Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-09
REJECT|ONOF BIDS
ON SCHOOL SEEN
AS PROTESTS RISE
North Carolina Representa-
tive Asks That Contract
Be Given to Rose.
LABOR AND WELFARE
GROUPS FIGHT AWARD
Colpoys Asserts Outside Company
Would Import Workers and
Material for Building.

The proposition of giving North
Carolina Arm a half-million- dollar
school building contract while tnousano,s
of District laborers are out OF Woik
raised storm of such proportions N
the District Building today that 1t ap-
neared certain that the Commissioners
would reject all bids for the JOB.
Heads of the city's trade organizations
ioined with spokesmen for the LABOR M
ferests in demanding that the Dlos DC
rejected rather than to give the out-oI
town interests the work. Spokesmen on
welfare organizations pleaded with tne
Commissioners not to ado 10 tnen Ia, a.,
to the District workers, many OF wnoni
they said, would wind up in local nos
nirals and charitable institutions.
REPRESENTATIVE Abernethy OF North
raroiina asked the Commissioners 10
obey the law and give the bid to w. r.
Rose. his old friend, as to whose m
teerity and workmanship years OF asso-
citation had left no doubt.
First Hearing of Kind.
The public hearing, granted at the
,eo,Iest of those who wished 10 pro-
Test AGAINST the award to the w. F.
Pose 20. is one of the FIRST OF the
hind ever held. The first speaker was
,John B. Colpoys, speaking as repre-
tentative of the Central LABOR onion,
who said that economically II Wouiu NC
est local bidder, whose bid exceeded the
Pose bid by $4,000, because all the
money received by local contractor
would 20 to local mechanics, local sup
nlv houses local stores and local banks.
Mr. Abernethy had stated that 70 per
cent of the materials bought by Mr..
Pose for a S75O, 900 contract he is dong
for St Elizabeth Hospital were pougnt
in washington. Mr.. Colpoys SAID tnaI
100 per cent of them were being pought
ont of washington. In the District, ne
said. not less than 5000 building traces
mechanics are out of work.
eve would rather not have tnat
school at all than have 1t built under
this contract" he shouted. 1T VIII be
a disprace to the child of the working
man who has to go to that school. IN
any case, we are opposed to junior nlgn
schools"
Applause Cheers Colpoys.
A thunder of applause greeted Col
poys when he sat down, and =. II.
.Rosengarten rose to support Colpoys
position. Rosengarten Is president OF
the Building Trades Employers Asso-
citation of Washington, representing 10
subcontractors and Is master builders.
He said that Mr.. ColpoyS' remarks on
unemployment had not been exas-
gerated
e. j. Murphy, formerly president Of
the Board of Trade, next Endorsed Col
poys' remarks. Robert j. Cottrell. sec
rotary of the Board of Trade, followed
suit. He added that it seemed the
height of folly to raise $37,000,0O0 IN
taxes from the local residents and then
spend the money in such way that
At would help to put the local mer-
chants, who put up the bulk OF the
money. out of business.
Charles w. Darr, president of the
Chamber of Commerce, urged the COM
1nissioners to stand behind the PROPOSE
ton of higher wages.
Col. Ladue: "Will the chamber of
Commerce 60 with Mr.. Colpoys in his
proposition that it would rather have
us reject all bids than award this con-
tract to the low bidder?"
Mr.. Darr: eff it will make paupers
and outcasts of our children it would be
better if 1t were never built"
Col. Ladue: 81 don't admit that put
ting up this building will make paupers
and outcasts of our children, but as
matter of practical fact, would you
want us to allow this appropriation to
gapse?"
Mr.. Darr: Eyes"
Mr.. Rose submitted figures to the
Commissioners showing that on his st.
Elizabeth project there are 287 men, of
whom 1873, or SO per cent, gave their
addresses as Washington, D. G. These
men received $4,000 out of $4,000
paid for labor.