at time
were hustled into a little shack, where
a doctor examined them. Almost all
we're put to work. but there as general
skepticism a to how long any OF them
would last They we're. as a rule, about
tUentv-one to twenty-five years old, un-
married. and usually gave that lntan-
o;hlo address. "Municipal Lodging
House" A majority seemed iii-fed and
probably unable to stand the STRAIN OF
heavy labor. The blue slips most OF
them held bore the words 1854 cents
an hour ..i g 4ho
One man. who was typical OF the
seekers after work, said he mad been
out of employment since Christmas
Refore that time he was temporary
clerk in a big department store;
AFTER Christmas there wasn't any
+b;ng to do" he said. "and ] lost my
,b ;nb I've been a bookkeeper and
yyoiosman I've even trim hed coal IN
coa.twise steamer. But Pm not so
stronq now. because I'm hungry.
The underfed men were plainly AZ
l;aadvantaqe starting out TO do the
- No one knew how long they
,,o,,Id last. However. there were ohiy
.o,, ar twelve reflections at this smart III
No forenoon. and these were because
The men had physical handlcaps'
L.
Walter Lincoln Sears sent some ZoU
mon from the Public Employment pu-
roau to three contractors VINO maue "P'
nlication for labor.
"We could supply all the citizen labor
rcouired if the conditions were right'
ta soid IF il was according 10 the
r,arkot rate. which is regulated by the
law of supply and demand. Aliens get
Con, 81 so to 81 so day. ou must
nav citizens more. They should get
o. 70 30 cents an hour for an eight,
hour day. In reasonable length OF
time all the men needed could be oo-
THE men selected here this morning
we're told that the work was heavy
They knew what to expect. All were
told of course, that citizenship was a
necessary qualification.
One OF the men in the Public Em-
plovment Bureau. waiting for Job
made a telling point when he said:
~ don't see why these subway con
tractors should make applicatio.. 10
nrjyate employment agencies when they
want men. Why don't they come mere
yyb re the men can register free. and
tben. If there's a chance for work, he
has 70 pay no fee. This is city job
Why should men who want work have
IN nav fees TO private agencies TO get
iohs on city work? 1t isn't right"
Travis ii. Whitney, secretary TO the
p,hLc Service Commission, and {. a.
Crane. secretary of the GeneralCon-
tractors Association, were both in, Al
banv Yesterday. as we'll as many others
Interested in the legislation on the
Lien law. X. u. Tompkins, of the
oxecutivc board Of the Central Fed
srated Union. said his committee
would hold meeting to-day probably
to frame protests TO be preSente1 at
Albany. When Mr.. whitney atten'
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