Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-11-16
WOMEN wAGE-EARNERS.
rhey are now Knights Of Labor the
same as the Men.

Are you NJ the head OF the women
Knights of Labor"
81 am happy to say l am. And
youP"
"A reporter. and l 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 womens de-
partment Ia the Knights of Labor, an d
although the title of her position is
General Investigator. she is moreprop-
erly an instructor, and is virtually to
Tho women OF the order what Terence
V. Powderly is to the men. Mrs. Barry
has been connected with the Knight Is
Of Labor for four years. but she first
came prominently before the genera |
public at the Women's Convention re-
Gently held in Washington. Her adj
dresss. on the condition of the women
!oilers. and her graphic description of
scenes of injustice and misery that
she had witnessed. brought tears to
the eyes of her audience.
At the meeting of the general as
sembly of the Knights at Richmond in
1886, Mrs. Barry was chosen to inves-
tigate 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 condition. She is
an eloquent speaker and her intense
sarnestness carries conviction to her
hearers. She speaks feelingly because
the was once a wage. worker herself,
aud was forced out of her position BY
the big strike at Amsterdam several
ago. Mrs Barry is now in this city in
the interest of the women's organiza-
.ions here. Before beginn 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 condition of work.
Ingwomen. In appearance Mrs. Barry
s 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 enlistng their sympathy and flash
with indignation as she depicts the
wrongs and injustice that many of her
fellow workers indure. In talking
with individuals she has the habit OF
emphasi zing her remarks By tapping
with ner fingers on the listener s
shoulder. She said that previous TO
the admission of women to the Knights
Of Labor. twelve years ago, they were
1onentit es. Their rights were ignor-
ed. and in thousands of instances they
were shametully oppressed. They
were subjected to indignities and an
1oyances without number. Since that
lime the work of organ ling and edu-
eating the laboring women has pro-
crossed until there are to-day between
/ SO. 900 and Go, 900 women belonging to
! the various local branches of the
Knights of Labor. The mere fact tn 1t
they are members of an organizat on
aids them. Petty annoyances 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.
"Are there many strikes among
womenp"
VERY few. We seldom strike be-
cause we do not believe ia strikes as a
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 factories who take improper adj
vantage of their position. Before or.
ganizing. the women or girls would no,
dare TO protest for fear of losing their
places, but now many matters of this
kind are remeded at the request Uf the
ocation. Westinghouse have
gone out i'm a number of strikes with
men employed in the same factory.
The results have seldom been salts
factory. and some discouragemen
among the women has followed. The
number of women in the organizations
has fluctuated somewhat from thi.
cause. New assemblies are constant
ones lose in membership occasionally
and prevent the total mem bershiI
from increasing The western branch
es are growing the most rapidly. bu
there are number of very flour sh NJ
locals in this city. The women cigar
makers have the largest organization
here, and the hatmakers are next
Among the other locals in this city ar,
the dressmakers, the shoefiiters. tn,
shirtmakers. the laundrywomen an,
the carpetweavers. Many other trade
are represented in the Knights of La
Dor by women who belong to the mem
locals. The assemblies are mixed, ant
in some cases the women speak ant
take an active part in the organiza
tons"
How do you form organizations"
THE method Of forming an organi
zaton is usually to send a man who j.
well informed as 10 the procedure &
preside at the meeting and direct it
work for the first year. H. arrange
the committee work and gets othe
male members OF the Knights of La