The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-09-10
CHILDREN. FROM GREECE
and ITALY SOLD HERE
Padones Pay Fifty Gents Per
Week for Use Of
Boys.
Government is Extending Its
Mighty Hand to Stop
S System.

New York, Sept. 8.-The govern
ment is extending it's mighty hand TO
throttle a nefarious business which
has been thriving for some years past
under the very noses of the authorities.
It is an old industry, revived from time
to time, and may be described as a
system for utilizing the immigration
service for the virtual enslavement Of
multitudes of white children Of for
eign parentage.
The scheme in question has long
been known as the "padrone system"
and, In simple terms, consists Of an
arrangement by which great num-
bers Of little boys are purchaser In
Italy and Greece, and imported into
this country to work as bootblacks,
peddlers. newspaper vendors, beggars
or what not, under the task masters
who take from them all Of their earn
ings, giving them in return only
wretched subsistence, and often
treating them cruelty. These child
rem, after their arrival in the "land
Of the free,' are bought and sold with
just about as much regard for their
feelings or wishes as If they were
dogs and cats.
The price Of a small boy in south
ern Italy or In Greece Is from s25 to
$50. Sometimes they may be obtained
for as little as So Children are
PLENTIFUL over there, and the poverty
stricken parents are not unwilling to
allow their young sons to go to Ameri-
CA wonderful country, where, as
they have heard, wages are phenome-
nally high and riches easily acquired.
Passage on the steamship will be paid,
and the cash received is so much
bonus.
So the buyer collects g. consignment
Of boys without much trouble. He
prefers that they shall be not more
than nine or ten years Of age, for
reasons which will presently ap-
pear. The shipment Of them is the
only difficulty, because they cannot be
sent In bunch, lest the suspicious
of our immigrations authorities be
aroused. They have to be sent over
by ones3 and twos, accompanying
adults, to whom they usually claim
relationship, and 1t is necessary to
coach them carefully In the answers
they are to give. to questions which
are sure to be asked when they: reach
Ellis Island. 90 It. tl1ey.fa1l in giving:
the ptfes,
be sent back, and the speculat6r: 1dsss
the money he has invested: ). :~E*
The importer Of these human chat
tells some times does his own buying,
making visits once or twice year to
Italy, or Greece, for that purpose.
But, however this part of the business
may be managed, the system on this
side Of the water Is always pretty
much the same. The "padrone" (mas-
ter), who owns the boys by right Of
purchase, either rents them out to
minor bosses, at SO much q head, or
else puts them to work on his own
account, at peddling, backing boots.
or whatever employment may offer the
best expectation Of profit. In either
case he pays them their wages-50
cents or 81 week-and provide them
with meals and lodgings.
AS might be imagined, the board
and Accommodations furnished to the
unfortunate little slaves are extreme
ly wretched. The food they get bare
ly suffices to keep body and soul to-
gether, and commonly they are OBJ
liged to sleep on the floor, Is or 80 Of
them in a room. 1t is not surprds-
ing that their proprietors make money
rapidly. Many Of the Italian banks
in New York, Chicago and other cities
are owned by men who were formerly
"padroni," and some Of them are still
in the business.
If it be asked why the boys do not
run away from their masters. the
answer is simply that most OF them
are so young as to need to be taken
care Of. Ignorant Of our institutions
and language, they do not feel able
to look out Tor themselves amid the
turmoil Of city. So long as they
remain with the "padrone," they are
sure, at all events, of food to eat and
a horne-heaven save the mark-to
go to. If they took their affairs into
their own hands they might starve;
and, besides, their owner might catch
the and beat them.
Nevertheless, when these slave
children have reached the age Of IL
or Is, they usually do run away and
start In business Of some kind for
themselves. And this Is precisely
why the "padroni'' prefer to purchase
boys who are not over nine or ten,
and who may be conted on for at
least three or four years Of obedient
service. OF course the supply has to
be kept up by constant fresh tmpor-
tations. and some thousands OF luck
less youngsters have been delivered
annually on this side of the water,
destined for such servitude, for long
time past.
The "padrone system thrives much
more Mxuriantly In certain inland
cities, especially Chicago and Pitts
burg, than in New York. Dealers In
the metropolis forward the boys to
the west as fast as they arrive, and
on delivery at their destinations they
are sorted out and bought and sold
like any other merchandise. In some
cases the >slaye merchant who does "a
western trade resides I'm New York
and sdisposes of the children, at so
many dollars apiece. wherever there
may be: q demand for them. An
9Italian.sor Greek boy, OF suitable age,
IS always amarketabl article. .ssSs8g SSss