The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-22
WHO WANTS A GOOD JOBS


mis- BrstheF win Give .,eas q nseuth ana the
Meet heard Any One Ceuid Desire" to Any
Americas Who Will Wsrk on His Farnn-ses
at Least, the pootor Teid His Audience.
Mr.. Thomas Hickey Of 40 Atlantic avenue, a
stump speaker for the Socialistic Labor party
and until recently q machinist for the Boston
Dry Dock Company, 10 the prospective possessor
of o twenty-1ve-dollara-m
Job on q Connecticut farm. His good luck camc
about through his attending the meeting OF tho
Brooklyn Philosophical Association ut the Long
Island Business College yesterday afternoon.
DR.. w. A. Crofrut of Washington. the author Of
the Worlds Fair dedication poem and for
seven wears connected with the United States
Geological Survey. addressed the meeting on
rs Congress the Enemy Of Plentyf'
DR.. Croffut spoke of laws restricting labor.
such az the Eight Hour law and the Prison Labor
law, as being the result Of two widespread de-
~lusions, ono that there was n predetermined
amount Of work to be done in the country in
any given year and tho other that the less work
there was done the higher would 20 the pay Of
those working.
"These dolusions seem plausible until you be-
gin to think" said the doctor. Tho law con-
demning ~convicts to idleness 1 consider one Of
the most infamous laws ever enacted by q civil
liked country and one OF the greatest industrial
mistakes ever made"
He said that wages in ITO were % cents O
day; that in 1900 they had risen to 90 cents. in
1880 to 81. in 1860 to 81, and in 1890 to 81.
He said that, reasoning by analogy. they would
1--WE won't get any wsges then. Wen divide
in a different way. said q Socialist in tho audi.
"There were more tromps in proportion to the
population in 1900 than there are to-day" said
DIR. Croffut "Some say. there were no tramps
s rue st tsst the then T they S Ses f mott e isn,s Fl afam NJ IS 0 My
m n,other called called them them ..s sSaSsss b Snd they my e EnsE
door for pie just the same as thoy do now. The
genus persists; 1t is only the namo that
DR.. Uroffut said 1t was preposterous for any
one to complain Of being crowded in this vast
country. and that there was plenty of room for
"sse s,I hoy r. the price %x Of f. farm labor IP%. has Ss G gone
a month and Mp their SGpi board sPsrA To-Day feSS my Brother Is Is
father had i. and he has to pay from sis to ss4 :
month to a lot of Poles, who. as he says, don't
hh handle .' T wish, said my brother only the other
day. that l could get Americans TO work on my
6 SiTs ;,a ra WI Ti.ibtn est b osy them nep o SsS could q m9 ds.irs sna
IN accept tho position now" interrupted
II know that kind Of acceptance" said the
doctor. Seven months ago Two men said the
same thing to me in Washington. but haven't
| seen them Since. -
You'll see me all right said Mr.. Hickey
confidently.
Maybe there are a good many In this audi.
ence who are in want of such a job" said the
doctor, with q tinge of sarcasm.
"Tll get you Ave hundred, ~ said q voice.
In the discussion which followed Mr.. Thomas
privileged classes and his belief. thai though
"aaf Bnt al nG 9Sat. "s :a idrs M fe f Hickey. "won'. pro.
farm"
After the lecture DR.. Croffut was somewhat
taken aback to find that the ex.machinist was
in earnest about wanting to take the Job that
tho subject to his brother when he eats his
Thanksgiving dinner on the old farm next week.
But whatM you do about working with those
Poles Z" said the doctor.
"Oh. thatll be al. right" said Hickey, " just
leave them to me-
i've two members of my family that I'm
helping to support that would be glad OF a job.
doctor" said "A man standing near.
IL can get you five hundred" said another.
As the doctor left the hall he was followed by
q small crowd who wanted to mako application
for those jobs, either for themselves or friends.
It was learned after the lecture that letters adj
dressed to 10 Wall street, room ~. will be for.
warded to DR.. Croffut.