The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-09-14
|K|WAN|S
AND ROTARY
IN SESSION
Committees Appointed to Meet
With Business Agents
And Contractors
BULLg-,IN

yTpon a meeting tonight peL"eS14 4SF
-esentatiyes of the Carpenters DlslIi
Council and the Building IraaeS 14i'
r1o,,ers Association will depend ~
,a-gs measure the fate of the building
,ndustrv in Hammond for the oa4ahce
of this season
uamnond people await the outcome
with much interest for II Is expeeIeu
70 decide whether or not the ne" az
a;+ions TO the high school building VIII
he completed before snow flies anu
whether or not the students VIII De
forced TO endure the present crowded
conditions for another school year
Tts outcome also VIII mean food
clothing. coal and house rent IN the
,,o,,,e of MANY a Hammond workin gman
v,here with a cessation of building.
hunger and distress Will be the alter
native. The latter conditions already
prevail in scores of homes and charl-
table organizations are preparing Tor
what will without doubt be the most
trying winter Hammond has faced
without the carpenters carrying on
their part of construction, all othef
crafts. however, willing to work. must
finally drop their tools and from this
throng of idle mechanics must come
the usual percentage of unfortunate
ones who have been caught unprepared
financially.
Last night the Carpenters District
Council discussed the subject or the
present disaffectton 90 the wage OF
81 an hour which was awarded by
Judge Lands. What decision was
reached has not been given out but
o. n Kiger, secretary of the council,
today assured The Times that the coun-
ell would have a committee in confer
ence with the committee from the en-
pIoyers association tonight
Public sentiment has crystalized in
many instances into sharp criticism
of the carpenters for turning down the
Lands wage wen other crafts were
signing, up with the employers. Civic
bodies have taken up the matter and
from all sides comes NE urge that III
some manner the disa greeable situa-
tion be ironed out at once in order that
the few remaining days before cold
weather may be utilized in carrying
out at least a small part OF the ella
borate building program towards
which Hammond was pointing so proud
~ last spring.
In the case OF the high school pro
ject. the public seems unable to un-
derstand why the carpenters refused
to continue work at the new scale
when Rowley Brothers. the contractors.
offered to pay them back time at any
new rate which might have been fixed
by Judge Lands in a re-hearing later.
and were willing TO put up a bond back
ing up this promise.
The Kiwanis and Rotary clubs of
Hammond at their meetings yesterday
noon took definite action in regard to
rushing the completion Of the adsItions
to the Industrial high school Facing
conditions which were characterized as
appalling" committees were appointed
in the organizations to meet with the
business agents and the contractors in
a determined attempt to break the tie
up in the wor1
George Geyer. Ed. Bates. J. Hirsch. ].
J. Ruff and Earl Humlnell of the XII
wants club and Oscar Krinball. George
Hannauer and DR.. Robert ellis of the
Rotary club will take the matter up
with the unions at once, providing a
settlement is not reached tonight
The building trades unions and the
Building Trades Employers Associa-
tion. however, in their meeting this
evening. may take the problem out of
the hands OF the civic organiza tons
Opinions expressed throughout town to-
day indicated that the carpenters anG
allied crafts would agree to accept the
wage scale of s1.00 an hour as set by
Judge Lands decision. Tonight's meet
ing Will end the war or involve the diff.
hculty TO even a greater extent de.
pending entirely on the action of the
unions.
The Kiwanis and Rotary meetings
were stormy sessions. The merits of
the controversy were not discussed IN
a single instance Whether the car
penters and other crafts or the con-
tractors were In the right did not enter
into the argument 1t simply amounted
to this. Hammond children are seri-
ously handicapped in their attempt 20
do efficient work in school Each day
adds to the confusion and trouble
Careless habits which may be born
over night in regard to study and pro-
gress in school are becoming rife among
the students. It is not according to
the members of these civic clubs. a
question of the public good, and that is
the stand of the clubs. Lands wage
scale or open shop.
l. l. Bomberger. in a short but
pointed talk at the Kiwanis club. re-
iterated his statements made a few
days ago in regard to the delay. Il
am still mad" said Mr.. Bonlberger.
and I may feel better to talk to some
one. The high school is crowded. and
has been for several years. While the
school board realized the necessity OF
more space, we did not get to the work
until this year.
Contractors were asked to submit
double bids-one on the s125 and the
other on the sI.0o scale. Hammond has
always depended on Chicago in such
matters. and we were assured that Lam
dis decision would be acceptable here.
Rapid progress was made on the
building. but it has all been for naught-
All accepted the wages ca.e as set forth
in the decision but the carpenters and
the hosting engineers 1t is now
Hammonds problem. The contractor
asked If he should submit to the car
penters and we told him no. We hava
suspended the 500 per day penalty for
hot finishing the work on schedule and
we Will back Rowley Bros. to the limit
There are 900 children working un-