Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-03
The Relief Problem.

communication In THE STAR of Mon
day expressed some sound views upon the
desirability OF encouraging home industries
and home business mes as a means of relief
from dull times. The opinion was further
expressed that the colonization scheme OF
the Labor Exchange would work disadvan-
tageously, by taking away customers from
our business men, and sending from us a
class of enterprising laborers and mechanics
who are needed here. and vino go to make
up the wealth OF the city. AS we understand
the case it does not seem probable that the
colonization scheme will deprive the city ola
class who are likely to be of much benefit
as customers TO our business men, or who
are adapted for mechanical or city industries
or occupations. The men who naturally will
be sent away are of the class OF plantation
hands who came here during the war in i'm
mense numbers; who found employment to
some extent while the extensive system OF
public Improvements was going on, but
who are now left stranded here, with
no work whatever to do, and with
the certainty that there will be no
work for them in the future. They are here
In such numbers that they were barely kept
afoat when many millions of dollars were
being spent annually upon public works.
There will be no future expenditure of money
on this scale TO give them employment They
are only fitted for farm work, for which they
were trained, and they should now go back
to the farms, where their labor is greatly
needed. AT the same time we think the eff
forts of the Labor Exchange should be di-
rected TO sending them to the neighboring
states Of Maryland and Virginia, and to the
adjacent counties of those states where their
labor will serve TO benefit cur markets, and
bring customers TO our dealers. 1t is not ONLY
OF no service To these thousands of destitute
unemployed people TO encourage them to
HDger here where there is no work and can be
nowork for them, but il is the hei gat OF cruel
ty. If they stay here they must beg or steal
for livelihood, and In neither case can they
be Of any advantage to our business men or
TO the city, to say nothing OF the degradation
1t will bring upon the Migrants themselves.
The sensational reports of a bloody en-
counter between American and Mexican
troops have been exploded. Lieut.. Bulls, in
his excursion across the Rio Grande with
one hundred men, to capture an encampment
OF predatory Indians, did not accomplish his
mission In consequence of the Indians being
warned Of danger, and the Americans were
followed on their return by a body of seem
ingly hostile Mexican cavalry, but there was
no collision and nobody hurt. Still the tenn
per of the Mexicans seems to be so unpleas-
We have communication in behalf of
Constructor Steele stating, In regard to the
discharge OF employees In his department,
noticed In yesterdays STAR, that the dis
charge was made on an order from the Navy
department reducing the sum of money that
had been allowed for September, two thous-
and dollars. II is further stated that no work
men from the northern cities or elsewhere
have been employed in their places; that
Constructor Steele has always given the pre-
ference TO Washington mechanics; and that,
in short, his administration of affairs at the
Washington yard has been altogether lovely.
All this differs very widely from the infor-
nation we have received from sources we
have heretofore found reliable, but in the in
terests of fair-play we give the denial the
same prominence we allowed the allega-
tons, and propose TO reach the exacttruth as
soon as NAV be.