The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-29
BOWERY PLATFORM
URGES FREE HOMES
Backb0ners Declare for Four
Hour Work Day at so
Cents an Hour.
HIGH PRICES MUST GO
Bread Line Alumni Bid T.. S.
Deal Out Jobs and Food
in Hurry.

Unfortunately the Moderates pre-
vailed over the Liberals of the Extreme
Left in an All-Bowery convention held
last night at No. As. in part OF what
used to be the Atlantic Garden, in the
street whose roof is the Third avenue L..
SO instead OF the radical demands that
might possibly be expected from a gath
eripg of persmbulsting philosophers the
declaration to be presented to Mayor
Hylan and the Board Of Aldermen, Gov.
Smith and the Legislature and President
Wilson and Congress as the Bowery's
platform enunciates only these conserva-
tive desires:
First, four hour day at a minimum
wage of so cents an hour until such
e time az everybody can work as long as
he pleases.
Second, free rental, for at least ten
years, of each family's present place Of
abode.
Third, the Government TO conhscate. IL
necessary, the nations entire food re-
serve and administer II on a basis of
three meals a day to all who are will
ing to work" A delegate Identifying
himself as the Pittsburg PHI asked that
this be amended to read IAN who are
too late, the platform having already
been adopted when the Pill awoke to
the indignity that was being perpetrated
upon him.
Fourth, the Government to hustle
work on railways, highways and public
buildings, to raise food and manufac-
ture clothing and other commodities to
be sold at actual cost through municipal
. stores.
Free Rental Makes HIT.
The clause relating to the free rental
OF everybody's home made a hit with
the PHI and the other Bowery COM
muters. in whose ears the following was
sweet music:
I'm order to get at the root of rent
proflteering IL should be recognized that
10 any man has an inalienable right to a
place to liye on Gods green earth; that
moreover any man who is old enough
to have a family has already paid
enough rent in some form or other to
entitle him to ownership of an adequate
= dwelling place. The only solution OF
the rent problem would be the issuance
by the Government of a new Emancipa-
ton Proclamation giving rent free pos
session for at least ten years to each
family of its present place OF residence
This might appear to be a species OF
conflscation. but in reality 1t would be
restoring to the great mass of people
the homes which have been confiscated
heretofore by the so called landlord"
The platform was adopted by a rising
vote of all who were able to rise 1t
was then explained to the men that what
they had adopted was not yet the law of
the land, as 1t had to be ratified by the
official convention OF the Backboners OF
the Stepping Stone of which last nights
assembly In Atlantic Garden was a trial
heat. There is no doubt, however, that
the big convention. which is to take
place Thursday night, will ratify the
action already taken.
"And then" said Charley Cummings
, chairman of the committee credited with
having drafted the platform, well lump
In and do somep'n for youse. The
Govmint is goin' to bSild State roads
and everything. so they says, Why
don't they do it?'
They'll know pretty soon" roared the
Pittsburg Pill. "Ef they don't do II
we'll make 'em do It,"
But there's no vi'lent attack in it,"
admonished Charley Cummings. But
want to say that they say they can fill
all the jobs with soldiers. They can't
The soldiers amt hit the Bowery yet I
hit the Bowery long ago and had re-
-'b''h INV lie right
"r got religion" retorted the Pittsburg
Pin. IAN l didn't get II In no mission,
neither. I had It injected into me by
the Stepping Stoners. hit the old soup
line an we've formed a union. and now
well see II We can't get no redress
which we deserves.
He of the Beard Speaks.
Then long man with a bald head
and long red beard talked quite a
while. saying that this was no time for
speech, as the workers must be up and
doing and getting the rights long denied
them by the rich. who lolled at ease
And finally the Bahaists, who had been
holding a convention OF their own at the
McAlpin, trooped into Atlantic Garden
There were still few old boys on hand
to welcome them and to hear the gospel
according to Abdul BAHIA, although II
must be said that neither the Pill nor
the red bearded prophet welcomed this
low brow Eruption in the midst of the
Bowery's councelings. But the Backbon-
ers OF the Stepping Stone love their
chief and founder. Brother Urbain J.
Ledoux, and as Brother Urbain Is a
Bahaist II he says BAHIA BAHIA It is, and
was last night until everybody was
either converted or asleep.
Brother Urban started the Stepping
stone mission Tor down and cutters at
2oS East Ninth street. Then he estab-
lished bread line for the Jobless and
found, so he told THE SUN last night.
that most OF them were honest war
workers temporarily out of employment
The bread line started with $50 men
and dwindled to nothing. which means
that Brother Urban had found places
FOR every one. Hence the celebration
last night as a preamble TO the Back
boners convention. the Backboners being
Of cOurse the Nertehraa of tha tInr IL,