Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-23
III ~
RELIEF MEASURES.
Ways and Means For Relieving Distress
Discussed BY tine Committee.

blsCuSScu ny tAS
Seventeen members of the relief COM
mittee. of thirty met in the board of trade
rooms last night and discussed the situa-
ton. John Thompson, chairman of the
committee, resigned, not having time to
give the matter his attention, and H. L.
Wade was appointed his successor. In
the absence of w. Z. Fulton, F. B. Rice
acted as secretary.
Suggestions being called for Patrick
Holohan said that he did not think the
town received twenty-five per cent return
for the SO, 000e expended on the Nauga-
tuck turnpike. He thought that $1,000
given to the relief bureau would have done
more good than the $4,000 expended.
General Kellogg suggested that the city
do something for the unemployed.
E. Il. Lampson, of the committee APP
pointed to act with the selectmen, con-
sidered that an expensive way of giving
charity. He said many people who did
not need the work obtained places on the
roads by Misrepresentation, and hoped If
another appropriation was made for the
same purpose somebody would pray out an
injunction. Some of the men on the work
were too old to accomplish anything;
others We're not accustomed to the work,
many were lazy and the whole thing was
demoralized.
Mr. Holohan said that some of the men
who signed the petition for the second
town meeting had got help from the first.
He knew of one man who applied for work
who owned three houses and another who
owns SO, 600 worth of property, which is
nearly paid for.
NJ Rice said that he could easily see
where a man could own house and still
need help. His property might be mort
gagged for almost all it was worth. Mr.
Holohan replied that his committee had
looked carefully into such cases. He APP
preciated the fact that Il man with nothing
but house could not eat the house, but he
knew men who have from $40 10 $50
month rent coming in'who applied for
town work.
Mr. Hoadley thought that the price paid
for the work was too high and said that
better results would have been obtained
had the job been let by contract.
John Thompson was in favor of recon-
menGing another appropriation, saying
that there We're many men in Waterbury
who would starve before applying to the
relief bureau for aid. True" he said,
''old men were employed on the improve
ments, but they were glad to work rather
than be forced to accept charity. I don't
wish to find fault in this matter, but be-
lieve that if the employment of these men
had been looked after httlemore sharply
there would have been no need of giving
work to the undeserving. I object to
what has been said because plenty would
object to becoming paupers for the first
time in their lives"
Mr. Holohan said that of the men en-
ployed on the roads, about $50 were de-
serving.
Mr. Kiefer advocated holding charity
ball or fair and was confident that Il large
sum could be realized.
Mr. Thompson moved that the commit
tee recommend to the next town meeting
that an appropriation of S., 900 be made to
provide work for the unemployed and that
the city be requested to begin as soon as
possible the digging of the pipe trench.
After remarks by Mr. Holohon, Rev DR.
Martin and j. II. Frenzy, the motion was
carried.
\ resolution was adopted that laborers
employed by the town under the proposed
appropriation be PAID by orders on the
Scovill street bureau and that supplies be
furnished at wholesale prices.
On motion of Mr. Tracy the committee
recommended that all the newspapers
start subscriptions for the benefit of the
relief bureau and the editors of the various
papers were requested to issue call to the
public for donations.