Denver labor bulletin., 1915-02-27

WAS @zo. VI TINS amount, ll6 OF them
sent SlO,423 to members of families de-
pendent upon them. Much of it went
to Mexico and Austria 57l of the
registered men brought $l6,663 to town
with them, and spent it in less than a
month. One-half of that amount would
have kept them in comfort through the
winter if they had lived as a community
to themselves. One man, 65 years old,
came from the mountains with more
than 500 and spent it in one week and
a half having a good time. A young
man came to the city with so and blew
it in in four days, and then wanted to
be kept at public expense.
Interesting Comparisons.
Comparisons help us understand the
situation. In our relief department We
have an appropriation of $4,000 for our
Mothers Compensation act. This amount
houses, feeds, and clothes nearly 200
persons for twelve months, while 57l
men spent $l6,663 in less than one
month. Again, s25.0O0 is appropriated
for the upkeep of the county farm for
one year The population of the farm is
200, counting institutional and farm EN-.
ployes. Again S35,OOO was appropriated
for outdoor relief of families. In 1914
this amount cared for about 5000 indi-
with as much comfort as our funds
would bring them.
The cost to the city has not been
large. In the six weeks covered by this
statement, we have served 32,349 meals;
used l43 sacks of potatoes, sacks of
rutabagas, IL sacks of onions, 10 sacks
of sugar. sacks of cabbage. 275 pounds
of coffee. is cases of Columbinc milk,
sacks of oatmeal, 4 sacks of corn meal.
! .365 pounds of meat, and lo.07l pounds
OF bread, IA sacks OF beans and 500
pounds of flour.
At the shelter, we have used s tons of
coal. boxes of soap, % gallons OF in
secticide. 10 gallons of disinfectant and
, cases of I've. Ashes and rubbish were
removed daily. County physicians
looked after the sick.
Many have thought that the men
should be given work, il no more than
to compensate the city for what it was
doing. Work was not offered at first
except to individual men, and they re-
fused it. Afterwards, the unoccupied
beds at the lodging house were offered
to the men in place OF the bare floor of
the shelter About 80 per night could
have been accommodated. The committee
refused the offer when they found that
a work test of three hours were expect
ed at the woodward. The bare floor, and
nothing to do. was preferable to good
clean bed. bath and three hours OF
light work. On Feb. II, 200 were asked
to report for two hours of work. Ar
rangements had been made with the
street cleaning department to have the
rubbish removed from many Of the pri-
vate vacant lots of the city. Fifty OF
the men came. and put in their two
hours. The $50 others struck because
it was grutuitous work. II was clear
that the I. w. VS. were the antiwork
element among them and infected the
others.
Some criticism has been made on the
care of the men. but this criticism has
come largely from sentimental sympa-
thizers, and has not been based upon n
thorough investigation of what had been
done. Many leading business men have
interested themselves, and have come
and gone over tho whole situation. and
almost to man agreed that we were do
ing enough. and some thought that all
things considered, we were doing too
much.
Young men under 81 years OF age were
not allowed to sleep in the hall, but
were sent to the lodging house. and al
lowed to help prepare the meals. and
wait OH the tables for their keep, while
all was done for them that could be
done either TO get them steady employ
ment, or to return them to their homes.