The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-23
ROW over Y WORK
Controversy Over Carpenter
Work at r. r. Building.
Union Carmen Urge Members
to Withdraw Support.

The controversy as to who should
do the carpenter, work on the remod-
cling of the railroad Y. NJ. c. A. build
ing, which caused the union carmen to
pass a resolution urging their mem
bers to withdraw their support from
the association, has resulted in
statement from the board of directors
defending the association and denying
that it has been unfair to organized
labor. Several members of the vari-
Gus shop crafts are members of the
board.
Resolution by Railroad Y. NJ. c. A
The statement of the board, signed
by A. D. Gray, chairman, follows:
The resolution passed by the. Brother
hood of Railway Carmen and published IN
the daily press, has been brought 70 our
attention. and the stat tne as TO caii for
some explanatory remarks from the Of
ficers of the Railroad Y. NJ. c. A.
upon the association building. to place 1t
In a safe aud sanitary condition 1or use
by its members, was SO large inat II was
only thru the generosity OF the raliWay
company that 1t was possible TO under
take the work, and even after the cam,
paign to raise one-third OF tne Lu run
among the membership had failed, the rail-
way Increased its donation, bearing almost
three-fourths of the total, and in addition
prepared the plans and voluntarily, thru
its engineering department: agreed to ad-
minister the performance OF the work, thus
saving the association a considerable eA-
pense for m architect.
Inasmuch as the railway company agreed
L. have its engineering department gratu1-
tously look after the handling OF the re-
was, Of course, placed in the hands of
the chief engineer Of the railway for the
purpose Of having the best possible propo,,
was let and by necessity the employment
Of men and the execution of the work was
left entirely to the contractor. Mr.. Moss,
the contractor, voluntarily, altho under no
obligation to do so. agreed to utilize the
service of such employees OF the railway
tarily perform the work required under his
contract. The rate of pay was entirely in
the hands Of the contractor and as mat
ter of fact, We are advised that he is pay
ing at present a rate in excess of the shop
scale for carpenters.
Not Unfair to Labor.
The charge that the secretary of the
Railroad Y. NJ. c. A. or its directors are
unfair to organized labor or to the men
constituting its membership, is not true.
and the board Of directors in approving
have done so with the knowledge that they
would thus be able to secure the largest
amount of work for the limited appropria-
ton which they had for that which was re-
There are several members of the various
shop crafts on the board of directors and
this statement is made for the purpose OF
informing the members OF the various
crafts in Topeka shops with reference to
the conditions which resulted in the reso-
luton above referred to, and we are sat
isfied, that. knowing conditions as they ex-
list, the officers of the Railroad Y. NJ. C. A.
may properly leave the decision to the
fafrmipdedness Of the men who have in
the past supported 1t and enjoyed Its
privileges, and we Furthermore feel that
ment made by their board of directors in
thus securing for the institution the most
economical administration possible of the
amount which they had on hand for i'm
tsiened.J A. D. GRAY
Chairman Board of Directors, Topeka
railroad Y. NJ. c. a.
Resolution by b. II. C. of a.
Following is a copy of the resolu-
ton which was passed by lodge No.
ISL of the 3. r. c. of A, in which it
is charged that members of their as
ISOLATION were refused the right to
work on the building because OF their
demand for a reorSanized scale of
wages, and urging their members to
withdraw their support from the as
sociation and to refuse to renew their
memberships:
Topeka Lodge No. 751,
Topeka, Kansas,
To Whom 1t May Concern, Greetings.
At q regular meeting of this lodge held
July 10Th, 1921, the following resolution
was unanimously adopted:
Whereas, a goOdly number Of our mem
bers have contributed funds, and exercised
faithful service in securing funds for re-
pairs and improvements to the r. r. Y. NJ.
&. A. building located in this city, with
the understanding that said improvements
would be benefit to the shop employees,
and
Whereas. in this period of unemployment,
members Of this organization have applied
Tor IN nd hn
refused on account Of their demand for
thu recognized wage scale, and
Whereas, a complaint has been made
to the secretary and other officials of the
said association, ana the said secretary
aud other officials have refused to comply
Therefore be it resolved. that we as
members Of Topeka Local No. T51, B. r. c.
Of A, after due consideration, do declare
organization, and recommend that men,
bers of our lodge who are members of the
said association withdraw their support
from the said association, and refuse to
renew their membership in the same.
BE 1t further resolved, that a copy of
this resolutions be placed before the diff
ferent organizations of the Railway EN-
ployes at this point for their consideration
and that copy be sent to the Kansas
Trade Unionist Shawnee Chief, Daily Cap
ttal and The State Journal for publica-
BY Order of the Lodge.
Contractor Jerome Moss is out of
the city today. but it is said that the
wages paid the carpenters on the Job
is 5 cents an hour, while the men in
the shops are receiving ~ cents. Only
two carpenters are working on the job
st the present time. One is a union
man from the shops and the other is
non-union carpenter who has lived
in Topeka about twelve years. No
more carpenters are needed, = was
said. and the entire job of remodeliug
the building should be competed
within another week or ten days.
To Spend $4,000.
The entire contract calls for an ex-
penditure of $4,000, of which $4,000
was raised by subscription, and the
Santa Fe is paying the balance. OF
the $4,000, 1t is said that $1,000 was
pledged by members of the shop crafts
and has already been paid. The con-
tract was let to Moss about two
months ago and the work has been
0f