New-York tribune., 1920-10-28

to meet and 5000 of them quit the
council and have rcJoined Zaranko's
organization.
Two Contractors to Tell of Ruin
At least two big contractors will tell
the committee that they were driven
completely out Of business and utterly
ruined by the pressure brought to bear
against them by the Building Trades
Council because Of their refusal to do
business on the labor leaders terms.
One of these stories will be told by
Charles II. Wallas, president of the
Gowanus Building Material Company,
houseWreckers, az Hamilton Avenue
and Fifteenth Street, Brooklyn. Wallas
has been in the industry for twenty
two years. he said, and was doing
yearly business of about $500,000 He
says he hasn't been able to get any
work to do since last August. He as
serts that all building firms to whom
he applies for work say that while they
are satisfied with his price and his
work and that his men are all union
workers, they can't do business with
HIM because the council will call off
men on their other operations
Wallas, telling his story in the Office
of his attorney, Philip Novick, at al
Park Row, said that his troubles dated
back to June IA. On that day he said
he had contracted to remove $4,000
worth of material from property at
Front and Watkv streets, belonging to
the Nat onal Park Real Fstats Corr
poration, of 32 Union Square His men
had been employed half day on the
Job when he was requested to dis
continue the work for week by an
official of the corporation, George II
Pigueron.
Labor Leader Ordered Move
Pigueron told Wallas that labor
leader had ordered him to take Wallas
on the Job or he would not be able to
put up the building which he subse-
QucntIy intended to erect on the site.
Nallas held off for the week. He saws
he was told that while his men were
union men and belonged to an organi-
zatlon affiliated with the A +. of |.
lt would be necessary for him to re-
quest ms men TO renounce their pres
ent union and Join the council at $50 a
head and Sc extra for certain disburse-
ments. This Wallas refused TO do. He
says he was then requested to sign an
agreement to employ only those men
who had cards from the council This
he also refused to do
Pgueron then wrote Wallas q letter
IN which he refers to "the union con-
trolling all building operations" and
because of which he tells Wallas their
negotiations Will have to be called off.
In the course Of this letter Pigueron
says:
"Our negotiations relative to wreck
ing buildings on Front and Water
streets have to be ended, as the incep-
ton thereof was based by us on the
tact that the company was affiliated
with the labor union controlling all
tuildlng operations
We certainly cannot employ YOUR
company to wreck the buildings and
thereby become unable to erect new
building on the site by reason thereof.
In seeking the job the company should
have at the inception of negotiations
stated its status to the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor
Wallas says all his men we're union
men, were paid regular union wages
and that Pigueron's objections had no
foundation beyond the objections Of
the council. He insisted in going
through with his contract, the mattel
finally landing in court and his making
settlement The work was later
given to the Globe Wrecking Company.
Bosses Ordered to Sign Up
1t was shortly after this, he said