City Hall Grapples with Unemployment
Mayor Ronald and the Advisory Board debate potential relief for Seattle workers while navigating the legal limits of public funds.
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The advisory board, convened by Mayor Ronald, met at the city office to discuss the continued construction of the sewer tunnel and other needed improvements during a time of economic stringency. With funds tied up in bond issues that failed to sell, the city officials grappled with how to provide work for the unemployed without violating legal statutes. Comptroller Carson and other officials argued against issuing scrip, fearing it would only lead to workers selling their wages at a discount. Instead, they suggested clearing wood for the water station and rotating work assignments to prevent starvation. The board ultimately advised that workers should seek employment in the agricultural districts, specifically noting that the Yakima Hop Growers Association was in need of 5,000 pickers to handle the upcoming harvest.
“It would be better to employ a man four days a week and enable him to pay cash than to employ him for six and give him scrip.”
This 1891 discussion regarding the limitations of municipal government in the face of widespread unemployment and the redirection of labor to regional agricultural sectors mirrors contemporary debates about the role of the city in public relief and labor stability.
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