Evening star., 1897-01-21
THE NEwsBOY QUESTION.

Further Discussion by Star Readers
| of the Commissioners Order.
Charles Williams, writing to The Star.
says:
| Il have been somewhat amused at the
| various communications that have been
printed lately relative to the recent order
i of the Commissioners regarding the news
| boys One would think the last expiring
| liberty OF an oppressed and down-trodden
| people was to be taken away, from the
excited manner of some Of the writer's;
while, on the other hand, one would ex-
| pect Belzebub and all his hosts were to
be turned loose upon us were the news
boys allowed to continue the crying of the
| newspapers on Sunday. 1t seems to me to
be very simple question, and, without
regard to the various arguments brought
up by the Secular League VS.. the church,
| there Is no good reason why the order
should not stand. There is no desire or
! attempt to stop the selling of papers, and
| me fact OF their not being allowed to fill
| the city with their cries will not material
| ly affect tie amount of their sales.
Il am workingman and have often been
greatly annoyed by the unnecessary yelis
| or the rewsDoys on Sunday morning, and
II seems that workingmen have some
rights, which even the daintly dressed
women of Washington should respect If
they cannot put their heads out Of doors
TO look for a newsboy it could easily be
oroered TO be left, and thus save them
noise is unnecessary that l object This
our national capital should be made
model city In every way. I trust the Com
nlssioners will not only stand by the or'ler
issued, but Will do away with the hawking
upon the street of all articles, not only
sunday, but every other day.
another correspondent, assuming the
name Fair Play" says: II am not op-
star of bright little fellow Instead of
having 1t delivered by carrier, although
that would be cheaper. But 1 don't think
shai .he neWsboy, any more than the
'uchster' the banana man or the organ
grinder, ought to interfere with peonie's
Sunday-morning rest. If those persons
VINO nave been SO strenuously advocating
the crying of Sunday papers could live o1
this square awhile they would have rea-
son TO change their tune and take up the
refrain, " give US rest,' for the clamor-
Gus calls of the Sunday newsboys at fire.
quent intervals are enough to effectnalIy
destroy the repose Of any who are nor of
the seven-sleepers' variety II NAV he all
very nice for people who live in QUIET ma rts
OF the city to write letters in favor Of the
olsturbef by It But to be in the midst of
| IL is something very different
| . 1hefc are many people who do not read
SUNDAY papers and many others who have
| tnem regularly delivered by carriers
| Those persons who wish to buy naners
Sunday mornings ought to get them with
out having the public peace disturbed for
| their accommodation. The people who
wish quiet morning one day in the week
certainly have some rights in the matter
That ought to be respected-yes, sad pro-
tected- Shall one mans Sunday-morning
rest be destroyed because some other man
wants a paper and is too lazy to go out
after 1t and Sc must have newsboys come
along at intervals yelling and disturbing
the quiet of the whole neighborhood? To
say that .he order suppressing the crying
OF Sunday papers Is in the interest of the
news stands Is the veriest nonsense. In
what part Of tho city could a person go
from his house TO a news stand without
meeting from one to half a dozen news
boys! As 1 went out on a recent Sunday
morning there was newsboys at each end
or this square Zone of them full erown)
two smaller ones In between, two others a
little more than a square further on and
a seventh square off to ore sde-so thai
within five minutes or less time 1 could
have reached seven newsboys without 90
Ing to a news stand.
Il have plan to suggest to which do
not think any fair-minded person can OBJ
Ject Let any one who wishes a Sun5ay
paper place In front window or in some
oths' prominent place a card bearing The
words, paper wanted or 1t might be more
specific and read. Washington paper want-
ed or New York paper wanted Instead
of annoying a whole neighborhood with
their cries. the newsboys would simply
look out for the cards and take the papers
where they were wanted. The removal OF
me CARDS would stop any further visits of
the kind for the day and those not wisb.na
papers would not be disturbed.
Let the Commissioners adhere to their
oruer ana see that 1t IS enforced The
law gives US one day In the week to rest.
and. consequently, places OF business nre
closed. Let us have the day ouiet so tbat
those who wish to rest may do So"
-o