The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-01-12
Objects 20 Judge Gary and George
w. Perkins Being Placed Upon
Municipal investigating
commIssion.
THE BEST CITIZENS"
They Are Accused o. Being Perfect
~ Willing 70 Let the Poor
People Take Care Of
Their Fellows.

I UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.l
NEW YORK, Jan. 12.-Stinging
criticism Of Mayor Mitchels appoint-
ment Of Judge Gary OF the steel cor
poration and Geo. W. Perkins OF the
Harvester company on the municipal
commission, investigating unemploy-
ment and high cost OF living here. was
| voiced In a letter addressed to the
mayor today by Amos Pinchot.
There is a certain danger. said
Pinchot, that the average citizen
will interpret these selections as hay-
ing been made on the theory on which
General Diaz chose distinguished ban
dts to lead the police force OF Mex
leo City.
Though Mr.. Gary and Mr. Perkins
have succeeded well in limiting pro-
duction and the operation OF labor IN
the United States and In keeping up
the cost Of living, it seems doubtful
whether the public will conclude that
they will be equally successful when
called upon to increase opportunities
of labor and reduce the cost Of Hv-
ing"
| Pinchot characterized the attitude
of the city administration toward the
unemployment problem as little
short of frivolous" He charges that
a large and powerful group OF tax pay
ers made up OF best citizens" have
blocked the proposal to put part OF
I! the army OF 100000 unemployed at
| work on necessary public improve
ments, a suggestion approved by lead
| ing civic organizations.
why do our best citizens object
to the city giving work to the unem-
ployed?" he asks. ''The answer is
obvious. The half million unemployed
men. the uncounted women and their
children are now being cared for, In
some manner at least by the poor
themselves. Both the organized char
Hties and the department Of charities
have failed to reach more than a
neglible percentage Of the destitute.
They never reach more. But Il the
city should furnish employment to
these people, the poor would be re.
sIlieved Of this unjust burden and the
tax payers would largely assume it.
! "Thus the question narrows down
to whether the employed poor shall
continue to stagger under the fmpos'
e;ble load Of supporting the unem
ployed poor, Or whether the commun
| ity's tax roll shall bear this burden
This is why best people are SO In
sistent that It IS bad finance for the
city to push work on contracts and
/ give employment to the idle. From
their own point OF view our best PEG
pie are entirely right From their
POINT of view, 1t is better to have the
4 roor keep right on bearing the whole
burden. It now becomes the privi
lIege Of the city administration to say
whether It will stand with the poor
4 or the real estate interests
Pfnchot's comment on the appoint
ment of George w Perkins to head
a committee On food supply, whose
purpose is to reduce the cost OF liv
ing. was particularly sarcastic.
4 "Mr. Perkins has issued number
OF helpful circulars in which he ad
vfses those who cannot afford to eat
i meat to eat fish," says Pinchot.
+ Pinchot charged the city admins
tration has passed the buck" OF the
unemployment problem to Judge
iGary's committee and that the Gary
i committee has adopted policy Of
reticitent evasion.
/ Gary Refuses to Reply.
4 Judea Ey1bert n Gary of the United
States Steel corporation, head OF
Mayor Mitcheps committee on unem
pIoyment, today refused to comment
upon Amos Pinchot's attack upon the
committee made in a letter to Mayor
Mitchell
The committee. Judge Gary said, is
making progress" toward solution
OF the unemployment problem. HI
admitted, however. that running the
business OF billion dollar corpora
ton was child's play compared t.
solving the labor problem and tina
certain phases had him "stumped.'
"Unscientiic distribution of labor Il
responsible for the present situation
, of labor" Gary said. There are too
many men in the larger cities OF the
!. country. but Just now 1t seems to BIZ
| a case of too many men for the
jobs"
| "WiH there eve. be solution-wil
a system be worked out sometime
| where every man who wants worl
; can find It tbs, year round?" he wa:
|, asked
| ~ don't know the judge answered
: with quizzical smile II just DOM
, know and can't guess
"WiIl there be an influx -of foreign
; labor after the European war that