St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-02
A DOLLAR A DAY CARRIED.
CITY RELIEF COMMITTEE SAYS THAT
is ENOUGH
TO PAY THE UNEMPLOYED.

Hart Says That When the Labor
Was to BE Paid in Provisions
500 Registered. When 1t Was
Decided to Pay Cash Over
1000 Registered-One Dollar
the Market Value Of Work.
A committee from the citizens relief
committee, and the council committee
| on unemployed labor held short ses-
sion yesterday afternoon. The matter
| discussed was whether the wages TO be
! paid the unemployed should be S1.5O or
| 81 PR day. Some months ago the city
! appropriated $4,000 to be used in caring
| for the unemployed, and at the time the
council placed the sum at the disposal
| OF committee consisting of three
members from each branch OF the couIi-
ell, the mayor. city comptroller and city
engineer. By resolution the council
also directed that the wages of the men
should be at the rate of Sl.50 per day.
the men TO work only half time. The
$4,000 having been exhausted, and an
additional $1,000 having been placed to
the credit of the fund, the citizens COM
lnittee decided that it would De adyiS-
able to reduce the amount paid per day
to 81, and to urge this action the meet
ing yesterday was called. Present at
the conference were Mayor Wright, AS
sembiymen DAILY, johnson and Rear
don, Aid. sWarren and Zimmerman,
City Comptroller McCardy, City Ell
gineer Rundlett, and MeSsrs. Hart.
Noyes. Castle and Wheelock from the
citizens committee.
ii. IL. Hart explained the position OF
the citizens committee. and argued that
work carried on by the city under the
circumstances should be paid for at less
than the market price for labor. The
amount to be disbursed would employ
80 per cent more men at 81 than at Sl.50,
and as the work 10 be done was really
in the way of charity, and not abso-
lutely necessary, there was no need of
making the price for labor higher than
the market wages. II the wages were
81 per day, he thought the demands for
work would be much less. As a proof
of his argument. Mr.. Hart said that
understanding was that 81 per day,
payable in groceries and fuel would be
the compensation. Under these condi-
tons about $40 persons registered, but
as soon as it was known that 81 so in
cash would be paid the enrolment
doomed to nearly 1000 Capt. Castle
said he was always in favor OF high
wages to laborlng men and hoped to see
the time when the most common and
ignorant la5orerS could earn big pay.
1t was not, he thought. the duty of the
city TO furnish employment to men out
of work, and, under the circumstances,
the money should be made to go as far
as possible. The payment of S1.50 per
day was above the market price, and
the person so employed became one of
privileged class. In the interests of
the taxpayers who have to bear the eX-
pense, and also so as to not compete
with the price of labor. the amount paid
by the committee should be reduced to
81 per day. He anticipated that at the
price mentioned it would be much
easier to collect by private subscription.
Mr.. WheelOck thought the payment of
high wages to the unemployed had a
tendency to educate class of people to
dependence on the city. 1t also Sug-
geSted the idea of public improvements
being carried on without regard to cost,
and this was entirely wrong. The men
employed by the park board had only
been paid 81 per day.
Assemblyman johnson said that while
the men on the work at Como had been
paid 81 day, at the end Of the month
they earned more money than the men
at work Oh the streets. owing to their
working continuously, while the street
men worked one week at S1.5U per day
and were laid off two weeks. Mayor
Wright said he would be in favor of the
men getting 81 per day, but this was not
possible, and he commended that the 81
per day plan was the best under the
circumstances.
On motion made by Assemblyman
Daily to have the price fixed at 81 per
day, all the members of the committee
voted in favor of such action, and the
necessary resolution will be recon-
mended to pass at the meeting of the
board OF aldermen Tuesday next.