St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-12
Says ShotweN, Clerihew & LothInan Are
justified.
EX-PARTE TESTIMONY ONLY.
The Jobbers' Association Makes an In
vestigation and Declares the Girls
in the Wrong.


our city have published articles in ref
erence to one of our important mercan-
tile and manufacturing enterprises,
namely: Messrs. Shotwell, Clerihew d
LOthman, which, if incorrect, are cal
culated to do them and our manufacture
ing and jObbing interests injustice;
therefore, be it
Resolved. That this association ap-
point committee of seven to investl-
gate the manufacturing department OF
said firm; that said committee be en-
powered to formulate a report and to
publish the same if they deem best.
The following were appointed as such
committee, being nominated and elected
| by the meeting: D. M. Gilmore, An
thOny Kelly, o. j. Griffith, S. p Far
rington, A. r. Miller, Il. B. Janney, w.
| j. Dean.
WHY NOT ARBITRATE?
On Wednesday afternoon the COM
mittee visited the factory, and at
meeting yesterday submitted a report
| generating the firm and laying the
burden on the girls. If their report be
| true, why did the firm refuse the re-
| quest of the girls to submit the matter
to arbitration? This committee is UNI
! dOubtedly fair-minded and willing to do
| what is exactly right, but the testimony
they obtained was purely eX-parte. They
! got the position of the firm, but asked
| for no statement from the girls who
are on strike Nor did they inveSti-
gate II. 3. Woodward, the superinten-
| ent, who is complained of as harsh,
| cruel and insulting. AS a matter OF
news, the GLOBE prints the report, but
| prints it as the report of committee
which acted as grand jury and took
| testimony of but one side. The public
has heard the other and will be able to
| judge for itself. Following is
THE COMMITTEES REPORT.
The factory, or work room, was first
visited, which is on the fifth floor of the
establishment. and is, in our judgment,
a model room for the purpose for which
| it is used. All machines run by power.
| The room is about S0X150 feet, with
ceiling twelve or fourteen feet high,
and well lighted by windows on three
sides. We then went through the sales
| room, where the manufactured goods
are sold. We were shown large lines
of cheap shirts, which the firm stated
were made last winter for June and
July trade. The reasons given for max
ing these goods in advance of the de-
mand We're as follows: Last year the
average number of the operatives was
| one hundred. The business of the firm
was steadily increasing, and they saw
that during the busy season of this year
they would need more machines; so the
number of machines was increased, and
to give new hands work to commence
and also to give some others steady
work during the dull season instead of
stopping part of the factory. These
common goods were made long before
needed, at loss to the firm of interest
on money paid out, not only for making,
but for the goods manufactured. The
of
since January /, 1888, has been eighty
old and eighty new hands. We were
also shown samples of different priced
garments sent to the firm by Eastern
manufacturers at a less cost than SINH
lar goods cost them to make. We eX-
amined these samples carefully, and
also similar goods made by the firm,
every item of cost being furnished us,
and found the facts to be as stated.
LOOKING AT WAGES.
We then carefully examined the
weekly wages earned by the operatives,
which showed good wages earned by a
large number and very small wages
earned by others. Pursuing our in
veStigatiOns to ascertain the cause of
this, we found girls beginning, knowing
nothing about the work, and, as a mat
ter of course, the cheapest work is
given them to practice on. They must,
as i'll other trades, first learn before
they can expect to earn the wages OF eX-
perienced hands, but, working by the
piece, they are paid for all they do. We
also found that only a small percentage
of new hands stay long enough to be-
come expert, part of them not having
the patience to work until they are
qualified to do better work, and could
never fit themselves to earn good wages.
These new hands are coming and going
continually. All these causes tend to
make the average wages look very small
when an average is made of the wages
of all girls working III the factory.
That the matter of wages and the
chances for hands to improve may be
better understood, we have selected
different examples from the books of
the firm. These amounts represent a
weeks wages, but do not take into &C
count any time lost: as the work is done
by the piece, girl may Oe absent part
of a day. day or two days, and would
thus earn much less for the week. One
girl commenced in January of this year,
knowing nothing of the work, and be-
ginning Oh the cheapest shirts in six
teen weeks she worked her wages ug
three grades. Her first weeks wages
was S1.13, the first five weeks an aver
age of 81 .2228, the the next six weeks an
average of S2.623$, the next five weeks
an average of S5.1115, one week in the
last average earning 1896.
Another new hand began Jan. Is, also
on the cheapest shirts. The first six
weeks her average was $500, the next
six weeks SOL. Another began on
cheap overallS, making the first week
S1.0S. We took her weekly earnings for
nineteen weeks and found a steady in
crease until the last three weeks her
Fol 70 M
S7.43.
THE WEEKLY AVERAGE
of ten ''jean pant makers" from Sept.
/, 1887, to April /, 1888, was S6.S7. S7.03,
S6.37, S7.7O, S4.S3. $6.93, 50, SS.73, 1926,
$40. These different averages on some
class of work show very plainly that
some girls can make more money than
any other, or that some do not work as
many hours per day. We give now the
average for three consecutive weeks of
seven girls called old hands, who have
been at this kind of work three or four
years: $3.50, S4.9S, $3.5S, S3.70, 1924,
S3.44, 1926. In comparison we give for
the same time the weekly average of
ten girls on precisely the same kind of
work: S6.33. Sc 40, SS.73, 50, $40, $3.50,
$3.50, 1885, $3.50, SS.42; showing that
all girls are not capable of earning the
same wages. The consecutive weeks
average of five girls on duck coats show
Sill, Sl3.63, S12.56, 81, $3.50 (he smallest
amount being the earnings of the chair
man of the committee of strikers).
Another member of the strikers COM
mittee averaged per week in 1887 S9.2S,
but from Jan. to April l, 1888, on the
same work at the same price her ave-
rage has been S4.67; evidently her mind
has been on something else than her
work.
THE FIRM EXPLAINS.
The fine flannel shirts, reduced from
Il to ~ cents, they give the following
exclamation for rThiS Is a class of work