The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-09
THE WHEN
CHEAP FOREIGN LABOR.
Witnesses Explain the Effect 1t Has on the
Wages Paid American Men and Women.

New York. Aug. a-Ths immigration inves-
tgatou by the congressional committee took a
new turn to-day. When the committee assem-
bled pleassnt-faced young woman was sworn.
She gave her name Mary Berg. and said that
for six years pas, she had worked for Herman
Berg. a flannel shirt maker on East Forty frat
street. When she went there 200 girls were em-
ployed. working on foot machines. About q
year ago steam was put in. and forty or fifty
Russians and Poles were employed. taking the
places of the majority of the girls Previous to
the employment of the foreigners the girls made
Sc to So week. Now they can only make s. a
week She has known married men to take the
places of the girls and work for 81 week.
She heard the proprietor ask one Of the foreign
ers employed there if he could not get him more
or his countrymen. lie told them be could, but
would have to send to Europe for them. He
told him to send and get all he could. There had
been continual reductions in wages since the
foreigners came to the factory. She left there
this week account of a reduction in the scale
of wages. She declared that shirt that was
made for 60 cents in 1884 is now made for 40
cents, and one that was then made for So is now
made for 81. She said many of these Russians
and Poles work here and save money, then 60
home and spend it. and return again to make
more. She knew one man who saved $500
here and went home, where he invested it in
business aud lost it, He repeated the expert
ment. and is now back here for the third time,
working for 81 a week III place OF girls who had
been discharged
Mrs. Helen Aukner then took the stand Ste
is employ ed in making rubber goods. About a
year ago she did some work at making white
goods for the purpose of investigating the rate
of wages paid and the condition OF those
gagged in it. She found that an expert could not
earn 50 week The average was about 81,
while ten years ago they could make $40 week
Sac aseribed this soleiysto the giving out OF tao
work to contractors. These contractors she
said. are Russian and Polish Jews, who take
the work home. The work is not so we'll done
by these contractors as it was formerly by the
girls. bur the manufacturers save large sums In
rent and other ways. Tho witness never found
person who worked for a contractor who made
81 week. She had carefully investigated the
habits of these foreign lsborers, and gave il her
opinion that they not only filthy and i'm
moral IN their mode of life, but their example 10
calculated TO contaminate our own people, who
have to mix with them more or less. She de-
scribed the sights as most revolving.
Francois Glouton. q French knitter, had been
imported at their expense and under a written
contract. by McCullum, Constable & Co., of
Holyoke. He was sworn, and produced a copy
of the contract
DIR. Charles Hoyt secretary of the State Board
of Charities. sworn. He said the proper
tion of foreign paupers in this State was forty
seven times that OF native paupers. The witness
said he had particulars of hundreds of cases
which were assisted to this country. The Cana
fast they landed there sent them over here.
The witness did not think any other State felt
the effect OF this evil so much as New York. in
proportion to its population. but he thought
Michigan beginning to feel it and will feel il
moI