The evening world., 1888-08-15
PAUPER %CIGARMAKERS, TOO.
PRESIDENT HARRIS TELLS HOW FOREIGN
ERS RUINED THE TRADE.
Droves of Boheminns, Russians mud Poles
Imported to Work Long Hours Mt stnrvn-
ton Wages-The Trade Monopolized by
ForeiGners-Growth OF the Tenement
House Evil.

Imported to Work Long Hours Mt staryn-
ton WRges-Ths Trade Monopoiized by
Foreigncrs-Growth OF the Tenement
House Evil.
Congressman Oates joined the other men,
beers of the Special Committee on Immigra-
ton to-day at the Westminster Hotel, and
only Congressman Morrow was absent.
Daniel Harris, of 1903 East One Hundred
and Fourteenth street, q cigar. maker, was the
first witness examined. He said he was
President of the Cigar-M Makers lnternationa
Union of America. There are 300 local unions
in America.
In 1868, when the witness began work M a
c~igar-maker, there were among cigar makers
8 to 10 per cent. of foreigners. Now there
are over 80 per cent. foreigners, q majority of
whom are females. They are Bavarians,
Bohemians. Poles. Slavs and Russians.
Most of these women can speak no Eng
fish. They are %clannish, and when they
marry marry people of their own nationality.
They have driven American workmen out Of
the business by working for less than an
American can live on. The Bohemians came
over in thousands in 1869. The American
unions organized them, and they became
alive to their own interests.
Then in 1877 a lot of Hungarians were i'm
ported, and they work almost every hour in
the twenty-four. Since 1864 the wages of
lgar-makers have been reduced fully 60 per
cent, In 1864 cigar-makers got $1S q thou
sand for. handmade cigars. Now. $12 is q
good price, and the employers limit the
product of the employees.
Mr.. Harris attributed this state of affairs
to the influx of pauper labor into the
country.
In 1869 the cigar-makers of the city struck
NON not N valuation nf thatr paFNau aud Nha.,
the importation of foreign pauper labor
began.
One cigar manufacturer contributed 81. 900
towards bringing over the Russian exiles in
a number of them.
During the strike of last January against a
20 per cent. reduction, many of the wit
nesses before the committee of the union
stated that they had been in America only a
few months.
The pauper cigar-makers are found in
Delaney, Riyington and ne%ighboring
streets: Americans cannot compete with
them because they are not accustomed to
herd like cattle as they do.
Moulds were introduced into the manufac-
ture On the advent of the foreign paupers.
There has been but a slight reduction in the
dealers price for handmade cigars in the
past ~twenty-four years.
There are 25, 900 of these pauper cigar-mak-
ers in New York. Employers oblige them 10
live in houses provided for them. There are
over fifty manufacturers in tenement-houses
and each employs from five hundred to SIX
hundred persons. They make from So to SO
a week. They work from fourteen to sixteen
hours q day Ill these tenement-house shops to
earn this much money.
Joseph H. Wehrle, an electrician of
Newark, N. j., testified that Il. =. Howell
d Co, manufacturers of enamelled leather
in Newark, imported from England last
year four workmen, as a committee of
d. A. 81 discovered by investigation,
- lnAIn DE Aha lnrV Nh N a.,Aa n Al
four men were produced showing these facts,
and Mr.. Wehrle stated that as the men had
been induced to come to America ON false
representations the District Assembly 81
joined in sending them back to England.
Christopher Jefferson, another employee of
Howell d Co., canvassed England for men,
as there was a lockout at the Howell factory.
Jefferson represented to them that there was
no strike or lockout, and when they found
that he had lied they returned to England.
They were %japanners, of whom there are
but few in America. %Japanners received Sl5
a week. Howell Il Co. had worked this down
to 80 or $40 q week. But these four English
men would work for no less than SIS.
Howell 4 Co.. like all other enamelled
leather manufacturers were looking for nom
union men. There are about thirty such
manufacturers in the country, and twenty
three OF them were IN a combine against the
unions.
Newark man named Boynton discovered
the art of en0melling leather thirty years ago.
The four Englishmen We're expected to teach
TO boys the art. The combination of employ
ers now numbers all but two of the mannfac-
turers. They recently advanced the price of
their goods. and shortly after reduced the
rates paid to the men.
Vinoenzia Peprek, a Bohemian woman, who
could speak no English. although she had
been fourteen years in New York, and could
not understand it, either, was next called,
and Sigref Proper interpreted her testi-
mony to the Committee. She was a neat,
mlddle-aged woman, but her face was drawn
by care.
Mrs. Peprek lives at 1896 East Thirty-eighth
street, and is q cigar maker. She held a
seven-year-old little girl between her knees
while she testified.
She worked for Jacoby & Bookmer.
Thirty eighth street, Brooklyn. She had
made cigars since her twelfth year in Austria
and could make there about Sl.5O n week by
Eer work
In America she earns 81 to 81. 80 a week.
In Austria she labored twelve hours n day.
In America nine hours. Three years ago she
earned SIS q week, and when she came to
America she earned $40 a week readily. She
has two children and both 60 to school.
On being closely pressed by Chairman
Ford Mrs. Peprek admitted that she had
been obliged to send Rosa and Emma, eigut
and nine years old, out on the street to beg.
and that Emma was arrested in the Fifth
Avenue Hotel.
With tears the woman said the children
must beg in order TO obtain something to eat.
And finally it was brought out that her earn
family OF four.
lie Had u Good AIibl.
ga. 10, M. 49, IT,