The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-05-01
PETITION
RAISES QUESTION
Council Willing to Take
Stand for Local Labor
Law Doubtful.
SHEB0YGAN PLAN UP
Council After Hearing Agrees
to Investigate Reported Ordi-
nance for Local Labor.

A knotty problem presented itself
Monday evening when the city council,
sitting as a committee of the whole,
held hearing on the petition now be-
fore it asking that an ordinance or
resolution be passed which would strip
ulate that in all city contracts Keno
sha labor be employed wherever pos
sible with the scale of wages and the
hours of labor the same as the prevail
ing rates paid to recognized trade or
CARNATIONS.
The council showed a willingness to
act favorably on such motion in the
event that it was legal. The question
arose as to how far the council could
go in STIMULATING labor that was to be
employed when it asked for bids on
public work.
Tradesmen Are Represented.
Several representatives of the trades
meeting and supported the. petition
which, when presented, was signed by
1900 citizens Of Kenosha. 1t was
pointed out that in the building of
certain public buildings-none of the
ones mentioned being under the super
vision of the city council directly-Ke-
nosha labor was not employed wherever
possible and that as a result many
tradesmen living in Kenosha were
forced to gain their livelihood else
where.
1t was admitted that the cost of the
work in question might have been in
creased by the hiring of Kenosha labor,
but it was held that this increase would
have been more than met by keeping
the money at home and tradesmen here
employed.
Before the discussion was launched,
it was explained that there is now a
clause in all calls for contracts on city
work which reads as follows:
an employing labor and teams the
contractor shall give preference to res
i6ents of Kenosha, but nothing will be
required in this contract which will
compel the contractor to employ resi-
dent labor or teams if any combina-
ton or strike. is organized to raise the
wages above the price paid in Keno
sha."
presented asks that an ordinance or
resolution be adopted providing that
all contracts for public work hereafter
entered into by the city of Kenosha
contain a clause to the effect that home
labor shall be employed in the per-
Torrance of such work at all times to
the fullest extent that same can be
had, and that the scale of wages and
hours of labor therefor be the same as
the prevailing rates paid to the recog-
nized organizations of the several
trades in the city of Kenosha."
Afford States Attitude.
Alderman w. III. Afford, president of
the council, stated the attitude of the
council as follows:
fWe'd rather see Kenosha labor on
the job and see Kenosha contractors
get the contracts, but when it comes to
letting a contract we cannot exclude
outside contractors, and we are bound
by the law to let the contracts to the
lowest responsible bidders. If there is
any way we can do this legally, and
still not restrict competition so as to
take money from the pockets of one
class and put it into the pockets of
another, we would be glad to d this"
City Attorney Randall cited the fact
that the supreme court has held in
valid all ordinances passed by cities
similar to the one requested in the
petition.
"If you gentlemen or your attorneys
will suggest any ordinance that will
stand up in the court, I'll be glad to
draw it up and | am sure the council
will be glad to consider it."
1t was suggested that an ordinance,
similar to this, has been passed in She
boygan Attorney Joseph Higgins, who
spoke for the trade organizations, sug-
gested that copy of this ordinance
be secured and that the council and
the representatives of the various
trades consider it and discuss it as
at another hearing.
All agreed to this suggestion and
further action on the petition is to
be withheld pending thorough in
vestigation of the ordinance passed by
Sheboygan and the legal status of it
in the courts.