River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-07-03
THE PADRoNE SYSTEM.
lave Labor in New York and How II II
MonopoIized by Sharks.

Your correspondent to-day had a talk
With Mr.. V. l.. Ricketts,. the clerk of the
House Committee on immigration, who
.cted as clerk and sergeant-at-arms for
he joint investigating committee, and
Who probably gathered more general in
ormation upon the subject under inves-
igation than most of the members of the
committee. In the course of his talk he
aid:
Probably the worst evil connected
With our modern immigration is the
Italian padrone system. Twenty-seven
thousand Italian immigrants were landed
u New York last year, and probably
wo-thirds of them are subject to a
bondage almost as pernicious as the
African slave system that prevailed in
he Southern States thirty years ago.
They are brought here by the Italian
banker, who is also a Spectator on the
abor market. They are induced to
'ome by promise of higher wages than
hey can earn in Itaiy. A laborer sc-
ustomed to twcnty cents day is easily
persuaded r. an offer OF dollar, and so
he ticket is sent. lie reaches America
prepared to answer all questions put to
Tim by the authorities. He goes direct
o Elizabeth street, il not met sooner by
he padrone or his agent. He is put TO
work on the streets, on railroad, or
elsewhere, with an army of his fellow
,ountrymen. The padrone furnishes to
The contractor, we will say, 100 men at
n.25 per day, and the contractor pays
;he men 81 per day, and the padrone
gets % cents In addition he retains the
store or 'shanty' privilege, and has a
monopoly of their trade, and his bills
ire paid before the wages are paid.
These privileges he usually sub-lets.
Then he gets their savings and pays no
interest Thus his profits are manifold
81 or IS on the steamship ticket sold
20 the Italian peasant, the rent of the
apartment he occupies, sales of all he
consumes, per cent of his wages, and
dnally, if he is naturalized, the prise of
ais vote. And all this time the padrone
never betrays his slaves, keeps in good
faith every promise he makes, and
warns them against the wiles of the
American. Naturally suspicious, they
are trained to be doubly so; and, as they
seldom learn English, they never open
communication with an American, ex-
,ept through an interpreter. and then it
is never sought
"There are 10O 900 Italians in the city
Of Now York; 10000 are herded in one
little district comprising only a few
squares in the vicinity of Mott and
Elizabeth streets. Jay Gould might go
there tomorrow and be unable directly
TO employ a hundred, but he could go
to padrone and employ as many hun
1reds as he could use. An inspector of
public works in New York testified be-
fore the committee that there were 5000
Italians engaged on public works in that
oity, all under the padrone system; and
this comprised 30 per cent of all the
workmen so employed at that time.
Ten years ago 30 per cent. of the cigars
manufactured in New York were made
by American workmen, but to-day 30
per cent are made by foreigners, chiefly
italians, and the wages have fallen from
Sl2 per week to 81 But a small proper
tion of these immigrants ever become
naturalized, while very large proper
ton after few years return to Italy
with few hundred dollars and live in
luxury the rest of their days. Some
wise and thoughtful Italians here, like
Sig Celso Moreno, of Washington, have
seen the tendency of this system and
have made a vigorous war on the
padrones, but so far with little result.
They charge that the Italian Govern
ment or it's representatives. here and at
home wink at this system and silently
give it encouragement" indianapolis
Iourual