The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-23
ALIENS ON CANAL WORK.
RESULT or An INVESTIGATION BT THE
STATE LABOR BUREAU.
OF the $4,000 Persons Employed on Canal
Improvement work in 1928 More Than
Two-thirds Were Aliena-Effect of Immi-
Erniinn on Americnn Lnhnr md MAGE.

OF the $4,000 Persons Employed on Canal
Improvement Work in 1928 More Than
Two-thirds Were Aliens-Enect of Immi-
grafton on American Labor and Wages.
ALBANY. Jan. 22.-The report Of John T. Nc
Donough, State Commissioner OF Labor Sta
tistics inow Secretary OF Stated will be sent to
the Legislature tomorrow morning. An inn
portRnt question the Legislature will be called
upon to deal with is the almost exclusive EN-
ployment OH the canal Improvement work Of
alien italian laborers. Commissioner McDon-
ough caused to be thoroughly investigated the
employment of alien labor on State contract
work. For his purpose he cmployedEr reliable
interpreter. who donned laborers' clothes and
worked. ate and slept with the alien Italian
laborers who were largely employed upon
the canal work. The result OF the in
vestiRation of this Interpreter undoubtedly
will make the members Of the Legislature hes
itatc before they make any more large appro-
p%riations for the canal improvement unless
some plan can be devised to give preference to
citizen laborers of this state. At the time the
original ne-million-dollar Appropriation was
made a strong argument advanced before the
Legislature in its favor was that II would af-
ford work for the thousands OF unemployed
residents of the State. That comparatively
few citizens of this State were employed upon
the canal work is shown by the following eX-
tract from COMMISSIONS McDonough's report:
From the closing Of navigation on the
canals in December, 1897. up to May ], 1923.
over 22,OOO persons were employed on the
canal improvement in forty-seven different oc-
equations. Common laborers predominated.
there being over 10000 employed. and Of this
number only 1000 were American citizens.
1880 were italian aliens. $50 Poles and $50
were Hungarians. The highest wages paid to
laborers were So per day and the lowest
S1.2O per day. There were 800 masons en-
ployed, whose wages ranged from $50 per
day to 81 per dav. Not more than 300 of the
masons were Americans. the others were
only 30 were Americans; the other 1854 were
Italian aliens. Their wages were S1.5O and
S 81 i25 per S any: TO IS ao1 pe %n lsg 5! nsi Msrs T TssIinn
aliie TSero wore rrm.ron. s,r,,.os 81 tho ,,iro,-
ent sections OF the canal, which were instituted
by the Italian aliens because Of the low wages
they were paid. together. with the excessive
prices they were charged for food and lodging
by the contractors padrones. in some cases
these aliens became riotous, aud It became
deputies to su6due the strikers and protect
those who wanted to continue work. A few Of
the strikes were successful but the most OF
to Sept. 80. 1888, the total number Of organized
81. 1897. there were 1864 members of labor
organizati9ns which preepo,rtteedd who we're pnem;
nn l%yTdil oSa IN had dde decr ga, DO TO 9 sGG Huif b SGr %!
the three months ended March 81. 1897. there
,Wiere aS D. n member snd Of t such Lar labor Rr! orenni7a-
creased during the quarter ended Sept. 30.
1898. to Q. 134. which the Commissioner thinks
is a most favorable indication as to existing
conditions. 1t does not appear that there has
been either a general increase or a general
per quarter in case of either men or women.
conditions, remaining, Iaba yery much the
Dn red with 1897 there WINS n DTrttv plpar md |
quite general increase in the earnings Of men.
But no such increase in the earnings OF women
can he inferred, the indications being rather
for Ts some nsn tenISn N IN 81 the oG,EGssinse dtisectioE
who arrived at the port Of New York from Jan.
], 1856. about six months after the opening Of
isSs. V1r''i i6.os9.Hi7. OF these s.S5s.G671
1894 per cent declared their intention to re-
side in the State of New York.
In view of numerous complaints from labor
organizations as to the adverse effect of i'm
migration on the trades. in this state. the bureau
directly arected-the worrying people them
selves. through their unions or accredited
trades, union in tho State a sehedu Q contain
ing these questions: % Has your trade
H Sss" six an sssra p y p '% TT ~ Sq% many S%F'@ "f vd 5Ss
member have been u, displaced Wy by imm N
RESPONSES came. from, ii,03i
o3rgnnizations having a men bership,o OF 49,
't'''. 10 hlplS u op,FS HltIlItiH. -
plying that they were not affected. while 265
organizations l25.5 per cent. OF the whole mum
Of Or zn mabE5P }.sD Fs' par een TeP % fha fto 4 I me sIn ner CAT
they were detrimentally affected by immigrant
This competition was felt by the work
ers in So trades. or 40 per cent. oil the GOV
cred by the research. and its influence was
observed to some extent in every general in
Years i7.33:2 memberst we're dispIaccd BY )"
ship OF Ibis, declare that the term of employ
ment of these members was materially les
sened, with u resultant decrease in wage earn
newly arrived aliens oyercro%dlng the
that wage rates were reduced as a result of the
unequal %competitiop Of these newcomers;
on union rates. Six unions. returning 1.2S4
members. fail to answer the question"
Employment Bureau in New York city by2.4S7
mon and 2.6l3 women. Last wear 81 per cent.
,t the anII'G ca nsr TOR en H,mriI"y1H9Se44t Y Hd PLACED,
b" Interested in the following comment OF
Commissioner McDonough upon the employ
neIt of domestic servants
There is II change gradually taking place in
h" reimbursement Of domestic servants to meet
present conditions, This change, for the pres
mt. al least. is not very agreeable to women
who have accustomed themselves to any one
particular branch Of such service. Owing
ng TO reside in flats and, apartment
'alls for Mattresses. chamhermaids. cooks.
tc.. correspondingly decrease. We find it
impossible to get girls to I'll all our calls for
general housew"rk, as women who heretofore
we're employed at other branches of domestic
Tor as cooks, chambermaids and Mattresses
hey say that they have regular hours. while as
General houscworkers they contend that their
nbor is hardly ever At an end, and many Of the
are physically unable to perform the
more laborious tasks of general h~ousework."
4 DIErEr M nnDID ~ HEg sDu
.ieut- Cnnahart RaIieyad nf the ITnnIensant