The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-14
MAYORISANXIOUS
Worried Over Labor Conditions
in Topeka This Winter.
Says Work Must BE Found for
300 Idle Men.
WILL START A FUND.
Billiard Promises to Head Sub
scriptiOn to Provide Work.
Many Families Suffering for
Want of Food and Warmth.

If the people of Topeka will con-
tribute to the cause Mayor Billiard
promises that he will head a private
fund for the purpose of creating work
for the hundreds of idle working mon
VINO are trying to support families in
this city during the winter.
The mayor is authority for the state
ment that three hundred working men
IN this city are out of work on account
of the natural decline of labor in the
winter months. He says further that
at least half of these men have families
to support and in scores of cases these
FAMILIES are without food and without
warmth.
Ihe mayors idea would be for many
| of the more comfortably fixed men ~
fTopeka to subscribe to Dermanan+
working fund. He would make If nos
slole for all idle men with families to
n.l li1lo manual labor at a price large
enough to provide for their wants
and that is ALL
Paid a Dollar a Day.
A wage of one dollar a dav would
De PAID working men. They would be
Kept at this small scale until able To
ma permanent work or work that
would pay them more-and then they
would be released
II is the opinion of the mayor that
IN this manner it would be possible to
40 considerable work all over the city
and the advantage of keepfne the
steady working class in Topeka as well
as the provision of their suffering fam
mes would be public benefit which
Souid not De turned down by any
business or philanthropic person
The average person doesn't know
OF the suffering and the destitute con-
d1tion of the working class in the win
ter months" said Mayor Billiard this
afternoon. "These people are inteIIi-
gent and they know the ways OF the
world, but like all manual laborers
they have been thrown out of employ
ment on account of the dearth of win
ter work and they have no way to pro-
vide for their families.
Il have had scores of applications
at the Office in the city hall and at my
office at the mill from men who are
willing to work for Just enough to
carry their wives and children through
| the cold winter months and until the
spring work opens up again. But 1
can't hire any more men at this time.
I have done my best to find them
work, but have failed.
Similar Conditions Elsewhere.
''The same condition exists in all
cities. In Kansas City. notice by the
State Journal, the laboring men
marched to the city hall and plead
with the mayor for work. We do not
have an army of idle men of that kind
but we do have many honest steady
laboring men who have made Topeka
their home and who have brought
their families here to live-and these
men are anxious to work for a living.
Naturally, they shrink from char
ity. They are strong. able bodied men
and they have a well earned pride
they do not want it known that it is
necessary for charity to take charge
of their dom mestic troubles.
Most of these idle men are citizens
that the people of Topeka should keep
in the city-and this is the only man
ner that we can pay our debts to them
Ito give them work. I think that we
can do it privately.
Il tried to make the city attorney
believe that we could take the funds
left over from the Melan bridge ap-
preparation and put these men to work
excavating under the bridge and at
this end of the bridge. But it is
against the law, it seems, and we can
not make use of the money this way
even though everybody would be will
ing.
''I think that we could find lotS of
work to do in the city and give these
men a dollar a day-enough to pay
for the warmth and the food of their
families We could be doing good
work for the city and save the tax
payers a good sum at the same time.
'I realize that this isn't money
making Scheme-but the citizens of
Topeka must provide for the men who
have cast their lot in the city. A large
number of subscribers to a fund of
this kind would keep the idle men in
work.
. 'I am anxious to hear suggestions
on the matter. It is most important
subject at this time and one that must
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