The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-13

tanned by the padrone. The stock in
this store is simple. 1t consists of~solne
very small potatoes, three or four
kinds of macaroni of the cheaper
grades, sugar, canned tomatoes, an in
ferior cheese, soap, bologna sausage
Of a peculiar type, and a few other
articles all cheap in character, not omit
ting 200 loaves of stale bread, enough
for day. The sugar is retailed at
seven or eight cents pound.
The bread is sold for 10 cents n loaf,
1t is stale when it comes to the pa
drone. and is bought very cheap The
spaghetti is retailed for seven and
eight cents pound. 1t is not the
spaghetti retailed to American con-
sumers, but a much cheaper article.
There is a profit of at least 200 per
cent, in most of it. The canned toma-
toes are retailed for IL cents a can.
This is only a cent higher than in the
stores down town. The padrone who
runs this shanty, estimates that his
profits on his boarders are 60 per
cent. s
At the end of the month he will have
received from each laborer from $12
to S25, depending on the amount of
beer each has consumed. The pay of
a man for a month will be IN the neigh
borhood of $40, if he works every day,
which he does not usually do. Stormy
days are out. At any rate, the padrone
has the large end of the deal in nine
cases out of ten when pay day comes.
The laborers employed by this pa
drone are for the most part ignorant.
They speak the Italian language and
not the English. They do not know
where contracts are being let except
through the padrone. They are at his
mercy, and if not at his, at the mercy
of some other padrone, who may be
twice as extortionate.
Sometimes the men have money With
which to pay spot cash for what they
get. Oftener they do not The charges
against them have TO be settled before
they can receive their envelopes from
the contractor.
It is true in the case here related
that men are being hired to build re-
servoir for the people of Massachusetts
because they will take board and lodg-
ing from padrone and that they cease
to be employed when they wish to
change their boarding quarters. Kicks
that the bed is hard don't go. A man
can find fault with the grub, but not
aloud. 1t isn't safe. Few of these
men are citizens of the commonwealth.
Not one in ten Of them has abandoned
his allegiance to the king of Italy. They
are given the preference on the job
and not citizens. The law says that
citizens shall be given the preference.
This picture is the picture of sham
ty that exists. The shanty is run by a
padrone whose name will be divulged
for print as soon as the circumstances
permit. The name of the contractor
who employs him will be divulged for
publication at the same time.
This is one type of alliance by which
the law relating to the construction of
the metropolitan reservoir is defied.
Not all the contractors employ a pa
drone. Some hire their own men and
keep storekeeper.
The functions of the padrone devolve
upon the storekeeper. He discharges
for cause. The cause in his case is that
the laborer doesn't like the shanty.
The connection between the storekeep-
er and the contractors is more or less
sub rosa, but it may usually, be traced
1t can be traced in the case of some
contractors who are building reser-
voir for the state of Massachusetts, I'M
der the direction Of q board Of COM
missioners appointed by the governor.
These are heecommissioners who say