The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-04-20
STRONG SPEECH
By NEW MAYOR
SEhEEL SAYS MILWAUKEE, MUST
BE MADE SAFE FOR IT'S
INHABITANTS.
MUST PROTECT WORKERS
Contracts Let BY City Should Provide
Reasonable Hours Of Labor
The Sa.oon Question a
Big One.

|
| Milwaukee, Arril 19-The govern
ment Of Milwaukee today passed in
to the hands of the Social-emocrats
! with Mayor Emil Seidel as their lead
er. Edmund T. Melms Was elected
to the presidency Of the council
Carl D. Thompson, city clerk. Sci
del iI$ his inaugural message spoke
for home rule for the city, and var
ious other reforms.
Harry B. Briggs was made com
missioner Of public works to supp,ant
the present board of three comm IS,
ioners at a salary of $4,000 Waite
.. Stroesser, tailor, was appointed
of public health, temporarily, aud
Joseph Uihlein, wealth brewer
madec commissioner of the pull
debt
Mayor Emil Seidel, Social Demo.
crat, address ing the new common
council! spoke in part as follows:
at has been our good fortune to
be placed in a dominate position and
YOU shoUld follew your purpose with
an untiring will. At all times the
heads of the various city departments
should be yiglant and every WORKER
should understand that in doing his
work to the utmost of his ability, he
is contributing to the efficiency Of
the city government
In your policy, the promises con-
tanned in orr PLATFORM should have
q prominent part Such measures as
can be carried out under the pro
visions of our present charter should
be taken up at once Where tAe
charter interiors, proper bills shorld
az once te drafted to be presented to
the next legislature.
Before all thing, home rule, the
right of self government, should be
assured for the city of Milwaukee.
"'rhe workers of our city are its
most valuable 2sset. Your attention
should be directed to the passage of
such measures as will promote the
wellbeing OF this class Of citizens
safeguard health, check any tendency
to encroach upon such few rights as
the workers still enjoy and wherever
possible extend for them the oppor.
tunities of life.
In this direction a number Of
steps can be taken. The administIa.
tion should constantly watch over the
conditions prevailing in factorief
workshops and places of employment
with regard to sanitation. There
should at all times be full and
hearty cooperation with state factory
inspectors in the enforcement Of
measures providing for industrial
hygiene
Contracts to be let by the city
are awarded to the lowest bidders.
This docs not preclude the right of
the city as a corporation to demand
compliance with certain specif-
cations. Thus, the quality and treat
mcht of materials may be spared to
insure economy. II is the height of
ahSurlty to contend that this should
not hold good with regard to labor
The contention that the city can not
as an economic precaution, specify
the treatment Of labor, Is violation
of the right of free contract, q right
enjoyed by corporations and indiyid-
uai employers. Therefore, in con-
tracts to be let by the city, the speci.
fications should provide for hours of
labor that are not exhausting. that
leave margin of time for rest and
development. Such specifications
should also provide for sufficiency of
light and ventilation; they should
prohibit child labor and properly pro-
tect woman labor, and prevent the
imposition upon workers of degrading
conditions.
THE city ordinance which makes
the carrying of concealed weapons
unlawful said the mayor, should be
strictly enforced and that the prac-
tice of bringing armA .'hirlings" in
to the CITY of Milwaukee to mingle
with population that is peace-lov.
ing has cost loss of life and should
be stopped
Under the subject OF Sound econ,
omics," the mayor said;
Proper action looking toward the
establishment OF bureau Of muni-
rjpnl research should immediately