New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-10
MEN MERELY FOR
WORK IN PlTTSBURG
SACRIFICE OF LIFE Is
INCIDENTAL.
Half Thousand Die IN Industrial
accidents Every Year-An A1cok-
ening FOreshado1ced.

AT a place where two rivers meet TO form the
greatest feeder of the Mississippi. on narrow
point land shut in by twisting hills and further
cut off from the world by high mountains which
blocked her growth and separated her from the
early influences which moulded this country, has
beer built up by her devices the busiest and
most virile workshop In the world and the most
| Enthusiastically American community. Starting
with English, followed by Scotch-Irsh and after
these layer upon layer OF aliens each further than
the last in race and speech and ideals from the
descendants Of the New England settlers, there has
been thrown together of immigrants. each
of whom found himself at home in that he had labor
to sell in town which demanded only labor The
test, whether he were English or German or
Czech, whether he from city or farm or mine,
whether he were Catholic or Lutheran, voter or
serf. was Could he work? He could work He
hurried to it, find his place before the next wave
| of brawny Europeans crowded on his heels
But. working only, he has created a great half
done community, a lopsded city this capital of a
district which has known the tensest labor battle
Of a generation. which has produced two Of the
wealthiest men OF our times, which is given over
to Scotch observance law for the shopkeeper and
day working week for the steel mill hand,
and which is the fastness of political machine
part and parcel of that at Harrisburg and Phila-
delpha. The greatest producing centre of our age,
Pittsburg has lacked pure water to drink has
lacked even enough houses to shelter her workers
Yet in the very angle OF these conflicting condi-
lions lies a city which elects a reform Mayor,
which builds wonderful libraries and trade schools,
and shows signs of civic consciousness that.
should it get a grip on the enthusiasm and eff
cheney which have been shown in dominating the
steel markets of the world, would make Pittsburg
the pacemaker of municipal achievement.
Under the of the Pittsburg Survey the
charities publication committee has carried on a
series Of Investigations of some of the main ee-
ments entering into the condition OF the wage
earning population in the Pitsburg districtan In
vestigation in which more than twenty trained
workers have taken part.
Now appears the first publication of the find
ings of these survey workers who have investi-
gated the Pttsburg district 1t discloses many OF
the immigrant working forceso the steel towns
living in filthy and overcrowded buildings Pitts
burg has been city where half thousand per-
sons died every year from typhoid fever, and yet
the movement to clear the water supply was blocked
at every turn. Half a thousand workmen are
killed every year the course of industry, and
yet the public has not taken the trouble to sift the
accidents through to which of them could have
been prevented. Nobody knows how many men are
injured in the of a year. Nobody knows
how many and women are beset with trade
diseases. Nobody knows how much the community
is paying for these wastes The estimates OF the
survey go to show that the numbers and costs
are stupendous a myriad Of one-family dwellings
turned into contested tenement houses, men and
women working overtime in unsanitary shops' an
entire lack of adequate factory inspection by the
state-these Of the findings Of the survey
They in contrast TO the standards set by GER
tain of progressive employers Of the DIS
trict The town is not unprepared to make use
of these facts part OF new and aggressive
movement for civic reform which is developing
throughout the district. The city last year opened
a S. 10000 filtration plant which has cleared the
water; a typhoid fever commission is studylng
other sources disease; tenement house census
has been made, carried out by the Bureau OF
Health. and civic Improvement commission has
Just been appointed broader In scope than any
yet known in American city
The director of the survey Paul L. Kellogg
says that lit must be borne in mind that much
that is said of Pttsburg is true of practically all
industrial centres our severest criticism or any
one comes not from comparison with It's fel-
lows, but from a comparison of haphazard develop
ment of its social institutions with the splendid
organic development of its industrial enterprises
And more. i'll the methods and of progressive
business organizations We have some of the most
suggestive clews as TO ways of municipal prog
ress."
His argument Is: IF the civic responsible
ties of democracy in industrial district
to met. the community should do what first
rate industrial concern would do-fgure out the
ground it effectively and gear its social
machinery to so cover it. BY social machinery
mean hospitals and schools and courts and city
departments and all that wide range of activities
that have direct bearing the living condi-
lions Of a people. Second, to hold these agencies
as closely accountable enterprises in the
business world, and bring them to the ultimate
touchstons of their effect the welfare OF the
average citizen. Unless 4 vage-earning popula-
ton is insured against disease and its vigor
and effectiveness conserved the community IS
not meeting it's responsibilities toward the indus
tries which must depend upon these workers for
output and profit In turn, the public should see
1t that the industries do not cripple exploit
the working force, which constitutes the great
asset OF the community. And. further, If such
programme is to be carried out In American
and a democratic way the workers themselves
must have greater leeway and leisure in which
to bear their share Of the burdens and RESPONSE
btlities of American democracy"