Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-03-19
" The Worlds WashrOOm."

A special dispatch from Troy, New
YORK., says: This city has been called
The Worlds Washroom." Within
thirty years the manufacture of COL
lars and cuffs has become an enormous
Industry here. 1t is estimated that 3d.
OOO, 600 Of them are made here yearly.
All are laundried in the hundreds Of
shops in this city,, In addition, the
polishing, starching and ironing of
linen has been reduced to such an art
that such goods are sent here from all
parts OF America, so that probably TO-.
OOO 200 pieces are laundried here every
twelve months. Three thousand sew
ing machines are run by steam in the
many shops devoted to the transform.
ing OF linen rolls into collars, cuffs and
shirts. There are upwards of 5000
persons employed by this industry, and
81, 600 600 invested IN buildings, goods,
machinery and patents. The work is
paid for by the piece, the operatives re-
ceiving stated price per dozen for
cutting. counting, folding, basting,
pasting, stitching, turning, finishing,
starching. rubbing, ironing and assert
ing. - .t A.
The "cellar girls" of Troy number
about 5000. They earn good wages,
and are intelligent aud dressy. They
are recognized class in the communi-
ty. and frateruize harmoniously when
their interests are at variance with the
employers. 4
A few days ago Ito girls-they are
called "girls here, although many
are married and support husbands,
while others have glided decade east
the thirties-who were employed by
Wiles & Co., launderers, demanded one
cent more per dozen for rubbing col
lars. This work consists of removing
wrinkles from the linen, as we'll as
evenly distributing the starch over the
surface. a machine having previously
saturated the linen with starch. The
operatives were receiving three cents
per dozen, but demanded four cents.
The request was refused. AS soon as
it became known around the city that
these hands had struck, others initiated
the example. Those at Miller & Bling
hams left their work after asking for
an advance, and 2lO went out. Then
60 from another shop, IS from another,
80 from another, and the trade soon be-
came blocked. The aggregate of strik-
ers reached about 900, and the women
seemed determined to sustain their
claims. The manufacturers held meet
ings and threatened to introduce ma
chinery to do work. But the labor is
similar to type-setting, in that it can
not be done automatically. The women
were very quiet and orderly about
their strike. They established their
headquarters in Temperance Hall,
whence they sent ENJOYS to the en-
ployes. The laundrymen. it was said,
had fully determined to do the starch
ing by machinery, and ordered twenty
machines for that purpose rather than
give the increase demanded, but on
Wednesday it was announced that they
had agreed to the demands of the
starchers.
The ironers have also demanded an
increase from IA and Is cents to II and
Is cents per dozen for shirts. Collar
ironers get 6, and cents per dozen,
and demand 7, s and cents. It is al
legged that the collar manufacturers are
making large profits; that none Of them
that ever started in the business have
failed, and that. having engaged all the
available help mere, they have started
branch factories elsewhere. At Glen's
Falls 1000 girls are employed in tie
business. In flush times collar opera
tives made from $40 to $40 weekly
now they realize from ST to $14 per
week, according to the class of work
and experiences of the worker.
Although this is really the garden
spot of laundering, there is not Chi
nese launderer within sixty miles, the
nearest being at Poughkeepsie.