Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-16
WORK, NOT CHARITY,
ZIEGLER' SLOGAN,
AWARDS CONTRACTS
Health Director Takes First
Step in Solving City Prob
lem of Aiding 10000
Unemployed.

"worltingmen today are asking for wor
mot charity"
This Is the slogan adopted by Doctc
zlegler. of the Department Of Health an
Charities, who today took the first ste
in a movement to induce Philadelphia t
help itself In solving the problem OF as
slsting the 10000 unemployed working
men in this city
AS soon MS Doctor Ziegler took offic
he was confronted with the need of i'm
mediate help for the great army OF me
who are out Of work. At once, practica
means to this end suggested themselve
to him, and today he awarded all tn
building contracts in his department 70
which bids had been asked to the success
full bidders and ordered work to he begu
at once. In announcing the awards Di
rector 2iegler made the following state
ment:
DOCTOR ZIEGBER's STATEMENT.
The lively competition in bids for
new construction at the Philadelphia
and Luzerne streets, and at the Home
for the INDECENT. Ho mesburg, Pa, sug-
gests that this is a good time to build.
A total Of 70 bids were received for
the power plant at Holmesburg while
Is bidders were in competition for the
work at the Philadelphia Hospital for
Contagious Diseases.
The Department of Public Health
and charities has awarded contracts
within the past "a hours for all of this
work for which money is available,
and building will begin at once This
will have an appreclable effect on un-
employment The city could do no
better work in the direction of reliev-
ing unemployment than to start now
all the public work for which money
could be made available
There remains in this department
about 100000 for power plant and con-
duits at Byberry. l am trying to
familarize myself with the problems
of that institution as quickly as pos
sible, so that we may proceed with
its construction, and thus give addi-
tional work to mechanics and laborers
who are now out of employment.
Private individuals could do much to
relieve conditions of Unemployment by
entering at this time upon any building
operations Ildt are III contemplation
for the near future. They would find,
as we have found, that contractors
are keen to secure work just now and
that bidding would be lively. Such
conditions always bring about the best
possible prices for such work, so that
it would probably be more economical
to build now than later. Working
men today are asking for work-not
charity.
CHARITY NOT WANTED.
he city Doctor Zlegler spoke of the reces-
ity of some organized movement on the
art of the employers OF this city and
hose having money, property and bust
ess interests to give work to the un-
mployed and help them to help them
elves.
Doctor Zlegler thinks that the great
majority of the men who need Jobs are
elf-respectng, honest and earnest men
Tho will work at anything rather than be
ependent for minute upon charity. He
aid that he had not been in his present
flee long enough as yet to become
lmillar with all of the contrbutory
auses Of the hard times, but that he
ealized the necessity of organization and
nselfish cooperation among the many
lstitutons that exist to help the needy
nd deserving In this respect Doctor
iegler said:
"lt is impossible for this department
+ any department to control trade and
so far as concerns employ
lent. 1t is the function and desire OF
his department to so regulate the dis
ensing of charity that the greatest good
hall be accomplished with every dollar
nd every ounce of energy that we pos
ess. 1t was with this in mind that l
warded these contracts for immediate
peration and / urge upon the builders
le need and merit of beginning opera
ons at once and employing as many men
good living wages as the several Jobs
emand.
"I believe that a movement for the
mployment of the working men will
AIRY message of vast Importance TO
lany persons in private life who have
loney to spend In building and other
mes, but who have delayed operations to
walt the passing Of the present much
liked OF hard times. 1t is true that the
eneral idea obtains that there Is upon
s period of financial depression, but
NAaAlAN NAisAN NNS btl4Elal acceptance OF
lat idea together with the widespread
,ndency to delay all Investments until
mes shall be better contributes to-
ards making that golden area OF re-
ewed prosperity more remote.
my idea is that we should all wake
} and get together and produce among
lrselves and within ourselves conditions
at will give the working man work to
}, wages with which to feed and clothe
5 family. This all can be done with
} gifts towards the cause except intel
gent cooperation. Factories that are
osed, that when running manufacture
'n-perlshable products, can run as well
Nv as by and by. 1t is in the by-and-by |
at the working man will not need a |
b. II is today that calls for work.
I'm awarding these contracts to and
fering jobs for some hundreds OF men / |
I'VE done all that my departmental |
tiles permit and l and those who think |
th me in this matter ask the assistance |
the great public. Can we not toin
'nds and work together 70 the common |
d OF making the times what they should |
right here In this great big, warm |
arted, generous town OF ours2"