New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-21
QueensBor,oughP President
Prefers Charges Against
q. W. Morton, Jr., Or
ganizer ofTechnicalMen
NO Mention Made
OF Labor Activity
Mayor Issues Statement
That He Is Not Backing
Geo. Stans6eld's Group

Borough President Connolly. of
Queens, yesterday suspended and pre-
fcrred charges against George w. Nor
ton, jr., draughtsman in the cty's
geographical Bureau, and leader of
the Technical Mems Union, which is
affiliated with the American Federation
of Labor.
Following within twenty-four hours
upon Mayor Hylan's advice to depart
ment heads to get rid Of the labor
ag'tators in their employ by eliminate
ing their positions from the 1920 bud
get, the suspcsion of Morton was re-
garded by organized labor as the begin
n'ne Of an attempt on the part of tho
city authorities to put An end to the
efforts Of city employees to affiliate with
tho A. +. of l..
Word reached Borough President
Connolly last night that the Federation
would aid Morton, who announced that
he would take his case into the courts
simultaneously with the dropping of
Morton from the citv's payroll Mayor
Hylan issued the following statement
"The statement purporting to have
been given out by the president of an
organization called the Municipal
Employees Association that it is be-
+ ing formed withsh1y approval Is abso-
lutely false, and the resignation Of
any commissioner who cannot run
his department in tho interests of
the people of the city will be ac-
ceptcd by me"
How 1t Is Interpreted
Union men declared the second hall
of the Mayors statement was meant tc
emphasize his previousadvice to de
partment heads to get rid of labor
agitators.
The first part of it occasioned con-
siderable discussion. The head of the
association. George Stansfield, whose
Formations was exclusively announced
in The Tribune of August %, declared
positively to newspaper men on Thurs
day night that the organization had the
approval Of the Mayor
Within q month this organization has
enrolled upward of $4,000 city en-
ployes on the strength of the repeated
declarations that it had its benesis in
the Mayors office.
More than a month ago, when Stans-
field, who is q clerk in the Office OF
Bird S. Coler, Commissioner of Public
Charities, was quietly laying the foun-
dation of the Municipal Employees AS
sociation. The Tribune was informe ed
that the organization was intended to
be the necleus of big political ma
chine which would support the Mayor
in 1921 in his fight for denomination
and taht it was also intended to check
the inroads being made among city en-
ployes by the A. F. of L.
Clash With Labor Leaders
At that time Stansfeld and another
clerk under Commissioner Coler, Sam.
uel Prayer, occupied adjoining desks
in the Office of the Department of Pub
lie Charities and it was said they con
Quoted the associations business from
their two desks
Organized labor men in the city:
employ at once spread the word tina
not join Stanstield's organization
which had been making open war o,
the city employees union affiliated will
the American Federation of Labor.
The latter, in turn, declared war OF
the Stanstield organization, brandin.
it as a City Hall snare. They pointed
out that 'Stansfeld was a political lieu
tenant of Joseph Guider, Democrat,
leader of the 18th Assembly Distrc
of Queens and Mayor Hylan's Commits
sioner of Public Works.
Labor men yesterday called atten
ton to the following paragraph in tn,
Municipal Employees Association a.
proof of organized labor's charge tina
the association IS fighting it:
This organization (Municipal EN-
ployes' Association) is not affiliated
with the American Federation of Labo
or any other labor organization foI
two reasons. First, the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor proposed organizing
the employees of the city for SO initia
ton and monthly dues of 70 cents fo1
each member Second, if organized
under their rules we would be spill
up into councils or divisions accord
ing to title. 1t stands to reason tina
an appeal from 100 per cent of the
city employees would be much more ef
fectve than the appeal from counci
of clerks one month and from anothe
council at later time"
Charges Against Morton
organized iaDOr Will "alch deFcl
opments in the Morton case with more
than passive interest. The charges
against Morton do not mention hi
union activities but allege absence
without leave, lateness, failing tt
punch time clock, conduct unbecom
ing an employe of the city and insub
ordination. On this last charge it va
alleged that Morton caused the publ
cation of the charges that Borough
President Connolly was personally re
sponsble for permitting the Nichol!
/ Copper Company to appropriate more
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