Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-28
RAP
VARE AND PATTERSON
officials of Associations Say
Senator and Judge Worked
Against Them
"cosT CITY 100000"


against Philadelphia granite cutters and
statement that Judge Patterson, eau
didate for Mayor, had rendered a de-
cision in favor of the cutters but re-
fused to compel the director of public
works to live up to the law. were con-
tained in a letter received today by
Murdoch Kendrick, campaign manager
| for Congressman Moore.
The letter was from John G. Walsh,
business agent of the Philadelphia Gra-
mite Cutters Union, and Thomas L.
McShea. business agent of the Journey
men Stone Cutters Association of North
America.
This situation, they wrote. results in
cost to the city Of $i;OOO,OO0 more,
than it would have cost If the Judge
had enforced the law
A summary of the charges as made
by Walsh and McShea follows:
"In consideration of the fact that
| Judge John NJ. Patterson, his cam
paign committee and his political back
! ers have made labor one of the princi-
pal issues in the present contest for the
Republican mayoralty nomination, per-
|
pprtinent facts concerning the real labor
/ issue in this contest with the hope that
you may be able to assist us in placing
these facts before our fellow workers
and the general public.
Our case. which is largely matter
of court record in this county, concerns
itself with an old ordinance for the pro
lection of Philadelphia labor. This
ordinance was the law of the city since
1904 and was never questioned until
tho Ware interests became dominant in
tbo Smith administration. The ordi-
nonco proyided that all stone used. III
the erection of municipal buildings
should he cut in Philadelphia and sup
nIomented another ordinance which pro
vided that only American citizens should
be employed.
Insisted on Law
.rrba wisdom of the ordinance was
rot Questioned until Contractor ware
.ocrred the contract for the Southern
boulevard and looked around for SUP
contractors to do the stone work. Inc
contract had been awarded on the basis
of PHILADELPHIA wages. Contractor
yore bowevpr. wanted the profit which
could he made by having the stone
work done at the quarries. we pro-
tested. Contractor Ware offered US u
6ftv fifty division of the work. we
refnsed this offer, however. and insisted
that the work be done in accordance
with the law. The city was paying Tor
tho work on the basis of Philadelphia
uooos and VIC insisted that all the work
should be done in Philadelphia. Con
tractor Ware then dropped the matter
"But then the administration despite
its n,edpes TO enforce the law for the
protection of Philadelphia labor started
to attack it. Director Datesman
changed specifications to break the oId
law. We took the matter to court. IL
came before Judge Patterson.
"Judge Patterson in most remarE =
able decision agreed that the law was
on our side and that the director ol
nublic works had violated the law. But
despito this Judge Patterson refused tc
decide in our favor, refused to compe
the director to live up to the law, re
fused to enforce the law and did nj
this on the pretense that he was trying
to save the city S155 900. He claimed
il would cost $155 900 more for the city
, to enforce the law than to violate it
and so the Judge sanctioned the viola
tions of the law.
Judges Error Reversed
"Justice Mestrezat in the Supreme
Court reversed Judge Patterson's man
ifest error in sanctioning violations o.
the law. And the manifest error o
Judge Patterson in claiming that i
would save the city S155 900 to set aside
, the law which the contractor bos
: wanted set aside, has also been ampl!
demonstrated Because Judge Patter
son refused to compel the director o
. public works to live up to the law, thu
work on which Judge Patterson said h,
; could save the city Sl55 900 will cos
the city 81 ,000, 900 more than it woult
have cost if the Judge had enforced th'
6 law.
9 "This 81 100000 additional cost o
the new Library Building on the Park
I way is the price the city must pay fo
; the refusal of Judge Patterson to enforc
2 the law against Ware controlled cit.
officials who broke the law that Var
wanted broken"