The herald., 1897-02-12
AGAIN THE UNEMPLOYED
An Important Conference
at the City Hall
THE BUSINESS MEN AROUSED
Plans for Furnishing Work for
the Needy Discussed
THE PLANS AS SUGGESTED
Some Believe That the Wages Paid by
'otl the City Are Too High
rkak Trey Should Be Cut in Two and More
"a Men Employed
1ns
TIE PLANS AS SUGGESTED
Ssne Believe That the Wages Paid by
-'otit the City Are Too High
Thlak They Should Be Cut in Two and More
~. Men Employed
An Internal Talk Between the Business Men
and the Members Of the Citv Council
Meeting of the Park Commission

continues to occupy tHe SieateA P"i'
of the attention of the municipal au-
thorities. The matter has been before
the finance committee of the council
for the, past three weeks, and now the
merchants and business men generaily
have taken up the subject. and are ap-
parently determined to push it to con-
clusion. On Wednesday there was an
informal discussion of the matter ne
tween a commission of the merchants
and busircss men generally and several
members of the city council. Yesterday
the matter was resumed, when there
was talk at the chamber of commerce.
at which joint committee OF five mem
hers each of the Merchants ard Manu-
facturers' association and the champer
OF commerce was appointed to wait on
the members of the city council ana see
If some plan could not be devised for
relieving tie prevailing distress.
Messrs o. T. Johnson G. j. Griffith,
N. p. Blackstone, L. w. Godin, j. Il.
Newberry, Frank A. Gibson, j. > Siau-
son and f. F. Kubel yesterday waited
on the members of the city council to
see what could be done The confer
ence was held in the committee room,
and there were present President Silver
and Messrs. Ashman Toll, Mathuss and
Grider.
Mr.. ]. s. Slsuson acted as spokes-
man. lie said the committee had been
in conference during almost the entire
morning. and the result of their deliber-
ations had been formulated by the sec
retary. MI Gibson, who would. with
the consent of those present, read them
to the committee.
Mr.. Gibson was then introduced and
read the recommendations of the COM
mittee. as follows
1T is tie opinion of the committee
that the necessities of large number
of deserving poor in our city demand
some action looking to their relief: that
there are doubtless many unemployed
who will not work unless compelled to
do so, ard that the mild climate at
tracts many who impose upon the credu-
lous and charitable: ard If provision
were me- de for employment at low wages
OF all who are willing to work (prefer-
erce being given to residents and heads
of families) and compulsory work at
board wages for all who persist in va
grancy ard begging. the situation could
be greatly improved. The natural re-
salts of such action il is believed would
be the support of the deserving and the
mittee therefore urgently requests that
tine council turn over to a committee
of representatives of the chamber of
commerce and Merchants and Maunfac-
turers' association all city work which
can be done by those who are at pres
ent unemployed. including street sweep
ing, the work of the street department
other than contract work. and work in
the parks; also. that the council pro-
vide rock pile for the benefit Of va
grants, such rock pile to be under the
charge of the chief of police
Mr.. Newberry was then introduced,
and explained the views Of the commit
tee at length, as presented by Mr.. Glib
son in the synopsis. He thought if these
suggestions We're followed out much of
the prevailing distress could be relieved.
He thought that the city should turn over
all the work in it's gift to a committee of
the two mercantile bodies named, to be
distributed as they saw fit,
President Silver. in reply to MI New
berry, pointed out the legal and technical
difficulties in the way of carrying out
Mr.. Newberrys plans. AS for himself
he favored canceling the street sweeping &
contract but he did not think that it was
within the powers of the council to turn
over the work of the city as had been sug-
gested. AS to work in the parks he
thought that all of the work that could
be done now was needed on the streets
Mr. Silver referred to the bad condition
of Main and Spring streets, and thought
that these thCroughfares should be
put in proper condition before anything
else was done. Mr.. Silver said that sirce
the present council had been in office
they had been hard a work, and he did
not see how men could do any more than
they had.
Councilman Toll said that he did rot
fully understand Mr.. Newberrys eug-
gestions. He did not understand whether
that gentleman favored raising sum
by public subscription or whether he
expected the city to furnish the desired
relief.
Mr., Newberry hastened to explain that
he thought the relief should come
through the city authorities He
thought that the only right way
by which this question could be
reached was by taxation. in order to
reach those people who would not make
voluntary contributions. AT the same
time he could not see why the city should
pay $50 per day for street sweeping when
the work was not done at all, and then
expect the business men to pay $50 for
the same work.
Councilman Toll said that he wanted
to disabuse the public mind of the i'm
preston that the council could furnish
work for the unemployed if they so de-
sired. The members of the council were
in thorough accord with the plans of
the committee to furnish WORK
but there was no money to- do
this. The city was in exactly the same
position as the destitute poor. so far as
money was concerned. Their hands
were tied, and If the plans of the com
mittee considered an additional OUTLAY
they could not be considered The city
cannot owe cent at the end of the wear
as any overdraft of public funds could
not be paid out of subsequent tax levies
The matter of rotating men in office had
been considered by the finance commit.
tee, as we'll as other plans, but they haG
been found to be impracticable
Mr.. Slauson thought that it would be
better, instead of rotating men in places
to reduce the compensation paid-cut i
in two and employ double the number
Of men, in which position Mr.. Newberr,
agreed with him, saying that it would bt