Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-28
rHE case OF rHE uNEmpLOYEp.

THE CASE OF THE UNEMPLOYED.
A great clamor was raised in San Fran
CISCO a lew days ago in behalf of the unem-
ployed, who claimed that they were starry
ing, and must be given immediate relief
or they would perish from the face of the
earth. One of the remedies they asked
for was the expenditure of half million
or so of dollars by the city in public
works, upon which they could be employed
until the building season opens well and
the hard stress of the winter season passes.
The city had no legal right to expend the
taxpayers money in that way or TO order
work done simply TO give employment.
At the time we expressed our sympathy
for the unemployed, but also doubt
about the need for distress being nearly so
great or pressing as was set out. However,
the hope was expressed that the people of
San Francisco would act promptly and in
manner to temporarily relieve the unem-
ployed, for the cessation of work is but
temporary, and already in manufacturing,
agriculture, building and trading business
is reyiving and assuming its normal con-
tiition. The citizens did act; they pro-
vided means to employ several thousand
men, if so many should present. The
unused part of the Johnstown fund was
added to the guarantee of the citizens
meeting, and upon that fund and guar
antee call was made for men to go to
work in Golden Gate Park in grading new
roadways through the sand dunes, and in
preparing the soil for tree-planting. The
committee decided that the temporary
relief ought to be extended to the largest
possible number and therefore fixed the
rate to be paid out in what certainly is
pure charity, 81 % day per capita.
Wednesday group of the unemployed"
appeared before the committee and de-
clared that they could not afford to work
for that figure; that they must have 81 a
day, and work but eight hours at that.
That if they worked for less, or for longer
hours, they would do wrong to other work.
ers. They therefore struck for the two
dollars, and the committee, supremacy dis
gusted, adjourned sine die, and now the
unemployed, if they are in such distress
as is claimed by their loud voiced leaders,
have the satisfaction of remaining idle.
The men appear to have lost sight of
the fact that the employment was but
temporary and purely charitable; that the
figure agreed upon did not establish rate
of wages that could be considered a pre-
cedent; that to have offered the rate paid
to the regular employees of the park, who
are skilled in some degree, and who work
under knowledge of the system of park
Improvement, would have been bid for
influx of all the tramps of the interior who
want few days work and many days of
idIeness and drunkenness. In short, to
have given two dollars day would have
speedily exhausted the fund, have crowded
out the really needy, and have defeated
the very end aimed at.
All human experiences teaches, the tes-
timony ofall having experienced the admin
istration of relief funds, is to the effect that
they must be placed upon temporary
basis, a low wage scale, and that the work
must be of a character that will tend to
lead the men to abandon it for something
better as soon as possible. That is genuine
and wise relief All the leading and
thoughtful men among wage-earners who
have written or spoken upon the subject
agree in the sentiment, that in the use of
relief funds, the employment must not be
placed upon the level of that which is
permanent, nor must the inducements be
such as to invite the recipient to remain
in receipt OF the wage.
Several of the Committee of Citizens,
long known as leaders in relief movements,
are reported to have said that they would
not again lift their hands to give ten cents
worth of work to the unemployed, if the
yroup that called upon the committee was
sustained by the mass of the workers.
They probably reflect the sentiment of
nine-tenths of the community. One OF
the local papers adds:
whore the unemployed" obtained the means
20 mint thousands Of hsndbills where they
sIeeted their Executive Committee ana why
fbev found ii necessary TO procure beautifully
autographed Ietterheads for their written COM
,,1,eications puzzled the defu3et Citizens Com
,,,ittee. of whom some were of the opinion that
there was q political 'joker' in the movement
The RECORD UNION has ever stood the
friend of honest labor, the champion of a
high wage, the advocate of dispensation of
nnblic relief in manner to render it as
sbort-lived as possible, to prevent it be-
coming the prop of unworthiness and lazi-
ress. 1t does not now hesitate to say that
if the unemployed of San Francisco con-
sent to let the strikers who appeared be-
fore the citizens relief committee stand as
their representatives, they are unwor-
thv of sympathy or aid. We are low con-
xineed that there is not and there has not
been any such distress in San Francisco as
has been represented, and that if the star
xation rule really prevailed men would
not refuse temporary relief at 81 % per
dav and permit their families to suffer be-
cause of sentimental idea about hours
Of labor in a case where the oppor-
Unity to earn anything at all is a pure
gratuity.
PROFESSOR LIor:AED REPORTERS.
President Eliot, of Harvard, is reported
20 have made bitter, almost vicious