The evening world., 1894-03-19
ShEEhAN
A PADR0NE.
Exporting Italians TO Long
Island City to Work on
His Contracts.
MANY VOTERS THERE IDLE.
Trouble Feared When the Tam
many Leaders Full Gang of
Men Starts In.
HOUSED IN RUDE SHANTIES.
New York's Police Commissioner
Adding to His Varied
Accomplishments.
HOUSED IN RUDE SHANTIES.
John c. Sheehan, padrone.

@S'@ - @ArA
This new role has been assumed In
Long Island City by the Tammany Hail
district leader. In that region OF smells
he has contracts for building two sew
srs for the gross sum OF S4l9, +f9.
For most men any one of Mr.. Shea-
hans distinctions would be enough.
There is already John C. Sheehan. the
Police Commissioner. John c. Sheehan,
the district leader OF Tammany Hall:
John c. Sheehan. the President Of the
Peauod Club; John c.. Sheehan. the con-
tractor: John c. Sheehan. the lawyer:
John C. Sheehan. the member OF Tam
many General Committee. and John {.
Sheehan. the brother Of William F..
Sheehan, the blue-eyed Lieutsnant-Gov-
ernor OF the State OF New York. And
John c. Sheehan. not satisfied with all
OF this, may henceforth be known also
rs n padrone
OF course, John C. Sheehan will not
make contracts with wrrtched Italian
workmen. OF course, he will not ask
them to give money to him In order that
they may be employed on the Harris
avenue sewer, in Lons Island city. on
which he has begun work. or on the
Broadway sewer. which Is to be built
later on.
OF course he will never enter. perhaps
never see. the wretched shauties where
these men are to be housed and fed. II.
Will never come in contact with their
suffering and Will never look upon their
woe. He will Simply sit in his office IN
New York and attend to .he advance
ment or his multttuiinuus affairs. but
he Is primarily responsible for the in.
troduction Of the padrone system IN the
public works In Long Island City. AMI
all the evils and wrong-dotng that here
after attend 1t must be attributed to
Trouble Is feared when the whole
force Of Italians Is put to work. Hun
dreds Of honest lnborsrs. who never
voted anything but the Democratic
Their homes have been taxed and their
lttsle families have suffered To raise the
l.5oo,0o which is to be expended under
an act OF the Legislature for improving
They have been looking forward all
winter to the opening OF Spring and 10
this opportunity for work. The, now
ind that they are TO be set aside ana
men who do not pay taxes or buy food
or clothing at their stores or contribute
will receive all the benefits from the
work that do not accrue 70 John G.
sheehan. the Tammany Hall politician
and the ally and friend OF Mayor san
ford, OF Ions Island City.
Work on the Harris avenue sewer was
begun about a month ago. About sixty
= men nave Dtru eHlplONe Ell, most OF them
being Italians The superintendent OF
MILAN. and the foremen under him arr
Jake O,roole and Lawrence sullivan.
The Italians were employed after the
usual padrone methods through Antonio
Lappa, OF Hester and Mulberry streets
he Is Sns Or the best known padrOnes In
New York.
According 10 contract Sheehan is soon
10 put on a full force of about 30. Ar
engagements have been made and all
yhRSA man will nrnl.Ilv ~, -. yyA-L In
q feS days. Shantiss OF rough boards
are being erected in the open lots, and
each man who is employed Will be re-
CURED, beside the payment he makes TO
the pacrone who employs him. To pay s.
a month Tor board In the shanty and s.
a month for shanty rent, The men will
receive. 1t is said, sl.l0 a dav.
ployms sFEH is 81 s. but aGF ' RT1sI Eveni r % W5r sH;
has a!ready demonstrated that as much
padrones for a posi- which does not ytvl!
more than $40 a day to the laUor-r
An Italian who has been employed BY
marked to an Evening Worit' reporter
yesterday:
pey for work or wEer. We must 1--we,
We have been cut II work for two
months, and any conditions which are
imposed must be complied wiki or else
1t is well known that the pldronae
are always able and yea iy - Civ a
handsome sum 10 a CONTRACTOR #
placing their men At work. Il not 10.
frequently happens that th~y bid aga.us,
leach other. and that the ore who al.
pay the most money will get his m-n a,
work. sometimes i pttrJIa gives .l.0r
or 1850 in this way. 1uI when me con,
tract is a large one much larger UT
are given, The money, Of c2urSr. com.
out OF the labJrers. who. Z they hIv.
no money. bind themselves 70 paE a p'r
ton OF their wages 10 the contractor o'
padrone every week.
SmQll "a e. n month and Z n FnlrHA
for "shanty" rent may appear. the ~.
drones always consider this an imupr
'ant source Of revenue when they ar'
r-..ng men to worH on u, cJntratt
twenty, 30 or even % cents a day - ais
frequently deducted from the men
wages or a lump sum Of g a week j.,
are kept steadily employed.
Some idea may be gained q the enor
nous tribute which the Italian labor-r'
pay TO the padrones even when thsl
are taxed IN the mos; moderate scale
Supposing that the fee for securing IN
ployment is 50, paid on an average twic'
a year. For 300 men-the number whICr
Is TO be employed CT Police Commits
sioner ~Sheehan'S contrart-th" fee woull
amount TO 1850. which j. not "A idrE'
estimate. considering the frequency wiz.
which rev men are employed and Of,
O. ssaF and 81 TO- % H sSaat At tsn a E n.%5&a IS AZ 81:
price: indeed, for huts OF rough save,
boards in, the centre Of a Long Islam,
SANJ MARSH.
But the board given in a shanty for s
a month Is not the kind to suit even th'
poorest Italian. Everything he buys h
has 10 get from the padroue.
Sheehan was awarded the contract
by q new body Of officials known as tn
General Improvement Commission. Thu
Commission was created by the las
legislature Ostensibly to improve tn,
streets Of Long Island CITY, but realll
to Epend 81 .jOO.OO William II. Williams
a brother OF Police Inspector Williams
OF New York, was made one Of tn,
members OF the new Commission.
'Blue-eyed Billy Sheehan, the Lieu
t-Goyernor. wac largely instru
mental in securing the passage of tn
bill NJ Albany. Mayor Sanford, of Lon
Island City. appointed the Commission
srs. who awarded the contracts to Johl
{. sheehan, Tannmany district leader
OF New York.
%r7t eoptraet-the Harris avenue one