The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-17
THE w HEN
IMMIGRATION EVILS.
Samuel Gompers Points Out Disadvantages
Resulting from Excessive immigration.


NEW YORK, Aug 16.-The immigration in
vestigation was resumed to-day. There were
present Congressmen Ford, Oates. Guenther
and Spinola The first witness called was
Julius Oppenheimer. manufacturer of cloaks
and suits He said be had been In the cloak
and suit business for eleven years, and usually
employed one hundred hands. In former years
three-fourths of his employees were females, and
to-day the sexes were Lbout equally divided.
The wages paid st present were 10 or IL per
cent. lower than ten years ago. The witness
did not think the decrease was due TO the immi-
grafton of Poles.
This line of examination was suspended while
Congressman Ford interrogated the witness as
to the reason why Marian Preston. who gave
testimony before the committee was discharged.
Tne explanation was that his partner, Mr.. Will
insky, got excited after reading the evidence
given By Marian,s and ION the impulse of the
moment discharged her" He was sorry for it
the next moment.
What was there in the girls testimony that
excited your partnerl' asked Mr.. Ford.
"weli. 1 don't know. She Knocked Mr. wilin-
bkle way VI thlklDs, bdiV tuo WlLucoos
"Was her testimony truep
"Shs told the truth, but she made fun Of the
way my partner talks" said Mr.. Oppsnheimer.
The most interesting testimony given to-day
was that Of Samuel Gompers. president Of the
American Federation Of Labor. He described
the features OF his organization and those Of the
Central Labor Union and the knights of Labor.
Mr.. Gompers played prominent part as coun
sci for the locked-out brewery workmen in their
recent appearsnee before the State Board of Ar
bitration. the American Federation Of Labor
has in its ranks about 100000 men. some of
whom belong to the Knights of Labor. Mr..
Gompers is q cigar-maker by trade.
Chairman Ford asked him his opinion OF the
present excessive immigration. HIS opinion
summarized was as follows De considers un-
healthy and forced immigration . curse to the
workinemen Voluntary immigration be could
not find any fault with. He cited an instance
whom, in 1881, the cigar-makers working in the
cigar factory Of A. Sherman s. Co., Milwaukee.
went on strike, that firm advertised in Austrian
newspapers for hands. The advertisements
were highly coored. and stated how cheaply
people could live near Milwaukee and have good
wages. He said that many people came from
Bohemia upon reading these advertisements.
Mr.. Gompers took occasion TO remark that the
word 'boycott" should DO tabooed because 1t was
not good English word. Mr.. Gompers said
four years ago. whom times were hard in Poland.
gauizationS were formed here and assisted
thousands of Polish jews to this country. They
were given employment in the cloak and cigar
factories, with the result that Americans were
crowded to the wall. as the foreigners worked
for very low wages. The witness said these
charitable men made money on their invest
ment, and wanted the people to believe they
were unselfsh. The present condition OF the
American cigarmakers was deplorable, and all
on account Of forced immigration. In this city
nf sha All nkara
who scarcely ever learned Co speak English.
Twenty years ago the condition OF affairs was
the reverse. American cigar-makers have
been compelled to 60 to railroad
the females who previously testified
would be DISCHARGED for so doing. Furniture
workers also suffered from forced immigration.
their wages having been reduced from 20 to so
per cent. In the past six years. The same state
of affairs exists among the tailors, from the
same causes Coal miners suffer from the forced
immigration OF Hungarians. The witness has
been recently In the coal mines OF Pennsylvania,
and there witnessed deplorable poverty among
the miners Alien miners demoralzed wages
by working for low pay. The Hungarians came
here because the coal barons advertise for them
in Europe. The witness defined the phrase
"Pluek-me' o store where miners were COM
PEELED to buy supplies because the proprietors
were interested in the store. Miners wages had
fallen 80 per cent, while coal was as high as
usual
Herman Stein flannel shirt manufacturer, at
No. 229 East Forty first street, employs $50
hands The testimony given before the COM
mittee by Mary Berg, that the witness was in
the habit Of importing foreigners to work in his
factory, was basesy false. "The only true
statement she made said tLs witness, was
that reduced wages half cert dozen, and
I'll tell you now that l an going to reduce
wages again. She was agiyator in the shop,
and was glad to get rad of her. She was con-
etantly making stump speeches for womans
rights and getting up organizations TO harm hes
employer. She says / reduced wages because
all my hands were for Cleveland. That is false.
She was for Blaine herself" The witness pre-
dcted that flannel shirtmaking IN this city
would soon be driven away. cheaper labor
was 10 be had in other cities, particularly in the
Weat.
Mary Fabrici. living at 1l6 Mulberry street,
said she worked at button holes and only earned
40 cents day by using her needle from o'clock
in the morning until 10 o'clock at night. She
shares with three families four rooms. for
which sl5 month Is paid, there being fifteen
persons living In the apartments.
Cathsrine Fabrici. sister-in-law OF the pre-
ceding witness, said shc worked at the same
trade the greater part OF the day and night for
about so cents, with which she had to support
herself and two children. She buys cheap
meat and bread, and uses no butter, living for
about % cents . day.
Two Police Officers Slain