The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-21
President Dohrmann and
Denis Kearney Discuss
Them.
MIR. AsHWoRTH's CRITICISMS.
The Merchants Association Wants
the Streets Kept Clean by
All Day Work.


tons, which evolved a spicy passage-at-
arms between President Dohrmann of the
Merchants, Association and Denis Kear-
ney.
Kearney had gone there, he said, at the
request of workingmen who had been
focking to his house for days, begging him
to make plea in their behalf against the
low wages which were being paid in the
work of cleaning the streets.
'They have met me on the streets and
wherever / go,' he said. "but I refused,
telling them l had raised my voice in be-
half of labor for the last time, for the la
berer is his own worst enemy. But at last
L consented he said, "and am here to
challenge Mr.. Dohrman or any other man
to go on the platform and discuss this
question. | say the Merchants Associa-
ton has used the City and this.contract as
a lever by which to degrade labor"
He had gotten this far when Mr.. Dohr-
mann took an exception.
Every member of the Street Committee
was present, Chairman Spreckels presid-
ing. The specifications for the street
cleaning had been under discussion for
some time, Superintendent of Streets Ash
worth being their critic for the day, and
arguing against many of the provisions on
the ground that they provided for too
much cleaning
Mr. Dohrmann offered several sections of
report of the official in charge of the
work in Boston, going to show that the
trend of opinion was i'll favor of greater
cleanliness in cities rather than the re-
verse.
Kearney had essayed to speak earlier in
the proceedings, but had been told that
the time had not come. Now he tried
again, declaring that this report was the
pleading of City official for the spending
of more money and not an effort TO have
the work done cheap"
1.-The citizens of San Francisco" he said,
"paid to have the streets cleaned, and the
money so collected should be paid at
legitimate rates of days wages for the
work done. The City is the wealthiest
corporation in the State. 1t would not do,
therefore, to allow it to degrade American
labor by setting precedent OF this kind
OF buying labor at the lowest figure it could
be obtained. That once established what
was to prevent the Spring Valley Water
Works, the gas company, all the big cor
porations and the smaller business houses
in town pointing to the fact and cutting
down the wages of their employ
~ do not believe that any person Will be
influenced in his opinion concerning the
work we have done by what Mr.. Kearney
has said, )" remarked Mr.. Dohrmann in an
even tone of voice when it came to his
turn. But We owe 1t to our own SELF
I respect nOG ailOW IUS CndrSe IlldJ the
Merchants Association is degrading Amer
lean labor to go unanswered. The proof is
all directed the other way. No person is
SO interested in seeing the workman well
paid as is the merchant. 1t is his life-his
business life. If after all we have
done in behalf of the laboring
man during the past months, the
have given without remuneration in their
cause we are to be charged with prostituting
our opportunity it is a strange thing. Last
year the streets were swept by means of
few machines and the employment of some
forty or fifty young unmarried men.
Since we have had charge of the work we
have employed mparatiyely small
army OF men whom we have carefully Sc
lected from among married men who most
needed the work. We have given work to
very many who could not have found en-
ployment with other contractors, and we
paid them all that they earned and this kept
them from want and from being burdens
on the community. We have told the
men that they should seek work elsewhere
as we knew what we had to do
and the money we had to do
it with. So the facts are all against
the statement that we have attempted
to degrade labor. Mr.. Kearney should
find fault with those whose parsimony has
caused them to refuse to contribute to us,
and to the financial stress of the City and
to the hard times, rather than to those
who have contributed their own money
and used what they had as iudiciously as
they knew how"
J. Richard Froude of the Merchants
Association made spirited address on the
same lines, saying that he could not allow
this charge against men who had left their
desks, neglected their own private bust
ness for months to carry through benefi-
cent work on behalf of the whole City and
the great benefit of numbers of laborlng
men, to go unanswered.
Kearney again repeated that he was talk
ing for principle and not as friend of the
worMngman, but declared that the prin-
clple of low wages in one department gave
the right to all and that Mr. Fraude would
be the first man to cut the wages of his en-
ployes if warranted by this precedent
Some one had said to him it was not
question of wages but of cleanliness. He
wanted the privilege of speaking again at
the time the clause concerning wages was
Mr.. Dohrmann wanted to know if in the
letting of any other contracts the wages to
be paid the men was stipulated.
Mr.. Ashworth said it was not.
"Those are private contracts" said
Kearney, "they are not works done by the
City"
Mr.. Dohrmann said this was private
contract also. This matter was open for
bids. These specifications had been pre-
scented by the Merchants Association as
basis for the method and as result of the
experience gained. They came here to
offer suggestions by request OF the COM
mittee. The matter was open for the bid
ding of whomsoever would.
In the review of the specifications, Super
intendent Ashworth thought they pro-
vided for too much work; that many of
the streets could get along with much less.
For instance, he did not think Golden
Gate avenue needed to be swept every
day, as provided. That three times week
was quite sufficient.
Mr.. Dohrmann said that there was no
street from which they had received so
much complaint as from Golden Gate ave-
| nue. during their brief experience. They
had cleaned it thoroughly twice week.
| The immense traffic on the thoroughfare
called for cleaning every day. Wherever
| there were many horses there was dirt,
and it should be cleaned. The people were
entitled to clean streets.
what we want is the most that can be
had for the money!" said Ashworth. eve
must make it go as far as possible. We
must economiZe."
There is no body of men more anxious
| tn save money for the Citv than tho Mo-