Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-18
Thousands of Lab0ring Men in the
East End Nearing Starvation for
>- Lack of Employment. .
RESULT OF THE STREET DECISION.
Hundreds of Eager, Hungry Applicants for
Every Opportunity to Earn a
Days Wages.
AIKEN AVENUE 10 BE MADE TEST CASE
On the Completion Of Unfinished Contracts and The
Legality Of Curative Lsvs.

The Supreme Court decision on the street
acts of 1887 and 1889 has not only caused
vast annoyance to city officials and taxpay-
ers and brought some contractors to the
verge of insolvency, but is now threatening
thousands with starvation. The bulk OF
the street improvements in the city during
the past two or three years was in the East
End, and thousands of men were employed
as laborers. To be near the work they
formed colonies on the outer edge of East
Liberty. These workers were largely Itsl-
ians, the balance being made up with colOred
men and a sprinkling of Irish.
The skilled labor bore very small pro-
portion to that which merely required in
dustry, muscle and little dexterity in
handling a pick and shovel. The wages
paid this class of labor was not large,
especially when compared with the cost of
living last year. As result the loss of
days work by bad weather or sickness was
a serious matter, while protracted spell of
idleness was a calamity.
Over 5000 Men Without Work.
At the present time there are between
The majority failed 20 lay by anything for
rainy day, while those who did have ex-
hausted their savings in tiding over the win
ter ana occasionally helping their starving
fellows. Most of these men were employed
by Booth x Finn, who are virtually doing
nothing just at present and have no assurance
when they will begin work again. A num-
bar off Tho italian lah have haoD
ing for the coke regions during the past few
days, others have gone South and West,
while a few, disguised with the outlook,
have followed in the wake of Baron Fava
and returned to the vine-clad hills of Italy
Il have to stay away from the East End
these DAYS" said James Booth, of the firm
OF Booth & Finn, ''for am literally be-
sieged by starving men. When they hear
that 1 need 10 or ID men for small job hun
dreds are waiting for me ior the opportunity
of earning dollar. Last summer we en-
plOyed about 5000 men, including those
working at our stone quarries. To-day we
have less than 100 working in the city and
about 500 in the quarries; not more than 600
in all. l suppose that nearly 1000 of the
men who were working for us last summer
are idle to-day, and there is no doubt that
many are actually starving
Preparing for the Future.
Chief Bigelow was well pleased yesterday
when he heard that the new street bills were
10 receive early and special consideration in
the Legislature. The Chief is anxious to
have the vexatious street muddle straight
ened out, so that if any work is going to be
done this summer it can be started early and
finished before the winter comes on.
In speaking of what will be done by the
city in regard to those streets which were
partially graded and paved before the win
ter set in, and which were affected bv the
Supreme Court decision, the Chief said: "If
the curative acts are passed we will COM
plete one of these unfinished contracts and
make a test case, IN order that the Supreme
Court may pass upon the new legislation.
Aiken avenue will probably be selected as
the street upon which to make the test case
NJ. A. Woodward owns a large frontage on |
ii, and we expect him TO take the necessary |
action, although he is just as likely TO pay |
up his assessment and drop the matter as |
not, the same as other parties did when we
wanted TO test the old acts of 1887 and 1889. |
Aiken avenue has been paved ior about 200 |
feet, and graded all the way, but the street |
is ia very bad condition, and something |
Will have to be done there.
Councils Will Have TO Settle 1t.
''As to a large number of other contracts
the city has entered into under the old acts.
we intend to wait until the Legislature |
either passes or defeats the various street |
bills now before it, and then we will present |
TO Councils complete list of the streets and |
sewers contracted for, showing which have |
been commenced or partially completed |
with the amount required to finish them,
and those which have not been commenced |
at all. Councils will then direct us what to |
do, whether to proceed and finish under the |
contract and collect under the curative acts,
or have a new petition presented, new or |
dinances passed and new contracts let under |
the new street laws.
''In a number of cases the signers to peti- |
tions for these street improvements repre-
sent the majority In number and interest,
but in the majority of cases the petitioners
represented less than one-half. In those
cases where we have the majority there will |
be no difficulty in getting a like proportion
Of signers to a new petition under the new
street acts, but in the others il will remain
for Councils to direct what shall be done, il |
our new legislation goes through"