Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-06-19 | Page 9 | Vagrants Ordered to Work at Smelter

VAGRANTS ORDERED TO WORK AT SMELTER Thirty-seven of Them Put at Employment at Garfield Gar-field Yesterday. All joy went out of the lives of thirty-seven thirty-seven disheveled, unshaven "vaga" at police po-lice heaJquarters yesterday morning when Chief J. Parley White answered their plea of Inability to secure employment with producing Alex Christensen, industrial indus-trial agent of the American Smelting & Refining company, who declared he could use the whole thirty-seven at once for construction work at the Garfield smelter. The idlers reluctantly submitted to their inevitable fate and a few hours later were on their way to Garfield, where they are condemned lo toil until further notice no-tice for a daiiv remuneration of S2.50. Since the edict went forth from Chief TVhfte last month that every able-bodied man in Salt Lake must be a producer the police have been constantly combing the city for professional idlers, and as, fast as thev have been caught they have bean placed on the city's chain gang. The chain gang, however, swelled to proportions pro-portions that exceeded the capacity of the city jail and Chief White was in a dilemma. In casting about for some other outlet for the captive energy he accidentally learned of the demand for labor at the Garfield smelter and communicated com-municated with Mr. Christensen. Before the police court opened yester-dav yester-dav Chief White gave the thirty-seven loafers the alternative of going to work or serving jail terms. Mr. Christensen stated that 200 laborers are Immediately required for construction work at the Garfield smelter and promised prom-ised Chief White to employ all the idlers the police could round up until the ranks are filled. Fourteen more were taken into custody yesterday.