The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-16
WORK NOT CHARITY
DEMAND OF A MEETING OF THE
UNEMPLOYED.
Chairman How Asserts That 5000 OCC
Are Without Work in the
United States.

| WASHINGTON, May 15.-FWe Wan'
work and we want it bad"
This was the watchword of 150 mef
1 who assembled the other night in the
| lecture hall of the Central Union Mis-
sion down on louisiana avenue. AND
! every man in the bunch looked the
| motto to the letter and word.
1t was a meeting of the unemployed
| of Washington and elsewhere in re-
| Spouse to a call issued by j. Eads
| How, national chairman of the unem-
| ployed, who came here from st. Louis
| to organize the men who are in quest
of the elusive job
| Some of the men from elsewhere
repr EFT everywhere in general and
nowhere in particular, as one of them
| put it, They were passing through
| Washington on their way to New York
| to attend the big convention of the un-
! employed. to be held in Cooper Insti-
tute from May to 8. They are going
as delegates and but few of them had
| the price CT a railroad ride, hence they
will get to the metropolis via the
turnpike, the sided door Pullman" or
| as they may.
81 want a job, and that's why I'm
here said a tall man near the door
A shorter man said he has a family
of five in this city and would work for
so cents a day to keep the wolf from
his doorway.
Millions Out of Work.
Chairman How, who is apparently
in
are 100000 of unemployed men in the
United States, and that several thous-
ands of the number "are right here in
Washington" The problem of provid-
ing work for these men, he declared. is
of more Importance than the tariff
tinkering or the troubles in Turkey.
Five million human couls are suf-
fering for the bare necessities of life in
America he asserted.
The Tillman vagrancy law, now in
force in the District, came in for sew
eral hard raps from Chairman How.
He said that under it's provisions men
whose only offense is being poor and
out of work may be imprisoned, COM
PEELED to wear the garb of convicts and
made to work for the District. He add
general. and the one in the District
of Columbia in particular, will receive
attention at the national meeting in
New York.
Some people are inclined to treat
the poverty proposition facetiously,"
said an i'll clad but apparently we'll
educated man. who said he had seen
better days. ''But to be poor as
church mouse, as many of these half
clad and half-fed fellows are, is no
joke. It's a grim reality and it is
horrible in it's grimness."
In order to properly organize the
forces of the unemployed in the Dis
trict, a committee was appointed at
the meeting last night. 1t consists of
Prof. Thomas Will of the conservation
congress, Mr.. Marshall of the west, and
Mrs. Charles A. Ferguson, whose hus-
band is the author of "The Religion of
Democracy
The statement was made at the
meeting that the unemployed of seven
of the large cities were to send dele
gates to the New York meeting There
the matter of immigration will be talk
en- Up, also the proposition that the
general and state governments give
the outr Of work employment on the
public roads, the waterways and other
public work.
Tide of immigration.
"Ten thousand immigrants are pour
ing into this country daily" said
Chairman How, 'and although we
don't favor any form of restriction to
the incoming of foreigners, we do be-
lieve the immigrants should be in
formed as to the industrial conditions
in this country before they start for
our shores. They should be posted on
the fact that 100000 of our citizens
are penniless and clamoring for work.
Charles Sumner, who said he is
representative of organized labor, at
tended the melting and made a speech
He said the organized workingmen are
interested in the problem of the I'M
employed unskilied workers These
unskilled men are a menace to the or
gained, he explained. In the event
of big strike or lockout the half
starved out -of-work men might "butt
in" on the prerogatives of the men of
the labor unions who may be out.
ne statement WAS dlSO maze IndJ
the politicians might be made to "st
up and take notice" when it is stated
that the unemployed whom it is pro-
posed to organize will represent more
than 100000 votes, and can dictate
the election of a president and any
number of senators and representa-
tives
After the meeting adjourned there
were series of overflow sessions on
the sidewalk and at the fountain on
the corner Of Seventh street and Pen
nsylvan;a avenue. The burden of each
individual paint was 81 want a job"
and there was much discussion about
"cascual workingmen, "roadsters" and
others Of the underworld The motto
generally sounded in the hall and at
the street gatherings was: I'VE want
work, not charity
What He Had Seen.
new cub reporter had come out of
the west He q To-