The morning times., 1896-04-22
SHOWED THE EVIL EXISTS |
Times Expose Of italian Labor
Discussed by the Federation.
PROVED The STATEMENTS
Various Other Matters of Interest
TO the world of Labor Under Con-
Observation-Disclosures Day Excursion.
Special Meeting Of the Legislative
Committee to BE Held.

The Federation of Labor had for con-
side ration last night at its regular. meeting
the authenticity and Ieliablnty or the re-
ports published concerning the influx OF
Italian cheap labor to Br ookland.
The Times some time ago published an
expose, with illustrations, OF the number
OF these foreign laborers, the manner in
which they were living, the wages paid
them, etc.
Some exceptions were taken to the re-
port made 10y The Times. whose inyestlga-
ton was made at considerable trouble Tor
the purpose of protecting the laboring
men of the District and OF guarding them
against the encfoachments or outside cheap
labor.
The Times last night submitted TO the
Federation of Labor the following al
| iidavits CONCERNING its original article, pub
lished with Illustrations in the afternoon
edition OF recent date:
Gentlemen: On the Sd of April visited
Brookland for the purpose or investiganng
the story that Italians were employed Dy
Contractor Lesiier ON the construction OF the
sewer Tor which he had recently secured the
contrnct. talked with Il number OF people
i'll that place and they Informed me that fully
fifty Italians had S,,cnt the previous night
In TIE ul,t PunIpiIFey house; iSo that Others
had slept in a near by cottage as wellas in
the sheds which had just been erected near
the spot where the excavations were to
commence. / visited the Humphrey house
and sa W about fifteen or twenty OF these
people there. | then went to the sheds
where there were number or other Italians
standing about. While was in Brooklaud
! saw squads OF these people carrying
trunks and other household effects to the
Aforesaid PunfpbTey house and on my way
back to the. city met a wagon loaded with
furniture, on Which were seated about half
dozen Italians. Work had not then begun
OH the sc wer, but was informed that these
men had been brought there Tor the purpose
ofsconstructing it. IL. a. COLEMAN.
Washington Times Editorial Staff.
Gentlemen: on the 18th of April, about
10 am, went TO Brookiaud, and cutting
across the fields soon arrived at what is
generally known as the Italian Camp. 1t
Is situated on the east side of the B. & o.
R. r. track and is composed OF three oue-
story shed erectons, one of which Is used
as sleeping quarters for a lumber OF
Italians For considerable distance
an excavation had been made for the
proposed sewer. l went TO the trench and
looking down saw two gangs of Italians
below the surface, on top there was an
other gang wheeling away the dirt which
was thrown up by those below.
As near as l could Judge there was
about seventy-fiye or a hundred men at
work, all of, whom were Italians. In ad-
dition to these there were about six or
eight men OF different nationaiities.
noticed three little excavations in the
ground where fires had been built and
kettles placed on an iron grating. This
method OF cooking l was familiar with,
having seen IL used before in other Italian
camps. The sleeping shed / was told
contained hunks, Inqniring my way as
! / went arriyed at Concord and Thirteenth
streets at what was known as the Pun
phrey house.i Iaiauswer to my rap two
Italian women came TO different windows
but could not speak English. They either
pretended or could not understand any
English.
l noticed that each room downstairs con
tanned bed and some eating dishes. Aswel
4 twelve
families, lived in the house. One means by
which arrived at the conclusion that about
one ehundredmenwereem employed wasthrough
Tue numbering system. Twice day the
foreman goes down the line and asks each
man his number. The Italian gives his num-
Der, ana his presence Is noted opposite a
corresponding number in the book the fore
man carries. On the occasion OF my visit the
foreman was calling over the men Before
he had gone three quarters of the distance
down the trench he had called over the num-
Der eighty-seyen-
/ again visited the Camp and Pumphrey
House today. What saw and heard only
| confirmed what / discovered on the first
visit. Today / saw the interior OF the Sleep
ing shanty, and noticed what might be called
hunks or shelves, which were strewn with
straw. Here and there a trunk was visible.
Signs ofSleeping were erywherearound.
learned toda y from the water boy that he
was the only citizen of the District emplo yed
at this place. In answer to my question he
said at the present time there were sixty
seven men at work.
AT the red Pumphrey house / found
an Italian man, just arrived today, who
was able 10 understand English. He said
| there were twelve men and three women in
! the house. / was informed that more
| Italians are TO be emplo yed on the work as
| soon as the specifications are signed.
| This has been the cause of the delay in
| the arrival OF the other workmen. | weat
do WI the trench today and counted fifty
! nine men al work ut the time. There were
others lounging about the shed, one OF
sat over Il little fire. Another was asleep
| under one Of the sheds and three were in
an Outhouse.
HERBERT F. L. ALLEN,
Washington Times Editorial Staff
1, A. N. Irwin OF lexington, do hereby
| state that have visited the sewer con-
| land and also read the articles in the
| Washin gton Times April 8 and IT, about
| the employ yment of Italians on the sewer
construction. As far as / know, the ar
| times near the construction, and in my
| judgment there are about sixty Italians
| employed there digging and excavating.
| he told me that they employed the Italians
because they worked better than what he
could hire here. There are two gangs Of
men employed. On the west side or the
! Baltimore & Ohio Railroad track there
are about forty colored men at work. and
1 on the east side or the track the Italians
/ are AT Work. IL is Oh tne east Sltle where
| the Italian camp is located, consisting of
two OF three sheds. A. N IRWIN,
| Fifth and Albany northeast.
| /, Edward NJ Honidge, of Brookland,
| do hereby state that Sunday, April 8,
| while walking along Concord street and
| southwark, down Thirteenth street, saw
| at q house at Concord and Thirteenth
lstreet several Italians. l had been
| informed that there Were a great many
| living at the house, and l stopped long
! enough to count them. / counted twelve
| men and two women. / have also seen
| Italians at the corner brick house or
| Fourth street, along the line of the Eek.
| ington Railway. ] have seen as many
| as six Italians at this place at one time
/ E. NJ. HOLLIDGE.
I, Mrs Jane Arnold, do hereby state
that l live near the sewer construction
| and in view of / t all the time. To the
| best of my knowledge there are about
fifty Italians at work on the sewer, nearly
all of whom live on my property. having
| rented the ground from me to erect their
| shanties on. There Were about thirty
more here this morning, waiting around
for the work to start. They all went
| away about O'Clock aDd did not come
| back again. / have heard that there
| were more of them going TO work later on
| her
| JANE Y ARNOLD
mark.
FANNIE THOMAS, Witness.