New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-07
LURED BY FALSE PROMISES.
INVESTIGATING CONTRACT LABOR.
SOME SIGNIFICANT D1scLosUREs-rHE TEsTI-
MONTY OF ITALIANS

Monty OF lrALlANc
The Investigation by the Congress Committee
on immigration was continued yesterday with Mr..
Ford in the chair The cases Of Italian laborers
who had been imported under contract were again
the subjects for consideration. The first witness
of Importance sworn was Luigi Troga, who pro-
fessed to be a money changer His business, he
explained, consisted Of changing Italian money
into American money, and vice versa, for COM
mission. When put under a STRICT examination
he admitted that few days ago he had offered TO
obtain few aborers for some unknown man who
had approached him that subject He denied
that he had agreed to import the men, or to give
the man who employed them any remuneration for
seeking his services. At this point OF the testi-
mony Chairman Ford showed him q letter, signed
by Luigi Troga, in which it was agreed that the
signer would do the very things the witness had
sworn were not agreed upon. This letter caused
Mr.. Troga so much embarrassment that his COM
mand of English failed him entirely, and the SER
vices of an interpreter had to be obtained
Joseph Sica testified that he and Troga had
agreed TO furnish man calling himself Philip
Smith with three or four hundred laborers, to be
delivered at Castle Garden between September
and October /. According to the terms OF the
contract, Smith to pay their railroad fares TO
Pennsylvania. The men were to receive one dol
lar and twenty cents per day. store was to be
run by the two who furnished the laborers and
all bills contracted by the Italians at the store
were to be paid out Of the wages due them. Sica
stated that in addition to the gains he received
from this system of bookkeeping he generally re-
ceived presents from those for whom he had Sc
cured jobs. These presents were entirely volun-
tary, being given him out of gratitude There
was marked similarity in the amounts OF each OF
these presents-One dollar month from each man.
PROVING THAT MEN CAME UNDER CONTRACT
George II. Simmons was next sworn. He testi-
fed that he was In the secret service OF the
Treasury Department. representing himself as
railroad superintendent under the name of Philip
Smith, he had made terms with Troga and Slca
for three or four hundred Italian laborers. They
were to be imported from Italy and delivered to
him at Castle Garden He had induced them
in which they agreed to sign the contracts as
soon as they could be drawn up
The next witness was misunderstanding little
Italian, who in his testimony said through his
Interpreter:
Ny name is Bonico Nero. I lived in Pamoni where
owned house worth two hundred francs was Induced
to come to America by Niconi Saracni, money lender
and steamship agent Pulmonl. He represented TO me
that could seven francs day Immediately
on my arrival here furnished with free passage
ticket to New-York. and me letter to present to
Miguel Berardni, No. "a MulberrYst, who, ne SAID,
would give me work at When 1 presented my
letter az No "a Mulberys put OF for day or tWo
and then kicked the was starving until
benevolent society took in charge. l have Wfe
and two children Pamonl who will be put out Oh their
house. 1 would ike 10 get back to Italy
DISAPPOINTMENT AND MISERY IN AMERICA
The next witness. Domingo Cingarella' pre-
sented even a more woe-begone appearance than
his companion in misery. His pathetic story was
in effect the same as Nero's Deceived by false
promises he had embarked for America only to
meet with disappointment and misery. Both
these poor wretches when asked If they had
any money or anything in the world besides the
miserable rags they had on, answered expressive
ly, niente nothing. 81.
H. H. Caldazer, a newspaper man, testified that
he had spent some time in the Lehlgh valley
coal districts. and had studied the condition OF
the Italians there. He found that as many as
$50 were crowded into single Shanty, a
rude board structure provided with tiers oil 0unks
on the four walls. They were forced 20 buy thelr
supplies at one store. where the provisions were
of the poorest quality and where eXorDltant
prices were charged, on the penalty OF being dls-
charged In pursuance Of his investigation ne
had come to New-York and had made several
bogus agreements TO procure contract labor lie
had been guaranteed any number OF men aU
81 | 0 per day. The Investigation was adjourned
with Mr. Caldazer still on the stand until 10
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