Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-11-22
WOMEN WAGE-EARNsRS.
rhey are now knights OF Labor the
same as the Men.

IL am Mrs. Barry"
"Are you at the head of the women
Knights of LaborP"
II am happy to say l am. And
you?"
"A reporter. and want to know
something about your organization
and the real condition of the women
wage.earncrs in America"
Probably no one is better informed
as to their condition than Mrs. Barry.
She is at the head of the women de-
partment in the Knights of Labor, an
although the title of her postoe is
General Investigator. she is moreprop.
erly an instructor, and is virtually to
The women OF the order what Terence
V. Powderly is to the men. Mrs Barry
| has been connected with the Knights
of Labor for four ears, but she first
came PROMINENT, before the general
public at the Women's Convention re-
Gently held in Washington. Her adj
dresss on the condition of the women
loilers. and her graphic description of
scenes of iniustc &c and misery that
she had Witnessed. brought tears to
the eyes of her audience.
ct the meeting of the general as
sembly Of the Knights at Richmond in
1886, Mrs. Barry was chosen to inves-
Itigate the condition of the working
women of the country. Since that
lime she has travelled all over the I'M
tied States visiting factories, shops and
homes. examining into the cond ton
Of the women wage. workers. holding
meetings. instructing them and advo-
eating organization as the only means
Of lettering their condl ton. She is
an eloquent speaker and her intense
earncstness carries conviction to her
hearers. She speaks feelingly because
The was once wage. worker herself,
and was forced out of her position bv
the biz strike at Amsterdam several
ago. Mrs. Barry is now in this city in
the interest of the women's organiza-
lions here. Before beginu ng an
address at one of the meetings this
week, she gave the writer an interest
ing talk on the work that is being
done to improve the cond ton of work
Ilngwomen. In appearance Mrs. Barry
$ tall and slender. with a pleasant,
motherly face and cordial manner.
She has steel gray eyes that beam
Kindly on her audience when she
8 enlisting their sympathy and flash
with Indignation rs she depicts the
wrongs and injustice that many OF her
fellow workers indure. In talking
with individuals she has tie habit of
emphas ling her remarks b. tapping
with ner fingers on the listener 5
shoulder. She said that previous to
the admission of women to the Knights
Of Labor twelve years ago, they were
lonentit O.. Their rights were ignor-
ed. and in thousands Of instances they
were shamefully oppressed. They
were subjected to indignities and an
aoyances without number. Since that
lime the work of organ ling and edu-
cat ny the laborlng women has pro-
crossed until there are to-day between
so. 600 and 65, 600 women belonging 10
the various local branches of the
Knights of Labor. The mere fact tn IT
they are members of an organiZat on
aids them. Petty annogances are re :
moved and they receive more respect
and less interference while at their
work. Their demands are listened to
and. if reasonable, they are usually
granted.
care there many strikes among
women
VERY few. We seldom strike be-
cause we do not believe in strikes "a u
general thing. When women do strike
1t is almost always on account of an
Objectionable foreman. and these
strikes are most always successful. II
they have public sympathy on their
de they are sure to win. One of the
greatest evils that women have TO con-
tend with is the presence of foremen
in the factor es who take improper ad-
vantage of their position. Before or
ganizing, the women or girls would not
dare 20 protest for fear of los ng their
places, but now many matters of this
kind are remeded at the request of the
association. Workingwomen have
gone out in number of strikes with
men employed in the same factory.
The results have seldom been salts
factory, and some discouragemen {
among tho women has followed. The
number of women in the organizations
has fuctuated Comewhat from this
cause. New assemblies are constant
| w
ones lose in membership occasionally
and prevent the total membership
from increasing. The western branch
es are growing the most rapidly. but
there are number Of very flourish NJ
locals in this city. The women cigar.
makers have the largest organization
here, and the lawmakers are next
Among the other locals in this city arc
the dressmakerS the shoeliilers, the
shirlmakers. the laundrywomen and
the carpeLweavers. Many other trade
are represented in the Knights of La.
Dor by women who belong to the men 5
locals. The assemblies are mixed, and
in some cases the women speak and
take an active part in the organiza-
tons"
How do you form organizations"
The method of forming an organi-
cation is usually TO send man who is
well informed as TO the procedure to
preside at tho meeting and direct its
work for the first year He arrange S
the committee work and gets otho I
male members of the Knights of La
Dor to attend the meetings and discuss