The herald., 1897-02-13
WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED
The Matter Again Up for
Consideration
It IS DISCUSSED At Length
Several Plans Proposed for Re-
lieving the Distress
MANY VIEWS PRESENTED
Slraitened Finances Prevent the coun.
Gil From Taking Action
The Business Men Again Give Their Ideas on
the In. ortant Subject
Councilman Hutchison Favors the Issuance
Of Bonds but the Ides Does Not ne.t
With Favor - The Hatter
Still In Abeyance
MANY VIEWS PRESENTED
Slraitened Finances Prevent the Coun.
Gil From Taking Action
The Business Men Again Give Their Ideas on
the Im.y yortant Subject

The members of the city council and
the committees of the chamber of COM
merce and the merchants and manufac-
turers met in the office of President Sill
yer of the city council at the city hall
yesterday afternoon to further consd-
er the question Of furnishing employ
ment for the unemployed. There were
present Councilmen Silver Mathuss,
Grider Toll, Ashman and Nickel, and
Messrs Johnson, Slauson, Gibson, Grif-
fifth, Kubel, Newberry and Waters.
The discussion was opened by Mr..
Slauson, who plainly stated that he
could not see that any good could be ac-
complished by these meetings unless the
city saw it's way clear to set aside a
fund to be used for the purpose of fur
nishing work for the unemployed, 10
gether with fund to be raised by the
citizens for the same purpose. Mr.. Slau-
son said that he did not know how much
could be raised, but he, for one, was will
Ing to try and see what could be done
If this money was raised the unemploy
ed could be put to work on the streets,
and thus temporary relief could be af-
forded.
The question was asked of President
Silver whether the street sweeping con-
tract could be abrogated at days no.
tlce, as he had stated.
Mr.. Silver said that while he had not
taken legal advice on the matter, he dill
not think there was any trouble on this
score. He did, however, doubt the ax-
pediency of doing this. He pointed out
that there We're many details to be looked
after, such as procuring carts and pro-
curing place to dump the sweepings
and this could not be done on the spur
of the moment. Mr.. Silver opposed the
reduction of wages to anything like so
cents or 81 day. He said that any man
who was worth employing at all was
worth more money than that, and he
would never approve of any plan that
contemplated this. Such a move, he
said, would lower the standard of liy-
ing, and it would have permanently
bad effect on the workingmen of the
city When men had learned their bust
Eess they were entitled to more money
tnan tne amount proposed to be paid
y. L. Johnson said that as the present
move was only temporary measure of
rellef, 1t should not be considered as set
ting wage standard. He thought that
hiring men at the small wages proposed
would relieve their immediate necessi-
ties, and that the worst could be bridged
over. He thought that heads of fami-
lies should be given the preference. and
that the greater number of people of this
class who could be employed the better
it would be-
AS at the meeting on the previous day,
councilman Toll said-that the great OBJ
lection to this plan was that the city did
not actually have the money to even
moderately increase the present street
force. Besides, even if this was done.
mil ga I. q
OH those who are in need of it, and If this
was the case there would be no way of
distinguishing the worthy from the un-
worthy, and this would cause more or
less trouble.
Mr.. Newberry was of the opinion that
80 cents day would furnish a man with
the actual necessaries of life. He thought
that the establishment Of a rock
pile for the floating population
serving from the undeserving, and that
this measure would have the effect of
clearing the city of the tramp element.
Mr.. NeWberry thought that the number
or the deserving unemployed in this city
had been over-stated, and he thought
that at an outside figure there were not
more than three to four hundred desery-
ing heads of families who were out of
work in the city. If these were taken
would be any serious trouble.
Frank A. Gibson advocated the estab-
lishment of a rock pile for those who
would not work. There We're undoubt-
edly many worthy persons in the city
who We're out of work, but there were
others who would not work If they had a
chance. These two classes should be
separated. He thought that property
owners and citizens generally would OBJ
q or oil
without knowing where their money
went. There were miles of streets in the
city that needed work upon them, and if
people could be satisfied that the money
would be spent on them they would be
more likely to contribute. People were
averse to giving money without some
equivalent, but If they were satisfied that
they were getting something for that
which they expended they were much
more liable to contribute.
Councilman Hutchison stated that he
had listened to the arguments advanced
with much interest. They were very good
as far as they went but they were not
broad enough. He had list of 500 or 900
men, heads of families, in his ward, the
Eighth, alone, who were out of work.
He had investigated every case and
knew they were deserving. Mr.. Hutch
ison advocated the issuance of bonds,
100000 for the parks and 100000 for the
streets. This, he said, would furnish
something like the relief desired for at
least year. Mr.. Hutchison said that
the condition of the streets warranted
this expenditure, and he thought it
should be made. He said that the other
measures proposed only contemplated
temporary relief and would really do no
good.
Councilman Nickel and Mr.. Newberry
took issue with Mr.. Hutchison and point
ed out why they considered his plan i'm
practicable. To issue bonds would re-
quire time, and what was wanted was
immediate relief. Besides, the issuance
of bonds was not good public policy, and
the whole matter was, in their opinion.
impracticable.
Mr.. G. J. Griffith thought that all that
was necessary was a few weezks imme-
date help. In few weeks the crops
would be ready for the harvest, and this
would furnish work for many of those
now unemployed. Then. too, the indi-
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