The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-04-17
Workmen Indignant Over the
Water Works.
A FINE PICTURE SPOILED
1t Was Painted Two Years Ago, But the
Worklngmen of To-day Find the Original
Changed to a Dago Chromo-whst Was
Promised.

The correspondence to the HERALD and
published yesterday concerning the en-
ployment of dago labor on the public
water works to the exclusion of able
bodied and needy citizens and taxpayers
of the town, is one that cannot be over
looked, yet it is difficult to see what re-
lief the people complaining can secure.
While the works are being constructed
for the borough and with the borough's
money, it is not being done by it and the
town authorities have no power or juris-
diction in the matter, other than to see
that the work is done according to con
tract and paid for. Contractors Quinn &
Kerns have not the least bit more power
in the matter than the borough. They
have sub-contracted the work to Mr. Nc
Adams and Mr.. McAdams can hire such
men as he desires and pay them such
wages as the men are willing to work for.
So to that extent the correspondents
complaint can avail nothing.
Had the men, who are now complaining
stepped to the front when the HERALD
made a battle, single-handed, against what
it thought was gilded cucumber there
would be no occasion for complaint now
The people who favored the new water
works stopped at nothing in making
promises to win votes for the election TO
Increase the borough indebtedness to
build the water works. They lavished
promises on all sides and issued circulars
that appeared to the dupes as leaflets
from the golden heavens above.
One of these circulars was issued by the
joint committee on public water works
and in it was a statement that the work
ingmen of the town were to be furnished
with employment in the construction of
the water works and that of the $93, 600
the works would cost $33, 900 would be
distributed among these workingmen in
wages, i
That was golden promise and if it
could be but partly fulfilled now what a
blessing it would be to the many families
of the town who are now on the verge of
starvation.
But it cannot be fulfilled The borough
is not doing the work; it is in the hands
of sub-cOntractor.
Nor was it ever intended that the
promise should be fulfilled, for had there
been such an intention the joint com
mittee, when asking for bids for the work,
would have insisted that the proposals be
based on the employment of citizens and
| taxpayers of the town as laborers.
The Joint committee cannot squirm out
of its position by saying that failure 20
do so was due to forgetfulness, for in re.
fering to the committees manifesto on
the employment of home labor the HER
election was held and long before the
contract was awarded, asked how the
borough proposed controlling the labor
on the work when it was to be done by
contract.
This question was never answered, nor
was it covered by any provision of the
Had not some over-jealous people who
have taken occasion to gloat over the
present progress of the new water works
at the expense of the HERALD the matter
would not receive this attention and the
paper would be content to simply say
that the working people of the town had
been grossly deceived, But since there is
gloating there is room for the statement
the HERALD stands in the same position
| that it did in 1S92-that the manner in
! which the public water works movement
was instituted was wrong, that it was
precipitated in spirit of temper and vim
| dictiYeness, and that the prime movers
could not and would not do as they prom
ised the people. ...
During discussions of the dago labor
| questions in various places last night
! there were found a few who said that
any man with common sense knows that
| the average labOring man of Shenandoah
cannot compete with the dago laborers
| on wages and would not work for the
| wages
This is true But that does not relieve
|
the working people of the town. When
that promise was made there was no sug
/ gestion that the home workmen would be
| obliged to work for days wages
| 1t is not the least surprising that the
working people of the town are indignant
at seeing gangs of dagos doing work that
had been promised them. When the
citizens of the First ward put in their
| line last year one of their first acts was
to resolve that none but home labor
should be employed and at wages of not
less than nine dollars per week. And it
is but recently that the Borough Council
| increased the wages of two watchmen
from SLIPS to Sl,50 per day on an argu-
ment that 1t would be disgrace to the
town should the authorities offer any
workingmAn less than $l.50. Where do
the public water works stand in this
light2
View the matter as he will no one can
get away from the fact that the working
people of Shenandoah have been grossly
deceived or hide the shameful sight of
willing and deserving men standing on
the street corners, waiting for chance to
| work and obliged to watch the cheap
element taking the cream of that which
was promised them and for which they
must pay in taxes.
This is not the first blunder that has
come to light in connection with the
public water works, nor will it be the
last
| --
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