The New York herald., 1874-09-28


The Cigarmakers' Energetic Protest.
The Tenement Life Pictured as Living
Death-An Earnest Appeal to the
Board Of Health.
Germania Hall was crowded yesterday BY cigar
makers Of all national ties. but principally OF Ger
mans and Bohemians who had Assem- lied to take
some action In regard TO tenement cigar factories.
The speeches, which were delivered in various lam
guages, breathed q wholesome horror OF the 1es-
tering tenement life as developed by the mapu.ac-
tnre OF cigars in stinng little bedrooms, wherein
the workmen cook, work and sleep A curious
feature OF the meeting was the presence
OF quite large number OF women, the wives and
daughters OF the cigarmakers, who assist them in
the manufacture OF the spurious "Havanas" which
are made in Second avenue and avenue B. The
hail flied with the odor Of rather poor cigars,
as many OF the men were enjoying tue luxury of
their own creation.
Mr.. Martin d. Plate, President Of the Cigar
makers Union, called the meeting to order, and
expressed his sincere satisfaction at the large
number present. He suggested the name OF Mr..
Jonn swinson as Chairman. MI Swinton was
eldcted by accamation.
SPEECH OF MR. JOHN swINToN.
Mr. Swinton said that when he requested
TO take the chair Of this great meeting he was in
troduced OF the gre at industries OF the city
to witch he was formerly stranger. In the
course of tour OF inspection he had seen great
many things at which he copd not help being
shocked. In Cuba he had seen the enslaved CHINA
men work in their wretched manner but, though
ne had passed a lifetime in the city,
he had never dreamed that such things
could exist here. When he found that tenements
were turned into factories, where the poisoned
toilers were kept together by the surveillance Of
the employers and where they ate. slept and we're
co1ned, and when ne saw that this mode OF living
produced awful maladies, 1t seemed 70 him that
their condition was related 10 that OF society at
large. 1t did not seem to him that any body could
blame them If they tried to render tolerable the
! sinless part Of this hard world. They were
protecting Filth avenue as Wei as 1ompkins
square in doing this. He learned from the resou-
tons that they intended to appeal to the Board OF
Health, a body which should be called
SACRED AS WELL AS PLENIPOTENT1AL
from the vast amount OF good which 1t had DONE
II was Tor the interest OF Stewart Astor and Van.
derbilt; for that OF Bennetr, Reid and Dana; 1or
that OF President Grant and Governor DIX, as
well as for the proletariat TO remedy this evil The
wealthy mans WINE was tlnged with the red tnaG
came from the poor mans heart. He was sorry TO
same terrible condition the twice ten thousand
worklngmen VINO made their living by cigar
making.
retlcal programme Tor the transformation OF the
universe. He mad on,y now and tnen sought to
deal practically with s me oil the social ab0mIna.
nations OF this city. He Was opposed to all re-
forms through violence and to all revolutionary
revenges. Tnis reform, he felt sure, could be
effected BY moral means and was In the interest
OF the entire CITY.
SPEECH OF Mr.. HEIERIcHsHAUsEN.
Mr.. Frederick Heinricnshausen then spoke IN
German. This was an oDject ne said, when was
worthy OF their greatest and best Efforts. linus lar
nOtnlng nad been done to Improve the condition VI
the poor worKmen In the iesterlng tenements. He
dwelt on the baneful effects OF the tenement lile
particularly on children and women; & As IL was
all TO work together Tor sixteen or eighteen hours
In order to keep body and soul together. Here
was presented to them condition OF lie which
must certainly be improved by the aid OF the sanl.
tary authorities. He could not imagine how
ings. AS 1t was now, seveny families
lived together IN one house, and one
Very a desuot II the sanitary sortes
to remedy the EVIL the ''bosses' engaged the
ablest legal aid In order to defeat the object. The
charged with the smell of cooking and exhaIations
OF the washing, ana the utter want OF playrOom
THE INNOCENT LITTLE CHILDREN
had to remain all day in tue miserable bedrooms
which were workshops at the same time-n they
were not sent out upon the street.. There was no
yard, garden Tor them 10 play IN. He tine
speaKer) lived IN a house where seventy-hve chill
dren were c0Oped up In this manner and had not
inch OF Tree space to pay in. statistics
showed how terribly these influences told on
lived ten or twenty Years less under such cond-
tions than did the empowers He hoped that they
would not be content with the presenting OF
memorial to the Board OF Health, but that they
would be determined to carry this movement TO a
triumphant issue. Dwellings must not be used as
Accomplishment the shops must furthermore De
properly ventilated and keptIn wholesome man
II the Beard OF Health could keep the tenementS
In Wholesome condition It could do the same
thing IN regard to the shops.
SPEECH OF p. j. M'GUIRE.
Mr.. p. J. Mcclure, who addressed the meeting In
English, also dwelt on the horrors OF the tenement t
tactories The cgarmakers were suffering from
TINS system OF pillng white slaves into hltny bar
racks He went a few Gays ago into lew
houses and conversed with some families, who
spoke in the most despairing tone OF their des-
perate situation. They would all be glad to leave
the barracks If they could only IND work else
where. And were these men 10 be lmmoated on
the altar of greed and avarlCe 1t was through q
lack OF feay to the trades union system tnat tns
wretched state OF things had been brought about
died rom the miasma bred In these pest holes.
The mortality among the cigar makers was ire
mealo this ipernal vsmprism which
was an ulcer upon the BODY polite, aud would
spread to every branch OF INDUSTRY. me empIoyer
could enter the rooms OF his employe at any time,
so that all privacy and domestic freedom were
destroyed.
The men were perfect slaves and could never
have even free sunday. It would take a loaf OF
bread out OF their mouths, and they would have
10 nav Tor 1t with starvation. The speaker then
quoted Professor Ioumans' observations on tle
effects OF bad Air. showing how great was the NOR
! taIity produced by Lack OF ventilation. All they
asked was that the pubic servants-the Board OF
Healtn--should investigate this evil, and II they
as tneir servants, did not DO their bidding they
! should sweep them from their places. Appause.)
! IL true that they should organize, ana that
committee be sent to the Board OF Health In order
/ to see what that body was willing TO DO under
these terrible circumstances. The speaker, before
! concluding, mentioned the case OF two lamiles
living at the corner OF sheriff and houston Streets
ip two little rooms with the closets not even re-
moved from their sight seventy families hved IN
tins house, all Of them breathing the nlcOtDOus
q
/ ing ron their filthy mode OF living.
RESOLUTIONS,