The Washington times., 1895-01-19
LABOR ENTERS THE LISTS
District Assembly Protests
Against the Sidewalk Order.
MIGHT MAKE MORE PAUPERS
Master Workman Simmons Letter 10 the
commissioners-When Thousands Keed
Work, ,Eootblacks and Fruit Vendors Should
Rot BE Deprived of the Opportunity 10
Make an Honest Living Exemption Urged

Organized labor has become interested in
the street-clearlng order Of the Commission
ers, and an appeal has been sent 10 the local
rulers asking that bootblack and fruit stands
shall not be disturbed The address reads as
follows:
HEADQUARTERs DISTRICT Ass EMILY. Ne. 6G,
KNIGHTS OF LABOR,
WAsHINGToS, ID. c., Jan. IS, 1885.
The Honorable Commissioners OF the District
of Columbia
GENTLEMEN: This assembly has directed ne
TO urge that your orders for the clearing OF
the streets and sidewalks OF obstructiops be
modified or SUSPENDED so far as they relate to
fruit stands. hoot-blacking chairs etc., which
do not in fact interfere with the use of the
sidewalks by the pubic, ana by means OF
which q large number of people are earning
their living.
The effect of the removal of these stands
VIII present he absurdity OF the District au-
tborities energetically depriying several hun
drei people of the means OF living al the very
time those authorities. aided by all the public
and private charities. are engaged in hope
less effort TO relieve the poverty OF the Dis
trict: poverty which has no other origin than
the inability OF capable and willing people
TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT.
urge in behalf of the fruit stands and tn e
DOOt-pAoNAAAS S-fdilo hASt. lhdA lhSlA OhhSio
are engaged in an hone st, worthy effort to
support themselves; second, that their ability
20 earn their living in those industries shows
that their services are needed and appreciated
by the public which patronizes them so that
instead OF being public nuisance they a
public convenience: and. third. that our wide
streets and ample sidewalks afford room
enough for these enterprises without crowd
ing the public in The cast
u may be the law that permanent and solid
structures may extend over the payements
like the great show windows and the Wash
in-ion and Georgetown Railway transfer shed.
while fruit stands. no more obtTusive. are
prohibited. fl So there is no sense ia the
law
Bat If it is found that these stands are un-
lawful distractions of the streets urge you
TO consider that so obscure is the law and so
uAo3 ectiOnable are the stands that il has
taken twenty years for the discovery to be
made. and it can do no possible harm to the
pgbiie and viii not greatly add 10 the insults
ALREADY heaDed upon the law in this respect
il i1a booIblacks and fruit veaders ere per-
mittel TO continue their industries until
spring. when the stress OF poverty and en-
forced idleness VIII be
SOMEWHAT ABATED.
II We are making laws instead Of enforcing
them we might wei consider whether fore
fby depriving citizens OF the opportunity to
earn an honest living by worthy methods is
nos n greater crime than obstructing side
wElks. bat / am aware that the Commission.
ers are charged only with the enforcement of
the law. When. however. the Commissioners
are unable. with the means at their disposal.
10 enforce anywhere near ali the laws of the
District. and are accordingly forced to select
thase which they viii enforce and those
which they viii neglect il would seem to be
wise to choose for attention those laws affect