St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-17
EXCESSIVE IMMIGRATION.
Samuel Gompers Says It Is the Curse
of the American BreadWinner.
HOW ALIENS ARE DELUDED
Wages of All Classes of Workmen Have
Fallen Mere Or Less in Six
Years.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
NEW YORK, Aug. 16.-The first wit
ness placed in the stand this morning
at the congressional inquiry regarding
immigration was Julius Oppenheimer,
cloak manufacturer of 80 Broadway.
The witness is the man who discharged
Marion Preston for testifying before the
committee. He acknowledged employ
ing men who cannot speak English and
says his partner discharged Miss Pres
ton; that she was good hand and
that he would take her back if
Sne wished to return. Herman Stein
a shlrt manufacturer testified that he
nad ~ RUSSIAN men in his employ. He
tnen began long harangue in refuta-
tion OF the accusations made against
MIN before the committee by a former
employee, Mary Berg. He denies hav-
ing suggested to any man that he should
import BohemianS to work for him. In
conclusion he said ''She said before this
committee that Imade trouble four years
ago because the girls shouted for Cleve-
land. The truth is she and l were for
Blaine and
AM FOR BLAINE YET"
Samuel Gompers, the president of the
American Federation of Labor. de-
scrlbed the features of his organiza-
ton and those of the Central Labor
union and the Knights of Labor. The
American Federation of Labor has in
It's ranks about $4,000 men, some of
whom belong to the knights of Labor.
lie considers unhealthy and forced i'm
migration curse to the workingmen.
lie cited an instance when in 1881 the
clgarmakers working in the factory of
Ascnermann q Co., Milwaukee,
went on strike, that firm ad-
Vertlsed in Austrian newspapers for
hands. The advertisements were
highly colOred and stated how happily
people could live near Milwaukee and
nave good wages. He corroborated the
stories told by the two women cigar
makers yesterday, and said both women
would be discharged as soon as the
committee adjourns. The furniture
workers wages have fallen 20 to so per
cent the past six years. The same state
ol aHalrs exists among the tallors.
ana, In fact, all the other trades. Coal
miners suffer from the immigration of
Hungariaps. Excessive Immigration
mas demoraliZed wages. The F'pluck
me stores" around the mines were
places, he said, where miners were
compelled to buy their goods, because
the bosses have an interest in the stores
wages IN the mining regions have fallen
OIL 5O per cent, while GOAL is as high as
usual. The coal barons advertise in
hungarian papers for workmen. Mary
Fabrici, married Italian woman, said
her husband lost his situation not long
since as bootblack. The witness made
from 30 to 40 cents, making but
ton-holeS. She has a child one
month old. Her husband is in Penn
syivania. Witness supported herself
and children on 25 cents a day. She
buys cents worth Of meat and 2 cents
worth OF milk, never used butter, and
III flush times gets couple of eggs. The
rest goes for rent. VincennZo Columbo,
notary, testified to the correctness of
the stories about John Morone, the pad
rome, who bosses 500 Italians on the
aqueduct, keeping them in virtual
slavery. Adjourned until tomorrow.