The Washington times., 1904-02-16
LABOR'S APPEAL
FROM BALTIMORE
Committee Appears Before
Central Union.
10000 MEN OUT OF WORK
Some Apprehension Lest Rehabilitation
+. of City May Not Be Rapid as
Was Expected.

The Central Labor Union was con-
fronted last night with strong evidence
OF the effect the Baltimore fire has had
upon labor unions Of that city. A com
mittee from the Baltimore Federation Of
Labor appeared before the Central La
Dor Union last night to make a state
rent in regard TO labor conditions IN
their home city They said that. as a
result Of the big fire. 10000 labOring
men were out Of employment
The reports that have reached Wash
ington since the fire to the effect that
the distress among the working classes
was not serious were emphatically de-
MED by the Baltimore committee. They
were given 800 by their Washington
brethren. who promised more when the
results of efforts now being made here
accrued. The Baltimore committee was
composed of Frank J. Hayden. presi-
dent; Joseph McGregor. secretary;
Charles A. Cullen and Alfred KrouitZ.
Of the executive board of the Fedora
ton Of Labor Of Baltimore.
Business Men Anxious.
Baltimore men who are connected with
insurance and guaranty companies there
are beginning to grow apprehensive of
conditions in the burned city. Where a
few days after the fire they were firm
in their belief that the recovery would
be rapid, they are now less sanguine.
A prominent member of a guaranty
company said, In conversation with a
Times reporter this morning, that he
fea.ed many Baltimoreans who owned
property in the burned section, and who
had IL well insured, would, when their
Insurance was recovered, salt down
TIER money instead of putting IL into
business ventures. The reaction IS be-
ginning TO set in, and people are anxious
regard 10 their money Many who
had money in business will now put II in
Government bonds or buy city securi-
ties. according TO this Baltimorean, and
n stringency viii result.
Where Baltimoreans were Of the opin-
would not be called for, they are now
changing their minds and many say
privately that they think IL win be nec-
essary. Many insurance problems have
arisen as a result of the fire losses.
one firm, when the fire was ap-
preaching its warehouse, had half its
goods moved eight blocks away to an
other store. The wind changed and the
fire left the firms own building I'M
touched and burned up the one into
which its goods had been moved. 1t
was at hrst thought that no insurance
could be reCo rered, as the goods had
sured building. 1t turned out, however,
that. according TO the laws Of Mary
land, recovery could be had. because
the goods were destroyed by the same
fire that threatened the building from
which the goods were removed.
What is not generally known, but
what is easily realized by one who has
been through the burned district since
the fire, IS that Baltimore was the big
gest maker OF tin cans of any city In
America. All along the water front tin
cans are piled many feet high. as a
monument to an industry wiped out In
day. Every little shack near the
water was can factory. and today
there are not half a dozen standing 1t
f. feared that a great deal OF this
trade in cans will be irrevocably lost
before the city RECEIVERS. as the can
ming factories in and around Norfolk
viii draw on New York and Chica go
for their supply OF cans as soon as the
season opens.