Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-15
Mrs. Barry's Sensational Recital Of Work
ing Women's Wrongs,

Mrs. Barry's Sensational Re cital Of Work
ing Women's Wrongs.
INDIANAPOLIS, November 18th The
Knights Of Labor Convention re-assembled
this morning and took up the reports Of
the General Officers and Committees. Pow
derly's report will not be presented till late
in the afternoon.
The report of Treasurer Turner for the
year ending June Both last, shows: Re-
ceipts, $222000 expenditures, the same. A
supplementary report shows: Receipts,
$53, 900; expenditures, 5000. In conclu-
sion, Mr.. Turner said:
" According to the receipts from tax, the
membership decreased about three hun
dred thousand during the fiscal year, and
at the present time the receipts are not
sufficient to meet the running expenses"
He recommended the cutting down of
the staff of the general officers and other
retrenchments to the amount of $25, 600.
In view of the great falling off in member
ship and the debt hanging over the Order.
the delegates are feeling rather blue, and
wondering what the outcome will be. At
the end of June, 1887 the Order had sew
eral thousand dollars ahead. OF its condi-
ton one year later, Turner says:
June 30, 1888, our balance was $164,
with bills to the amount of So 227 due and
unpaid. October 81, 1888, there is a bal
ance of SAG with $3,6S7 due and unpaid
bills"
THE DowN-TRoDDEN WOMEN OPERATIVES.
Mrs. NJ. L. Barry, General Investigator OF
Woman's Work and Wages, gave an inter.
esting resume of her labors, with sugges-
tlons toward the amelioration of womans
lot. She gives the price paid women and
girls IN various parts of the country visited
and describes the disadvantages under
which they work. She found much to crit
icise and condemn. Mems pants that re-
tail at from 81 to 81 per pair are taken by
contract at 15 cents per pair The opera
tives are employed and huddled together
ln close, sitting back rooms, where machine
operatives furnish their own machines. and
in most cases the thread, and do all the ma
chine work on the pants, without bas;ing.
for cents pair. They are then passed
over to the finisher, who puts on the but
tons, makes the button holes and puts on
the buckles for cents per pair. Six pairs
IS an average days work. Supposing four
operatives to be employ there are
often more than this-the contractor makes
80 cents head, which nets him or her
81 90 per day, while his or her victim gets
80 cents per day. This is only one of many
instances.
After speaking Of her trip through Penn
sylvania. Mrs. Barry says: The violation
of every law in regard to the employment
of women and children in PENNSYLVANIA is
to be met with on every hand There are
many evils attendant upon the employ
ment of children, particularly girls, which
leads to misery, ignorance and despair. A
custom is rapidly increasing in the coun-
try, which means shame dishonor and
humiliation tn M hood anl I horo
now appeal to every father within the
sound of my voice to be watchful and wary
of his little daughter, if she be employed in
any large establishment, or small one
either, where she is made to understand
that the price of her position is that she
must stand in with the boss Many may
ask why do not give names and localities
First, because those who resent such per-
nicious approaches shrink from giving pub
licity to their humiliation, and those who
do submit will not make their misfortunes
public until perhaps they can no longer
hide their shame. In very many instances
facts were given that were blood -curdling,
but no affidavit would be made, and neither
myself nor the order was in position to
stand q libel suit, with all the power oi
wealth against us wherewith to influence
decision against honor and truth"
OlhEd DOo1NEoS.
The report of the General Executive
Board consists of a statement CT the action
taken in the various cases of appeals and
complaints, mostly of local nature.
The official action of the Board in the
case of Local Assembly 40, of New York
was to sustain James E. Quinn in his ac-
tions. 1t is because of this conflict that
there has been two contesting delegations
here this week from that Assembly.
The action in the Reading strike is gwen
it being stated that the General Executive
Board did not have charge of it, but all the
documents are at the disposal of General
Assembly.
The afternoon session was brief, and was
devoted to the introduction of resolutions
and other matters for reference to commit
tees. No more reports were made, but the
reports of the General Master Workman
and the General Secretary are looked for
to morrow.
Barry's appeal has not yet come before
the Assembly, but is also expected to-mor-
row.
The report of j. w. Hayes, who sue
eeeded Charles H. Litchman as General
Secretary in September, will be presented
in the morning. He gives a tabulated
statement of the membership, showing
56,6S0 Local Assemblies in good working
order, with total membership of 259, SIS,
and $1,000 not reported. On July 1, 1887,
the membership, according to this report,
was 451, ,179, showing loss in one year of
not less than 153, 731.
Amendments to the constitution have
been offered from a number of different
District Assemblies, and they will be acted
upon in due season. Among these are
amendments providing that the per capita
tax 10 the General Assembly be reduced ;
that the offices of General Secretary and
General Treasurer be combined that the
General Executive Board be reduced in
number; that legislation looking to the
better education of the members and pub
lie be enacted; that officers be elected an
nually that strikes and boycotts be sup
ported by the General Assembly only 10
the exant of money specially secured by
appeal for such purposes; that the salaries
of the General Master Workman and OF
the General Secretary and Treasurer be
$1,000 per year, and that the salaries of the
General Executive Board shall not exceed
S3 per day, hotel expenses not to exceed 81
per day, and railroad fares as now.