The morning call., 1893-05-24
Mayor Ellert Denounces
the JaWSmithS.
THERE IS WORK FOR ALL.
The Professional Unemployed Can
Find Work if They Want 1t.
LaborerS Are Needed.

have tried TO scare Eastern people away
from San Francisco by raising the cry of
starvation.
''As a rule, don't pay any attention to
these noisy jawsmths," said the Mayor to
CALL man yesterday. Ordinarily, if
they are let alone they will blow them
selves out in short time without hurting
anybody. It's notoriety they want, and
for once they are getting their fill of it.
'These fellows have got to be sup
pressed. They are doing the city an injury
and l mean to see the thing stopped If
there's a law in the land that Will reach
them.
II think THE CALL is doing a praise
worthy thing in taking the matter up and
showing the public what lot of frauds
these pc Ople are.
Talk of thousands out of employment! !!
Why, it's ridiculous There Isn't charit-
able organization in the city but what will
tell you that the number of deserving
needy people at present is but nominal
In every city. at all times, there are few
men out OF employment for short time.
| am willing to concede that there NAV be
a few Of these in the city at present. but as
Tor there being anything like widespread
hunger ana poverty such is is deScr. he'd in
the begging circulars sent out by this man
Wiley and his crowd that is all bosh.
The circulars are grossly exaggerated
and entirely false in great many particu-
lars. | am willing TO do all in my power
to help the deserving poor better them
-elves and am in favor OF any means which
Will tend to that end.
But these men don't want employment.
When Wiley was up here the other after
could 90 for work. He complained that
the wages were too small, and said the
men would rather stay idle than work for
such small remuneration.
Such men ought 10 be kicked out of a
community composed of Woodworking
citizens. Why, sir, L have worked
for small wages, smaller even than those
born with silver spoon In his mouth has
done the same.
Il told Wiley that small wages was bet
ter than no wages, and that he oug ht to be
ashamed OF himself to represent body of
men who were unemployed only because
they refused TO go I WORK.
The custom has been 10 pat these pro-
fessional agitatcrs on the back, but that is
going 10 be stopped right here. These
men are a detrment to the community and
TO the men they pretend to help, and the
most effective way for the press and the
public officers to deal with them is to show
them up to the public as frauds and NAL
contents and UummerS.
For number Of years now this class of
men las done the city a great injury BY
spreading abroad reports that tend TO keen
capital and immigration away from us. |
tor one propose To assume nv share of the
task OF getting rio of these men.
This o11ice is a iair barometer as to the
destitution in this city. When these peo-
pie get really hard up the first thing they
do Is to visit the Mayors Office. We help
| them whenever we can, and at least refer
them to some charitable organization,
where their cases are inveS tigated and re-
Iieyed if deserving. The bills are sent in
10 us and we pay them.
Now, reference 10 the records OF the
number of applications for help received
here in the past month will show tina,
things are very much better than they
were in the winter, and they are getting
better every day. At present the number
Of applicants Is very small.
Il don't believe there is a city. in the
United States of its size that contains so
few unemployed men to-day as San Fran.
cisco does. There is plenty of work now
out in the country, and these men know il.
They don't want it. They would rather
loaf about the cities and work their laws
for a living
That fellow Wiley told me they had
sent out about 5000 OF those begging circu-
lars and he asked me not to send the money
back II any came TO this Office in response
10 them.
Il assured him that there was not train
service or telegraph system in the land
that could send the money back fast en- ough
II any came. Won't l send it back, though ?
Just try me-"
ested in land down in Fresno County, SAYS
there is lots of work to be done there and
that laborerS are very scarce.
There IS land there suffering for labor
and capital lying idle waiting FIR labor. ]
don't mean to say this is true to ang great
extent" said the Supervisor, but il is true
in several instances that knoW of and
that it is true at all shows how groundless
the mouthlngs of these agtators are"
Here is pointer for some of those unen,.
ployrd:
George w. Elder, the stone-quarry con.
tractor, wants twenty good, able-bodied
laborers, and Is willing to Iay the market
raie OF wages Tor them. He has wanted
them Tor several days. and finds that work
is so brisk now that good men are hard
to get.
Contractor Belcher. who is LAYING the
pipes for bringing the salt water to the
Olympic Club. wants competent laborers.
and has wanted them for several davs.
And ne has advertised for them In vain.
He scouts the IDEA of there not being suffi.
rient employment for ali men willing to
work.
1here are other contractors and employ.
"rs IN the same condition. AT the very
worst. employment at living wages is to be
| obtained by all who want it,
| Ana recognizing that times are now
much better the Salvation Army officials
have almost discontinued their Lifehnat
| service at Sacramento and Kearny streets.
Instead OF three meals Il day tbey now
give but one meal, and the rush for that /.
not nearly as great as it was month ago.
AT the Associated Charities headouar-
terS HE CALL man WAS informed that the
number of applicants for help was greatly
reduced from what it had been during the
| rainy season.
Mr.. Wiley. the head agiator of the un-
employed, is himself rather busy these
daNs for man out of employment Sc
ousy at ieast that he cannot be found al
ms ms, ., ,"h.e,adquarters," 2Ol4 Dupont street,
-Four months ago Mr.. Wiley and his wife
ana TWO promising small boys came down
from Folsom and rented the fiat he now
denomlnates as his Headquarters. He
pays S12 month rent. has the fat decently
ana comfortably furnished, and was able a
lew weeks ago to shelter ana feed his sec.
retarv, MIR. Fry, who recently immigrated
| from Sacramento.
Whatever may be the condition of the
men Messrs. Wiley and Fry pretend &c
| represent these gentlemen appear to h..
faring not so badly. They have enough
w"rk to attend 10 to avoid suffering from
| eunui. and their three meals come repu.
| larry and are sustaining, if n ot sumptuous
Both OF these gentlemen will do well to
Keep away from the Mayors Office in the
| future. ~