New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-08
EMPLOYMENT FOR TIE POOR.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: Your article on "hard times in this
mornings TRIBUNE most timely and just. The duty
of employers 90 exert themselves to the last degree to
keep their employees at work through in which,
Heaven knows they have need enough of all they can
earn, cannot be strongly pressed But 1t to
you have left out important item In your consid
OF the subject At the BEST the amount Of
employment which can be afforded by private persons
the coming Winter will DO limited. The discharging OF
aborers but secondary result Of that financial dis
turbanee which strikes and dsables the employer first
they are employed because no cannot employ them.
Under any circumstances. therefore, the suffering dur
ing the Winter must be very great, unless effective
measures are taken to prevent 1t.
But now let ask If the city itself has not duty
employer ys,:4 II this inncture 1t cannot with.
out ofimlnallty disregard There streets TO be
opened streets be severed, streets to be regulated
graded and paved. Between Fifty-ninth and One
hundredand h.ty Afthst. there not less than fifty
such streets where all this work Is yet lie done. No
buildings be erected, no improvements be made
upon them until Il Is DONE The whole progress OF the
city, far these streets concerned stopped
until all this work is accomplished Then there docks
aud piers to be built at the foot OF Of the principal
OF these streets without which the streets themselves
almost vsueless their chief utility Is In their
to the river front. And lastly. there the
Riverside and Mornngside Parks upon which the prop
ertyowners have already paid millions OF dollars as
easements for construction. and upon which, until few
days past scarcely stroke OF actual construction has
been laid. Yet upon the completion OF these parks
and the avenues adjoining them hinges the practical
development and building up of entire district OF the
city aud that district which ought to ard Will become
OF the most beautiful In NewYork, and by a CORE
spending necessity Of the most productive In tax
revenues to the city treasury.
Now, all this work has to be done time II has
to be done hard labor the labor OF hired men, men who
are TO receive wages for their work. Apart from all
considerations Of present eIigences, the sooner 1t is
done the the OF the land will get access to
their property and build houses 1t, and the
the city itself Will into possession OF its proper
come OF taxes. when, then. ask can this work
be better undertaken than just at the time when, with
hard Winter upon u.s. oneth % population out
OF employment and starving for breadi make plea
for the manhood Of the American abOrer who prefers
Just wages his work, and to maintain his family
In independence to any mere charity-you have done
that-but do Insist that in way or another, either
for wages soup shall have to pay out money
and that selfish instincts and the spJ OF charity
bne In this emergency TO the employment of the
number OF persons possible upon every part Of
these public works. The streets paid for mainly by
private funds Many Of the ordinances for seweng and
grading them still pending in the Common Council
They should be passed at and tho work put under
contract For the parks, the money 10 already appro-
prIaed the plans adopted aud his should be fearful
responsibility who would stand ia the way Of its imme
al ate application Let remember that fruitful labor
is the only real producer OF actual wealth Men may
swap horses trade in merchandise all day and ad
dtona wealth is created thereby; but the value Of
days labor Is positive creation Of wealth which did
not exist before Every day. therefore. We suffer q
thousand remain unemployed Is loss OF actual
wealth the city equivalent to the value OF thousand
days labor The money pay for II Is not lost; 1t IL
still the money or the city, but circulating now In
thousand useful channels when II was almost useless
before And we the wealth II has created besides
Let us not hesitate then 20 set our unemployed labor
ers 20 work, and in large numbeTs do not say
we should pay high wages ! think should pay low
wages offer induceinent to laborers 10 run
away other employments they can get them, and
give employment 70 the largest number
possible. Tho amount allowed by law for the censruc-
lion OF the parks Is limited IL far better therefore
that should be given % 5000 men at less wages
than TO 800 greater Above ALL let 4 DO understood
ioungng as has been the case. TO the observation and
disgust Of every taxpayer for some years past but
place where honest LABOR will be s1acted and for II
honest pay awarded. a. -
Ipon tEess conditions crowd the public works with
Iaborers. Let no starve for the want VI employ
ment. Put 1000 upon the parks and 1o more upon
the unfinished streets and avenues. and with tho City
RIA Did Transit bill made law during the Winter. the
Spring will open upon with vast amount OF human
ALTERING aevated and city prepared to enter upon
4 new era Of prosperity and Improvement suoh as has
marked NO former period VI lts HISTORY.
Esv. y,~k oct n IVA 8. e. CaURcH.