The evening world., 1920-08-07
NEW COURT HOUSE
LIKELY TO Be CAUSE
OF BIG LABOR WAR
Continued From First Page,)

arbitration be taken out of its con-
tract with the city Is proof enough for
me that the company Is ready and
willing to make a battle ground OF
the Court House job in its contest
with the building trades orguniza-
tions Of this city.
1T became necessary TO readvertise
the steel bids because they were not
in conformity with the specificat ions.
In the face Of my protest tho Comp
troller readvertised them without the
arbitration provision"
Manhattan Borough President Cur
ran and Commissioner of Public
Works Sullivan OF Queens, represent
ing President Connolly, sided wit La
Guardia, but the other members of
the Estimate Board agreed to read
vertise the bids without the nrbltra-
tion provision. This action was con-
sidered a decided blow against or
ganized labor because 1t IS known that
labor leaders felt they would secure
justice in ON appeal TO city officials.
On the other hand, contractors who
had determined to fight union labor II
necessary, opposed the aEpitration
provision because they claimed it per-
mitted labor leaders TO hold politi-
cal club over the heads of the officials
or those who might be appointed by
officials to settle labor disputes. But
n
propose that the Bethlehem Steel
Bridge Corporation or any other firm
Of contractors shall make a city struc-
turo a battle ground for a labor fight.
President La Guardia decided to
send a second telegram of inquiry
after he had heard from the Bethle-
hem Company. This was despatched
to the McC1intick-Mars Company,
steel bridge builders of Pittsburgh,
which was one of the Bethlehem Com
pany's competitors on the Court House
| bid.
The answer Of the McCrntick- Mar
shall Company follows: Replying to
your telegram of the I'd instant re-
garding our proposition to the city
on the New York County Court
House, we wish to advise you that
we work under open shop conditions;
that is, we employ men irrespective OF
| their membership or non-memberShi p
in any organization, and will not be
restricted in our selection to men OF
| any particular organization. We
generally employ both union and nom
union men at the same time on our
! Jobs, whenever the union men are
willing TO work alongside of men
that do not belong TO their organiza-
ton" The answer Is signed by G, II.
| Enscoe, contracting engineer.
THE situation is simply this" said
7 President La Guardia. AS soon as
non union steelworkers are employed
| on the proposed new Court House
every union stonemason, plumber and
carpenter will likely walk out and the
city will be left without a clause in
its contract by which IL can arbitrate.
mo one objected to arbitration
clauses in contracts except the steel
! firms. But they cannot make the
claim that a city job is like a gov
ernment job and must be finished
without n walkout."
Although the Bethlehem Steel Com
pany Is the lowest bidder IL has not
yet been formally awarded the con
tract. Action will be taken at Mon
days meeting of the board. Mean
while labor leaders in this city will
endcavor to induce Estimate Board
members TO insist upon an arbitration
clause in all contracts. II the clause
is reinserted the city may wait a Ions
time for IL steel bid, for IL is under.
stood that nearly all the big stee
construction concerns take the sam,
attitude as the Bethlehem and tn,
McClintick concerns.