February 25, 1917
MAMMOTH FOOD PROTEST PARADE IS HELD
GOTHAM THRONG DEMANDS PRICES BE MADE LOWER
Six Thousand Persons Participate In Demonstration
Surrounding Madison Square
President Will Get $400,000 Investigation By Federal Trade
Commission If House Holds
NEW YORK, Feb. 24.—Within the shadow of famous Madison Square
Garden, where, during the past few days, certain New Yorkers have paid as high
as $1,000 for a dog, other New Yorkers gathered this afternoon, and demanded
that the price of bread and potatoes be brought within their reach. It was a
new throng Madison avenue, Fifth avenue and Madison Square saw today. It was a
throng of women and children, marching and crying their protest against
prevailing food prices.
There were some 6,000 of them. Mothers carried babies in one
arm and banners in the other.
"Open the warehouses. We demand food for our children,"
one banner read. The women came from Rutgers square, from the Brownsville
section of Brooklyn from the Bronx and from Harlem. The Harlem delegation,
3,000 strong, marched down Fifth avenue.
The marchers carried potatoes, onions and other vegetables
stuck on spiked sticks. A boy, who addressed the marchers after they had massed
in Madison Square, held up a huge ring upon which a potato and onion was
mounted.
"Diamonds today" read an inscription appended.
NO DISORDER REPORTED.
The demonstration was without the slightest disorder. Some
of the women had walked miles to take part. Most of them were muffled in
shawls. They represented numerous nationalities but in their outpouring they
demanded action from the representative officials of their adopted country. At
one time during the afternoon, speakers were addressing the women and children
from a half dozen different improvised rostrums.
There was no set program, no idea of organization, simply a
concerted march and protest. In the meantime, Governor Whitman was meeting with
George W Perkins, chairman of the state food investigation committee. The governor
said he was willing to send an emergency message to the legislature Monday,
empowering the city to purchase and sell food supplies in an effort to break
the present prices. A food and market bill is now pending before the
legislature, and upon the results of his observations here will probably depend
Whitman’s decision.
A section of the paraders, following the demonstration in
the square, started out to look for the governor. He was at the St. Regis. But
the leaders of nearly 3,000 paraders who marched up Fifth avenue were confused
and the throng of poorly clad women and children halted before the
Waldorf-Astoria. Keen eyed East Side women, with shawls drawn tight over their
heads and shoulders, tried to crowd their way into the great hotel of New York’s
wealthier citizens. Behind them their “comrades” showed:
“We want bread. We must see the governor.”
TRAFFIC IS BLOCKED.
Traffic was blocked along Fifth avenue and Thirty-fourth
street, but the marchers created no disorder, beyond trying vainly to push by
the doorman and policemen of the hotel. Reserves who had followed the throng
from Madison Square aided in coping with the new demonstration. In the Bronx
borough, at the same time, demonstrations were on in Manhattan, several hundred
persons marched to the Borough hall and pleaded with President Mathewson to
take some action to relieve the food situation.
The parade of thousands in Manhattan was cheered by workmen
homeward bound and attracted throngs of people. A great truck carried a
representative group of women and children, many of them haggard in appearance
and from a sign on its sides glared the message:
"America first. We appeal to you for mercy and justice.
Our children are starving. Come down with the prices."
Awkwardly lettered signs carried many messages of protest,
some of which follow:
"Uncle Sam: Why feed murderers? Feed your own
children."
"Poor, hardy, needy, hard-ups."
"Mr. Mayor, never mind Riverside Drive. We want
bread."
"Avoid rioting with peddlers."
Below a mass of potatoes, onions and other vegetables on a
forked stick, one parade carried the sign:
“Keep away you slaves. Down with high prices.”
MANY GIVE TALKS.
Mrs. Anna Pastor and Mrs. Bella N. Zilverman were speakers
at Madison Square. Many others mounted boxes and talked to the crowd in Yiddish
and Italian. There were calls for “Sweet Marie” Ganz, who led the march on City
Hall several days ago, but she failed to appear.
Ben Retiman [sic] declared the government protected the men
who were responsible for high prices and should also protect the poor, who were
the victims. The sight of mothers with children at their sides, walking five
miles to show their need of food should have a great appeal for those in power
in the government, Reitman declared.
“If that doesn’t have an appeal, what will?” he asked.
