The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-15
Report of Mrs. Barry on the Condition of
Working Women as Observed by Her.
Secretary Hays Review of His Brief Service
es Successor to Li,chman-The Barry Fac.
tion Getting Ready to Make Fight.


pally to bearing reports from various officers.
that OF the general treasurer, Frederick Turner,
being the first submitted. II covered twenty
four printed pages, and gave detailed report
OF transactions from July l 1887 TO June 20
1888, inclusive. In the summary the balance
on hand July /. 1887. was given at sJ.972.l7;
receipts for the year, including the balance,
e222 507. 90; disbursements, s222 392. 3d. balance
On hand July 1. 1893. sl64 So. The educational
assessment on hand July ]. 1888. was SG,315. 49,
The report of the condition of the insurance
fund gave balance July 1. 1888, s670.7s; re-
ceipts from applications and assessments, 81,
57o.s5; by transfer from class B. go 10; total,
s3,27L3s; expenditures, s2,464.9l, leaving q
balance of sSO6.47. Class 3: Balance July l,
1887, 81, $50 46; receipts from assessments. $685..
IL; expenditures. s1,71469. leaving q balance
on hand OF s63l.S0. OF the amount expended
General Master Workman Powderly is credited
with expanding s.. 955, 02; General Worthy Fore
man Richard Grifiths. 81 ,42S. 1s sx-General Sec
rotary Charles 81. Litchman. s20SL53; General
Treasurer Frederick Turner. $2,0f625. The ex-
penditures of the members OF the general exec
utive board were as follows: John w. Hay, as
secretary, 81, s0Z46 Thomas B. Barry, S3,574S5;
William Fl. Bailey, 50, 1884; A. A Carlton, ST..
1907; Thomas b. Mcclure. 50, 40; Ira B.
Aylsworsh. s., 654. 81; general investigator WON
ems work. Mrs l.. NJ Barry, s2,076.43. In ad-
dition, the expenses Of the various departments
were: General executive board, 81 800. CO; gen.
eral secretary's department S22. 46; general
sscretars's supply department, $34,
1872; general treasurer's department.,
g. 50, postage for several departments, 49,,
15l0l, journal department.. So. 755. so. The ex-
renses of the Minneapolis convention were ST.
<53.o7, and the lectures during the year cost the
order s. 293. So,
The report relative to the insurance depart
nent stated that the plan Of insurance first
adopted was practically dead. Glass "A' had
not increased in membership as it should, owing
probably to the failure OF the original plan. The
present membership in the department. is only
429. In regard to the decrease in the general
membership the report says: According TO the
receipts from tax the membership has decreased
abont 300, GO during the past fiscal year. aud at
the present time the receipts are not sufficient
to meet the necessary expenses. In my opinion
. reduction of $25. 900 in the expenses can be
eomplishcd without detriment to the order, and
therefore recommend, ]. The abolition of the
mileage paid to representatives. 2 The CONSOLE
dstion of the Offices of general secretary and gen
erai treasurer. 3 The reduction of the general
executive board tn not more than five embers,
Jess il possible. This, based upon the mileage
and salaries paid last year, will reduce the
penditure stated above. The receipts from
appeals amounted 10 $47, l5a 81, and the general
executive board donated to the several loo is
and districts $730I9l1. or $25, s60.54 moro than
was received TO relieve the necessities of the sp
plicAnts; this, of course, had tn come out of the
general fund, and with tas falling OF N receipts
through the great decrease in membership has
left the treasury in q very crippled condition.
On June 30. 1858, our balance was Sl6i.S6, with
bills to the amount of 9, 227 80 due and unpaid.
belisve that unless some such retrenchmsnt as
indicated above is accomplished We viii be so
far involved In debt to practically stop the
routine business Of the order"
Tho report further shows that the attempt to
raise q cooperative fund in order that
operative business might be established proved
a failure. Where thousands Of dollars were ex
pectsd but 81, 033. 81 was received.
The most interesting report OF the morning
session was that submitted By Mrs. il. VI. Barry.
On General Investigator OF Womens Work and
Wages" She spent the entire year investigat-
ing the condition of the working women OF
America and gives the result OF her work in a
pleasing narrative. In beginning she reports
that shs found by repeated trial and failure that
TO investigate the condition or women as thor
ouehly as she could wish was simply impos-
sible, as employers not only refused her
the opportunity, but friends OF the employees
warned them against ever holding conversation
with the general investigator, lest they might
be discharged. During the year she visited saw
eral hundred cities. Her experience in Chicago
she describes follows: ION Feb. "a visited
Chicago. visited the manufacturing house OF
Marshall Field Il Co. The operatives worked on
the top floor. but went up and down by way OF
elevator; room was NICE clean, warm and well
lighted. In a large retail store. known as The
FAIR children Of all ages. from apparently nine
years up to fftsen. are employed. Each was
we'll drilled In the parrot-iike answer to the
query, How old are your Past fourteen The
Older employees refused to give any information
whatever about their wages or the system under
which they worked. Another establishment
had of its departments in basement,
where salesmen and women, who were largely
In the majority. worked oil day with ineandes-
cent lights, not one ray of sunshine or fresh air,
except such as was circulated through the
rooms by means of pipes in the side. Here
again l tried 10 gioan some information, but
failed, finding at least some women who did not
love TO talk / was told good authority that
the reason for this was the employer would go
TO each girl in turn and tell her that, owing TO
her superior qualities, be would pay her more
than any other, naming tho amount, but upon
condition that she would not mention IL to her
nsiehoor. Thus each imagined herself more ia
vored than others, aud no condolences were ex-
changed. when in reality all got the same, the
prevailing wages being from 30 to 50 per
wssk, tho highest ranging from So to &c. ac-
cordinc to experience. There are employed in
Chicago, including domestics, $4,000 women and
girls in many industries
Mrs Barry also gave account OF her in
vestigations in Toronto, where. after visiting
many places in which women are employed, she
obtained sufficient information TO set forth spe-
cihcally the low wages paid. In this exhibit she
details the workers compensation by piece, day
and week, the latter running ss low 81 and
no higher than 50.
The month Of June she spent in Cincinnati,
where she found nearly all the women morgan
lied, and "a the result wages had been cut down.
she said it was simply impossible to enter
into detail OF the numerous industries
employing women In that city, bat
she gave considerable space IN her report to the
women employed by cothiers and the manufact-
ure or undsrgarments. She also referred to
the exacting system of fines in operation IN
some OF the factoriei and restaurants, where
trivial shortcomings led 10 material decrease in
earnings. The condition OF the workingwomen
OF Phi!sdslphia Mrs. Barry thinks. 10, on the
whole, better than in any other city OF it's size
yet she found much that needed correction
Violations OF the law concerning the employ
hand. "a custom, the report continues. rs
rapidly increasing ia this country which means
shame dishonor anG humiliation 10 woman
hood, and here and now appeal 10 every father
within sound Of my voice 10 be wstchful and
wary OF his little daughter, il she be employed
ir any large establishment, or small one either,
where she is made to understand that the price
OF her position 10, that she stand in with tho
boss" Many may ask Why l do not give name
aud locality. First, bee ause those who resent
such pernicous approaches shrink from giving
publicly 20 their humiliation, and those who do
submit will not make their raisfortunes public
until. perhaps, they can no longer hide their
shame. In very many instances facts wore
given that were blood-eurdling, but no afidavit
would be made and neither myself nor