Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-09
Public Opinion
street Department D.,

! Street Department E-21praA.nA
EDITOR EVENING NEWS:
/ L don't see how we can have mucf
health In this world the way some
OF our men on the streets are paid.
They are only getting a boys wages
and how a man 1--we in good health
and keep a wife and bring little ones
In the world7 No wonder there Is so
much sickness just for the want OF
a little food that the poor man can't
get with the wages that he gets for
working on our city streets. He is
out in rain and snow to keep our
streets clean and what thanks Toes he
get when he works for the city twen-
ty or thirty years2 There is nothing
left for him when he gets old. They
put him out to go in the poor house;
no pension. for the oor paid man
h a works on our city streets and he
Is in as much danger as other
working man. He has to work out In
the hot sun and automobiles. The
dirty sewers he has to keep clean in
danger of his health. So this kind OF
work is not what the people think 1t
Is. Out in the cold n heat they
have not the same conditions to work
under as other people and they do not
have what they ought TO have to eat.
With the wages they get the men that
work on the streets in any city are
the poorest paid men in the u. s. A.
for the dirty work they do to keep the
people in the city In good health.
These r the men that the people
ought to help out just the same as
any other working man.
This Is a pretty hard world for
some of us that work. They are treat
ed the worst that does All the work.
The only way We are even Is In
death, not in life. The one who don't
do any work get the most money and
a nice pension. It would do the city
no harm to look out for all its men
that work for the street department..
The men would not min paying fifty
cents a month to the city to help them
out so that when they can't work the
city IAN give them some pension for
the short life they have to live. Life
Is pretty short when o can't work
any more. 1t is no use to be so mean
to the men h a have to work on the
streets. h city ought to do M
thing for the street department men.
The wages they get when a man is
married he has to live like a bum.
He can't help 1t when there is moth
ing else to help him his life Is not a
happy N for $3.50 a day. 1t would
be better when the money Is put to
better use n give 1t too the working
man instead to spend 1t foolish like |
they do some times. 1t Is better to |
keep the city healthy. This is the best
protection we can have in Perth AM
boy and 1t Is up to the people to give
these men In the street department |
more pay II there Is going to be any |
raise the poo men of the streets
ought to get 1t. / hope that the peo-
pie will wake up and give the working
a chance to live. 1t would be
II some of our citizens would
h men of the street department
q chance when they have to work the
days in the winter in front of !
the citizens, stores and business
places. They never look at the poor i,
that keeps their places Clean. Do
you think you would give h men
gives you health protection a
raise from $3.50 a day? o men
how you would live on this If
you were married. I guess you would
not eat SO much. sc think about some
married men. He has to live
same as you do. ] hope some Of
you citizens will give some other men
chance that have to work in front
your stores. business places in all
kinds of bad weather, when the city
and county treat their working men
right then the taxpayer won't have to
pay for poo house and SO many
jails. The taxpayer better pay 1t out
10 the working man or pay 1t somet
other way. You know thai the poor
man cant have a bath room or a
hammock to lay in. He has to be out
working in the hot or cold weather
front of the taxpayers place. III
that the taxpayer will give the
raise to the men hat need it for their |
wife and little ones so that they
live in health.
JOHN j. MCCORMICK.