The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-13
Workingman's Polit-
ical Club Has a
Meeting.
PETITION TO THE ALDERMEN.
Many Speakers Arraign the
System in Street
Department.

The meeting of the Workingmen's
Political club in labor headquarters,
yesterday afternoon, opened the mu-
nicipal campaign with lots of smoke.
President ]. D. Pierce, who is a candi
date for alderman, in a speech which
brought the workingmen to their feet,
said that it was no honor to sit among
such men as composed the present
board of aldermen. Charles o. Blake,
Independent republican candidate for
the board of aldermen from ward 8,
who recently withdrew from the club
because of it's refusal to inderse his
candidacy, was present, and he es-
sayed to make an explanation Of his
position, which resulted in questioning
which brought out the fact that he had
Knocked the club.
The lively portion of the session be-
gan after the reading of the records,
when President Pierce, in introducing the
petition which will be presented to the
city government today, said: There is
an unfairness in the system under
which employees of the city street de-
partment work. The men are expected
to report at the stables between and
$50 a. m. and prepare horses wagons,
and implements for the days work.
They are not paid for this. neither do
they receive wages for the extra work
required of them after the work for
the day is supposed to be over.
ut will be a matter of interest to
any one to look over the records of the
street department. The man at the
head of the highway department has
been instrumental in causing a reduc-
ton in wages of rs cents per day, and
the men are receiving $1,50 per day
where they formerly got $1.75. Mr.
Prior needs the money to create salar-
led positions for friends. These are
stern facts, and it is certainly an in
justice when a man has bent his back
and given the best years of his life
in the service of the city as an en-
ploye of the street department, to have
the commissioner say, You are getting
old. and are only worth $1.50 per day
The streets of Worcester are a sight.
Has the street commissioner benefited
the public by reducing wages? l must
frankly say that Mr.. Prior should
spend the money on streets instead of
for salaried positions for friends There
would be more equality in cutting
down wages provided that the public
had better streets to walk and ride
upon.
rs it asking too much for US to want
n
ter judge of the merits of the eight
hour law and taxation than the wage
earners, the men who have created the
government? | was a democrat until
three years ago. l am not bound to
any political party now, and my hands
are free in entering this fight"
William Dunn spoke regarding the
petition to the mayor and board of al
dermen, asking that the eight-hour
question be made a part of the official
ballot in the municipal election. J. D.
Pierce said that he had little faith in
the officials at city hall regarding the
granting of any requests emanattng
from workingmen. There was dis
cussion as to whether it would be adj
Vlsable to have the petition generally
signed, but sentiment favored sending
the petition with but few more than
the required ten names
A recess was taken to allow voters
and members of the club an opportu-
nifty to sign the petition Frank La
Rose said that it was his first visit to
the club, and that its objects appealed
10 MN. He said: "Workingmen should
have only one interest in politics. and
that is to elect men who are not too
eager to be elected. Those are men to
keep away FROM
Daniel N. Cole, a new conner in +ba
club, said: eff Alderman Kendall wants
to know how the workmen on orr
streets can be paid 10 or 10 hours nav
Tor eight hours work, let him consider
the gas question. l have been in the
gas business when it was made AT less
IMAM o0 cents per thousand feet. Let
the city government buy up the GAS
works and pay dollar for dollar of the
assessed value, but no more. 1t is a
shame to demand of workingmen the
present price of gas. Under municipal
ownership, there could be a reduction
in price and a fair margin of profit for
use by the city,"
j. d. Pierce followed Mr.. Cole with
the following speech: When the Wor-
cester Gas Company was Incorporated
there was clause in the original pa
pers which said that the city could pur
chase 1t at any time. BY legislation
the clause was stricken out. [ am n
hrm believer in municipal ownership of
gas, electric lighting, and street rail-
ways. | believe the city should die
tate to some extent to the street rail-
way corporation. The corporation
should be compelled to employ the best
OF labor When patching up streets that
have been opened. Under the pres
cent system the street railway corpo
ration gives Us back an apology for a
street in place of q good street.
1t is wrong for corporations TO take
advantage Of the ignorance of work
ingmen. Good PAYERS tear up the
streets, and inferior workmen are sun
posed to put the streets in their former
condition, There are other questions,
however, of more vital importance. es-
recially the question as to whether
worklngmen can cast their ballot or
not. Life, liberty and happiness must
not slip away frcm US. We must get
firm hold There are no political
veins in my body 1t is no honor to
sit in the alicrmanic chamber with
the class of men that are there now.
\ grievance or petition entering CITY
hall, whether signed by one or one
hundred capitalists or workingmen, is
entitled to consideration"
Charles o. Bake Of ward 8, independ
ent republican candidate for alderman.
endeavored to make an explanation of
his action in resigning from the club.
Mr.. Blake spoke of his allegiance to
the principles of :he club William F.
Mccain asked Mr.. Blake if he had not
knocked" the club. MIR Blake was
cornered and ne admitted that he had
said the club wouldn't amount to much.
He also objected to the manner of con-
Quoting the club
When Mr.. Bake had finished, Mr.
Pierce made speech which kept ev-