Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-02-22
MEN PUT TO WORK.
Tho Total of Applications at the Street
and Sewer Department Is 254, Are All
Laborers But 4d--0ne Hundred and
Thirty Given Work.

Tho Total of Applications at the Street
and Sewer Department is 274, Are All
LaDorers But sd--One Hundred and
Thirty Given Work.
The Street and Sewer Department
offices in tho Water Department build
ing, at Sixth and King streets, were
surrounded last Monday morning by
about 300 men looking for opportunity
of hire at public work.
No new names were received Monday
morning. BY Saturday night the appli-
cations of ga names had been recorded.
Of these 1870 were set to work this morn
ing. No more applications for work
will be received at the department until
Saturday next, and that will be between
the hours Of 8 and II a. m.
All Of those who apply are not ac-
cepted. Residents of the city get the
first show and of these the men recon.
mended by the Associated Charities, by
good citizens, or by city Council get
the first call. Considerati II too is given
for married men and especially for those
with families to support.
The department has discharged most
of its laborers to give place TO the men
now applying for work, the idea being
to equalize the opportunity as much as
possible for those in need. The depart.
ment luborers, as rule, have had steady
work for the past year and have had
opportunity for saving. Taking all the
figures into consideration, it is believed
that the men DESTROYS for employment
in this city at the present moment, and
who would accept work at common
labor Is 400.
124 CENTS AN HOUR rs THE FAY.
All the men hired last Saturday get
regular department labor pay, which is
12A cents an hour. This is for actual
work performed. Under this rule the
workmen take their chance on fine
weather, for during rain they cannot
work and then there is, of course, no pay.
The fund for this work allowing for
the employment of 800 men, at this rate
of pay, surprising that there are six fine
days in the week, would allow for eight
weeks service. But this is exclusive Of
the cost Of material and cart hire, which
with manual labor would probably call
| for large number of carts, may reduce
the time TO nearer six weeks. By the
first of April, however, the regular
spring work of the department com
mences. So that if other business should
liyen up at all, the present effort to aid
the needy by public employment may
do great deal towards bridging over
the present labor difficulty. Under any
| circumstances as an ameliorative effort
it cannot but help largely in the definite
direction intended.
WHERE THE MEN ARE EMPLOYED.
The various places in which the men
have been put to work are as fol-
lows; New sewer on Delaware avenue,
west from Union street; new section on
Pine street south of Vandever avenue
section of grade on Thirteenth street
between Market and King, improvement
of Gilpin avenue between Bayard and
Grant avenues, grading Rodney street
between Gilpin and Delaware avenues,
section of new sewer at the foot OF
Orange street and sewer work at Clay.
ton street and Gilpin avenue, one square
on Union between Gilpin and Delaware
avenue, sewer section on Tatnall street
and on the stone quarry.