Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-29
The Italian LabOrers.

in Italy secure laborers for them under false pre-
tenses- They have fooled Italian labOrers and
brought them 10 this country under contract to
WON for wages. Which In italy sounded very fair
but which in reality were very small Contract
labor has been brought To this country from Italy
In TINS manner ana there may have been some dis
honest Italians who have taken part In these
schemes. but there Is no such thing as organ
Rd system OF contract labor: nor. in fact. Ital
I'm contract labor at all in the the Knights OF
Labor speak OF it, am not personally acquainted
'.but they communicated with me for the purpose
of finding out the standing of certain Washington
contractors and furnished me with the best Of refer
enceS, their communications coming through a
highly responsible source. This italian General
Emigration Labor Bureau, am told, Is an associa
ton gotten up
TO PROTECT THE ITALIANS
from this very cheap labor swindle that the Knights
OF Labor very justly complain of. and to secure
ployment for them at the current prices. 1t
is rot company engaged in importing pau
per labor understand II Is rather engaged
here OF its own free win from being imposed
upon and working at half price. The Italians
wages and compete thus unfairly with the native
lafoFers They are not Ike the Chinese In this
snecJ II is trre when they first come here they
VERY frequently accept employ ut a ridctl-
lousy low price. and there nave been many In
stances where they have been brought over by
railroad contractors and worked for five or six
months ani never received cent OF pay. But this
Is always because they have been deceived. When
ne know, what the regular wages are you cannot
get an Italian to work for less. No native Amer
lean could be more opposed 10 cutting wages than he
WHERE THE DIFFICULTY Is.
''The difficulty. however" continued the doctor.
'lies right here. Two three francs per day is con-
siGered good wages in Italy. and when an Italian
laDorer who iS.uninforned as the rates OF wages
and cost OF living here. IS offered five francs. he
accepts at once. thinking he is getting big pay.
But he finds Out the diff and act accord
inEiy. When he learns that the natives getting
two or three dollars for the same work for which
he gets but one. he refuses 10 work longer that
rate lie Will not. like the Chinese workman. cut
wages, Intentionally. To secure the work. Inc only
protection the nation needs from Italian Cheap
labor is TO have the immigrants informed upon
the subject. This is what these associations
are for: 10 inform the Italians who land here
as To the standing OF labor. and for the same
purpose there Is movement on foot to send
labor statistics and all the attalnable facts
l2ting To the standing OF labor in this country
To the proper authorities in Italy; so that emf
grants may learn something of the subject before
starting for this country. This would in the first
place prevent thtir coming here under contract to
do VOL! at hair prce. and would enable them to
Judge whether or not they are offered the proper
compensation for their services"
''Do the Italians who come TO this country. come
with the intention of making this their homer:
asked THE STAR.
"'They do and as soon as they learn what is
proper they make excellent citizens They are
good workers. the most OF them being agricul-
turlsts ana there Is no reason why they should not
be as prosperous as the Irish ,,ernans who come
here Owihg, as have said. to The want OF some
source of Information thev frequently imposed
upon. and are placed In tue false position of ret,c
ing wages and degrading Labor. / get great
many letters on the subject. Here Is one low" he
continued, taking letter from the table "Here Is
q letter from some one OF my cOuntrymen who has
chosen this as his home. and he writes to to in
form him about securing land and settling as a
farmer In the west. That is what they all want to
do; settle permanently. and become good citizens.
What we need Is means OF preventing the emil
grants from
BEING IMPOSED UPON,
and all Will be We'll i have written to the Italian
papers on the subject and endeavored to impress
upon the minds OF the people that no workman
who would stoop 10 anything low could hope for
success in this country. The strength o the work
1ncnen here Is opposed to degradation. do not
think that the knights OF or are ntagOntstic to
an Italian more than to German. If they UNDER
stand LILA and he unders andS Them 50 that they
can work always upon the same footing. And
know that the Italian has lofty ideas OF labor
any of them. ant! will contend for the same position
when he learns The .,ituatiOn-which he is quick
To 40 No II IS mistake TO try 10 rank the Italians
with the Chinese IauIrE labor, and there Is an
erioueu;is impression about III. wnne matrer,'
''Ihe>e are OlE opinions that have formed from
the knowledge have o. Italian character and from
rtailllg- As u the firm of GtuialO co. ltiCf ed
10, >n0w nothing personally and therefore their
reference 10 Inc is gratuitous and without mean
Ing
THE WYSDHAM COMPANY At FORD's.-These who
have witnessed the performances OF Mr.. Wyndhum
;,n, hi, company cannot Ieil to admit that indie
pendent OF the refinement ana artistic merit dis
played. American managers can learn a lesson.
With the exception Of tir. Dalys company. there is
certainly no organization playing pure comedy iii
America that POSSESSES such combination OF
strength and talent But the best company In the
WOflG i NIuee>S III Trey nave 10 Interpret weak
or impossible piece; hence one Is somewhat sur
pr.SHd u seeing 30 nlCt energy wasted on piece
hhe ''iho Great Divorce Case which Is entirety
beneath juc notice o1 VT. v EuhGm or the body OF
artists ny whom lie il surrounded. For laughter
aad horae comedy The Great Divorce Case de-
pth = "I'o ..i 100 me rous lll2n alu, ana the
n--;th!3 oi NJ "! hlii'!ho r'- IL Is Tie h0;;d
l'4 vi tiieot .'ti Ill pare, tit appeal 10 the
$50. vi On, Du, Ia bilShtoL
! mo
-, - ~ tI-e .,i 7'- e.ot "a iue company,
NJ - an ot'P'i tuiltS "a sling no" comedy
"t IN ,a'iI'e, d WIN "iii eds' anu L ace
q itu.i ''''i " obt I'LL "!t3lot Il 'h5 iOf IL 10
ti'e '...~"i sue - Ai.i i Ldtuit- AK the Whole
o,tst. -.on III, v L,i'iii uoMl 10 .ot"ntgtS Drake
.ihio.@ ~ th' 'E"L AM rom Mss Si.iler GOWN
- IN - 'ii' 'iSit = '' Foit ltii OUT, not Il
'tiihrh' mega lod, "ni;ii goes 10 make the ma
Siiilc % titc piece W. t'rily ana Completely.
!" i''iH hi'.Ht YOU Il ~ impossible where all are
20 tNcGi-e'-t, except tfit'is. TO r1iilrk how much
n1hu7 vi an crust nuch - tN'ttttnS Dfdhe in the
'l,,.s "a > h'iti' ''opert9. anu O"'ty Ctotei as
tL.I'.s't ~ M 80: N',ti'ii7 iiiAt tIo, iioo
-, o''o 80 D 90 - oi 'io,iisi IN l PIE o now
-S',it NIi ~ ii''I ~ :" .,tic- MS evening
'.Slt ION anu fouIter Days promise
aiiotLiEi e1iJ't ipit evening
~ p!iD FELLOWS EXPERIMENTATION
lug ~ W. l. ~ " r. ga IN thtrrt lnltnt In
,ttf.i!liVG vas very I":ee MISUNDERSTANDING the
- '"o'i iV'iC We iuiili9iitti pS liie Memo
80 80 ,.'lTil tiioii. i'cCtdt!o.s Were gwen
- LIS i-i-i'sH i-'1i.-'>tpii alid flFa fUNWtil.
bdJ' f''7 ,il'i 'oI.iC 'Je2 were rendered by iaS-
,ti9 .'tiiir.i .ld s>A,'cAtlicrd. Songs were sung
~ 80, h 80. ~ ,.i =. .. bIoo"iLse, Misses
h"iN'I ana li4i ne music was under the drec