The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-15


/ the work at $1.21l5 a day.
But the real trouble is that the pad
rome system imposes conditions that
viii not be tolerated by laborerS OF the
| commonwealth. The contractors do not
care whether they employ citizens or
| laborers to do their work, but they DO
want to employ men who will live in the
shanties. because there is profit in such
men,
II they prefer italian labor, it is be-
cause the Italian laborer is ignorant,
willing to pay for the privilege of work
| ing and willing to be defrauded, as the
citizen laborer is not
Your committee has the names of
| three citizens who applied to Moulton
& O'Mahoney and were refused employ
ment. Yet these contractors were at the
time employing numbers OF alien labor
ers. The legislature apparently fofesaw
some such system as the metropolitan
water board has inflicted on the COM
monweaath and prepared for it. 1t is the
law which requires this clause to be in
serted into the contracts of the COM
monWealth: 1.-THE contractor in the con-
strUction of the work, shall give prefer
ence ~ employment to citizens of the
commonwealth and in employment of
mechanics and laborers when citizens
of the commonwealth are not available,
United States, who are not citizens Of
the commonwealth"
That the water board makes no effort
to enforce the law in this respect may
be realized, when it is known that not
one man in ten of the common laborers
employed on the reservoir, by the con-
tractors, is a citizen Of the common
wealth. The board has hitherto replied
when its attention has been called to
toll IF 1oa To- Nd mi of
petrated against the laborers, Prove
it,
Proof, believe, we are now in a po-
sition to give, on some instances. But
l respectfully suggest that it will be
doubtful policy to give it.
When we can know of one instance
of violation, the water board and its
agents who swarm about the work
know of a hundred
Moreover, it is not the duty of this
association, TO take up the duty of the
board which is to enforce its own con-
tracts.
The state is spending millions of dol
lars il constructing q great public
work Vast sums of money, thus ex-
pended, are going out of the country
through the failure of the water board
to enforce the law.
The board permits a system by which
considerable portion of the expense
of building the reservoir is inflicted
upon a class of men little able to bear
it.
What else happens when the bids OF
contractors for the work are made as
much in expectation OF profits from
keeping the men as from doing the
work?
If the metropolitan water board will
abolish the commissary they will, in my
| Judgment find little trouble in en-
forcing the law relative to giving pref
erence in employment to citizens of the
commonwealth.
If they will not or cannot destroy the
commissary, they can accomplish g
similar result by providing for weekly
| payments. A system of weekly pay
ments would make it possible, and
| even certain, for many of the men tC
leave the shanties.
If the water board insists that the
evils complained Of cannot be RENE
died, I respectfully suggest that ouI
course should be to apply to the next
legislature for an investigation into the
abuses of laborers, existing in connec-
ton with the construction of the res
/ ervoir, and into certain other abuses
connected Herewith.
This investigation will decide once fol-
all, if the stencil of the padrone system
must continue to defile the nostrils Of
| the commonwealth.
1t VIII place the responsibility for The
non reinforcement of the laws govern
ing the employment of labor, where il
| belongs.
If the agents of the state cannot en-
force the law, then they cannot. But il
the opinion of your committee, the in.
evitable result of such an investiga.
ton, would be to show that the board
has deliberately selected the padront
system, as affording in the midst Of
many extravagances an appareni
economy.
The town has direct in
terest in the destruction Of the
commissary and in the employment OF
free labor apart from the humanita-
rian considerations involved.
There arc facts to show that by rea-
son Of the commissaries, the merchants
of the town are deprived of trade
amounting to $4,000 a month.
1t is undoubtedly true that the pref.
erence of employment is not given tt
citizens OF the commonwealth in the
construction of the reservoir.
1t is equally true that the rule thai
the condition of employment shall not
require the laborers to buy at any
particular place or of any particular
person, is daily violated.
Nor that the penalty inflicted on la
| borers who themselves elect where
they shall live and where buy what
they eat, is discharge from employ
ment.
Thomas Dawson Tate.
DR.. ]. F. Coyne has been offered the
place of assistant surgeon of the Ninth
Massachusetts volunteer infantry. DIR
Coyne will it is understood, accept the
honor.
Miss Mae Hesser is spending her va
cation at Revere Beach.
The funeral of C. L. Swan was held
at his late home, on Chestnut street,
this afternoon, and was attended by a
large company Of Mr.. Swans former
National and the Clinton Savings
banks closed their doors for the after
noon as a mark of respect for the
former banker. Rev. w. w. Jordan
officiated at the services. The inter-
ment was in Woodlawn cemetery.
The funeral of Frank M. Loring took
place at 4 o'clock this afternoon and
was attended by many relatives and
friends. The services were conducted
by Rev. ]. C. Duncan and the interment
was in Woodlawn cemetery.
The board of selectmen and the board
of health met this evening jointly, for
the purpose of electing a member of
the board Of health to succeed DIR. F. F.
Harvey. and also to elect a town physi-
clan. No quorum was present, and the
business was deferred.
EAST BRookFIELD.
East Brookheld, Aug. 14-Rev. j. B.