Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-03
ONE WAY OUT OF 1T.
Chief Elliot's Plan of Disposing of
the Vexed Colored Problem.
PLENTY OF ROOM IN THE NORTH
For the Negroes, Who Are Wanted to Dis
place Foreign Labor.
A COMING CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE

The seventeenth National Conference o
Charities and Correction will meet in Balti.
more May IA, and continue in session one
week. The conference will be attended from
this city by James B. Scott and W. J. Saw.
yer, members of the State Board of Chari-
ties; Warden Wright and Chaplain Mill
| gan, of the penitentiary, and r. D. McGon-
nigle, of the State Poor Law Commission.
Mr.. Sawyer is a member of the Committee
on Immigration, and Mr.. McGonnigle a
member of the Committee on Public Indoor
and Outdoor Relief.
The discussions of the conference cover a
wide range-official boards, charity organi-
cations, hospitals, insane asylums, prisons.
training schools for nurses, immigration,
homes for dependent children, etc. The pa
pers and debates are by both theoretical and
practical men, and have been very useful in
diffusing information respecting benevolent,
charitable, peual and reformatory work.
The conferences are attended by from 300 to
400 persons.
REVISING POOR LAWS.
During the sitting of the conference a
meeting will be held OF the State Poor Law
Commission. This is a commission of seven
members, which is occupied in preparing
body of laws governing the treatment of the
poor throughout the Commonwealth. The
members for Western Pennsylvania are R.
d. McGonnigle, of Pittsburg, and W. E.
Marsh, of Cory. The commission has held
several meetings and has heard much testi-
mony concerning the incongruous and often
harsh operations of the diverse laws of the
counties. The various subjects have been
10 nf = yIa iecia md
the work of drawing up, in statutory shape,
the ideas agreed upon, will soon begin.
Chief R. c. Elliot, OF the municipal De-
partment OF Public Charities, is an ex-officio
member OF the conference, but he will not
be able to attend. He said yesterday con-
corning the work of the conference:
If these good people, who are devoting
their brains, time and money to the work of
caring for the poor and depraved in this
country would devote their attention more
to keeping out the paupers and criminals of
Europe, they would accomplish great deal
more. Our charitable bureaus snd organi-
cations are overrun by demands from
paupers who come to this country from
abroad for the express purpose of getting
into our poorhouses
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
''The immigration question is most i'm
portant one, and needs immediate legisla-
tion BY Congress. In Great Britain paupers
are sent to this country by the ship load 1
have seen advertisements in Irish papers
asking for bids from transportation COM
panies on carrying parties of paupers to
America. We have had men come to us
and ask for permits to beg in the streets.
They have been professional beggers in the
old country. Not long ago a fellow came
here and asked to be sent to the poorhouse.
1 found that he had been here only three
weeks, and 1 told him that he had no busi-
ness in our poorhouse, that it was supported
by the people for the benefit of the poor of
this community. He asked how long he
would have to live in Pittsburg to get into
our poorhouse He had come to the United
States for that very purpose.
81 would have law forbidding the ad-
mission to this country of any person who
did not have permit from one of our con.
suls abroad, and would furnish those con-
suls with help sufficient to enable them to
investigate the history of every applicant
for emigration. No paupers or criminals
should enter our ports. | would have age,
mental, physical and financial qualifca-
tions.
THE LAW WOULD GO FAR.
"Our country is broad, and any honest,
intelligent man who comes here to make his
home should be welcomed, but no others
should be let in. Such a law would go far,
not only to aid our people to care for the
poor, but to ameliorate the condition Of our
workingmen, and to settle the negro prob
lem.
Politicians seem to be racking their
brains about what to do with the colored
people of the South. Why, there is room
for them here, and in all other cities of the
North. They ought to be doing the work
on our streets and railroads, and in our