The herald., 1897-02-24
The Plan As Proposed by Nor
rison |. Swift
RELIEF MUST BE PER MANENT
Temporary or Emergency Measures Will
Not Solve the Problem
People Out Of Work nust Be Made Self
Supporting II Any Good Is to Be
Accomplished

QSI bNIOlt lllt tsdJOu VI tlic
council yesterday afternoon a smooth
shaven, thoughtful looking man stepped
up to the rail and asked permission to
read a petition on behalf Of the unem-
ployed The man was Morrison l. Swift,
and on the request being granted he
stepped inside and read the following:
The story of the unemployed-their
bitter anxieties, their want of fuel, shell
ter and food, their loss of hope and
health, their suicides from despair--is
a familiar tale to the country. 1t is a
tale four years told, and no relief has
been brought. The state Of the starving
people was never worse than now, but
the habitual presence of the unemploy
ed has made the wealthy and official
powers profoundly deliberate and slow
in recognizing them.
1t therefore behooves the unemployed
to speak for themselves, and to set be-.
fore the public and it's servants meas
ures that will furnish work and bread
, and prevent the return of destitution
by permanent agencies for employment.
These plans the unemployed request
you, as mayor of Los Angeles, and the
city council and the people of Los An
geles to adopt and carry out with energy
and promptness, both for the well being
c'f those who need bread and for public
well being and safety. Where there are
starving hordes in all great cities the
civil or industrial order that creates
them is not secure.
First-We request that public i'm
provements be conducted on a scale that
will provide enough work for the present
emergency. Let the funds be raised by
subscription If the city has reached the
limit of expenditure, but let the mu-
nicipality then constitute a fund by
special tax for employing the unemploy-
ed in a rational manner in the future.
Instead of cutting the wages and en-
ploying the men a greater number Of
days week, the regular rate of wages
should be paid, and the men employed
enough days for support. The COM
munity will not then be making spec
ulation of their necessity.
Second-That the city acquire lands
to be held in perpetuty as municipal
farm lands for the use of the unemploy-
ed. Detroit and New York made a
success of land temporarily loaned for
this use, and proved the advisability If
permanent city farms. Tools and other
| requisite things must be furnished by
the municipality. The unemployed are
| then able to produce considerable part
of their own living, and in so far the ex-
! pense of public support, or the crime OF
| public neglect is avoided.
| Third-That upon these lands be built
| and equipped shops embracing the in
| dustries which manufacture the neces-
saries of life. In these shops the unem-
| ployed can manufacture what they re-
uuire for their own consumption, there
by lifting another burden from the
community. Before long these indus
tries will pay all expenses, and the un-
employed will be a completely self-sup-
porting body They will create prac-
tically everything that they consume.
The large sums now expended annually
for charity will no longer be required for
charity and can be used to pay for the
factories and farms. The community
| will thereafter save these charity con-
| tributionS.
| We call your attention to the fact
| that the system is elastic, opening a
| livelihood to many or few according to
! necessity, that it trains the unemployed
in useful occupations; that it is a test of
| deservingness and character; that it
solves the tramp problem by taking
way from every willful idler the excuse
| that he cannot find work; and that the
returns OF self-remuneration of each
man will depend upon his own character
| and diligence.
wealthy persons should be invited by
the municipalities to subscribe the
/ funds for the establishment of these
farms and industries.
We ask you if it does not revolt all
feelings of humanity and all concep-
tions of justice that one class is COM
| pelled to endure this hunger and
| wretchedness, while society is rich in
| food and all kinds of wealth. We ask if
the infiction of this wrong upon large
and powerful masses of citizens, VINO
| have the sympathy Of a numerical ma
| jority, is not mad public policy.
| Mr.. Swift then proceeded to address
| the council in line with the petition. He
pointed out the success of the Pingree
| plan of furnishing unimproved land on
which the unemployed could raise most
of what they needed for food, and said
that in no city in the union could this
be worked to better advantage than in
! Los Angeles He claimed that anything
| like temporary or emergency relief
would not solve the problem, but that if
the plans as outlined in the petition
were adopted the large sums now ex-
pended in charity would be saved and
! the unemployed could he put upon a
permanent self-supporting basis. If
| this was done there would be no excuse
for the tramp, and he would disappear.
| Mr.. Swift pointed out the success that
|