The evening world., 1888-08-16
MORE SONGS OF THE SHIRT.
The Ford Cemni,tee Lights on Further Eye
Opening Facts

hhkuth On Further Eye
Opening Facts
Congressman Ford, Oates. Spinola and
Guenther, Of the Special Committee on I'M
migration. continued their investigation ut
the Westminster Hotel to-day.
Julius 0ppenheimer, manufacturer of la
dies and children's cloaks and suits in East
Broadway, was the first witness.
He testified that he employed $50 people
during the busy season. but in June, July
and August employed less than a hundred.
The employees are equally divided between
the sexes. Eleven years ago, when he began
business, he employed three-fourths women
and one-fourth men. Wages are now 10 or
10 per cent. lower than then.
The work IL piecework. The market for
the goods ID lower There are more people
seeking work now than heretofore. In the
busy season there are not hands enough.
Marion Preston had been employed by OPP
penheimer, aud the latter acknowledged that
she had been discharged for testifying before
the committee. He explained that Wilinski,
the man who runs the shop, was 4 very excit-
able man, and when he saw her testimony in
the paper he was mad and discharged her.
Wilinski 10 a member of the firm. Con-
corning Miss Preston's testimony, Mr.. OPP
penheimer said the only thing in il that was
not true was that she testified that she was an
SNpSis ~ "hCA phO VuilJ Nho " Il
was willing to take her back.
MIR. Cppenheimer said he gave no prefer
ence to men over women, and that he en-
ployed by preference Russians, Poles and
could speak no English.
Then, you really. discharged Marion
Preston because she told the truth 7" ejacu-
lated Congressman Guenther. and the wit
because Miss Preston Knocked his broken
English. He could not say whether Miss
Preston earned $40 a week four years ago or
not, but she earns only "a now.
Mr.. Ford said he didn't care about exam
lining any one else from Mr.. Oppenheimer's
factory. He was quite satisfedsand dis
gusted-already.
Hermann Stern, manufacturer of shirts at
221 East Third street, came next. He had
been sixteen years in the business. employed
$50 people, mostly Russians, and preferred
women.
Sixteen years ago a good steady girl
would earn from % to 81 q week. She can
earn that now" said Mr.. Stern. a." but l got
$40 n dozen for shirts then and only $lS
now. Workers wei scarce sixteen years ago,
but now there is a gut of them"
Stern explained that sixteen years ago the
girls worked OIL foot power machines. Piece
ductive power ie much increased, so that
girls can earn as much as under the old re-
gime.
IL want to say" said Mr.. Stern, that the
statement of Mary Berg is a manufactured
lie from beginning to end. She was an agi-
tator, kept her from charity. Her people
were sick and l paid her five cents more than
any other girl out of my own pocket. My
girls are English speaking girls of Irish de-
scent"
To what do you attribute the surplus of
laborers over the demand Z" asked MIR. Ford.
think it is because 80 many foreign work.
people come over. Besides, labor agitation has
driven the white shirt manufacture out of
Nnx, Vnr1 md if ~ Han,No r,rN thn Aar,,al lh,,&
business will leave the city, too.
My girls earn from &c to $14 q week, ac-
cording to their skill. About ninety of my
employees are children born here of for
eigners. The other forty are foreign born"
Samuel Gompers, ex-President of the Pro-
gressive Cigar-Makers, was next sworn. He
is now President of the American Federation
of Labor, which Is an organization of skilled
labor.
Mr.. Gompers told in detail of the various
labor organizations and their provinces.
Since 1880 MIR. Gompers has been q close
watcher of the influx of foreign immigrants
into America. He believes that the effect of
the large immigration has been very depress-
ing to trade and the wage-market.
Had this immigration been natural, ~ said
Mi. Gompers, mot unhealthy and improp-
erly stimulated, the newcomers would soon
have been assimilated and become a part of
u.s."
He instanced the case of the great cigar
makers strike at Milwaukee in 1881, when
agents went to Austria and advertised for
workers, resulting in an influx of thousands
of pauper laborers. The advertisements
pictured Milwaukee. her pretty homes and
her prosperous workers in gorgeous terms,
and led the Austrians to believe that in Mil
waukee was comfort, ease and riches.
In 1883 the same means were resorted to by
O New York firm whose men went on strike,
INT cigar-makers fiocked 10 America IRON
Germany. This. according to the witness,
was aided by the American Consul in Ger
many.
In 1883, when the tyrannous acts of the
Russian Government against the Polish Jews
capitalists and charitably inclined Americans
contributed handsomely to bring the suffer-
ers over to the free soil of America. When
they had arrived here in thousands these cap
~italists~ employed them mt 80 to so per cent.
less than the market, and discharged their
American workmen. l cannot recall the
names of these capitalists. but they were
tailOrs, tailor manufacturers, cigar manufac-
turers, furniture manufacturers and shirt
makers.
''As a result of stimulated emigration there
are now no apprentices. Swindlers induce
boys to pay them $10for teaching them cigar
making. They go to SCHOOL, two or three
weeks and are then turned adrift as cigar
makers. Their work as pupils is sold in the
market in competition with cigars for the
manufacture of which workmen are paid.
TO any man of Europe who would come
to America to better his condition, intending
to become a citizen and coming of his own
volition, I would be among the first to ex-
pers. But / do object to this unhealthy,
assisted immigration as inimical to our well
fare and prosperity"