Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-11-22
part in the boycotting and plan Of campaign
movements, which they must oppose with
all the moans in iheir power.
WOMEN WHO WORK.
Mrs Barry's Report on Their COndi-
tiOn

Mrs. BarFy's Report on Their COndi-
ton.
At the am ual meeting of the Knights of
Labor in lndian;p polls, Mrs. L. NJ. Barry,
VINO has charge Of the work among women,
submitted her annual report, from which
we make the following excerpts:
The organization Of working women has
done much 10 better their condition, but il
has, OF course, been gradual She consid-
ers education the great relief for the masses
of working people, and advocates all practi-
cal means looking TO that end.
Mrs. Barry gave prices paid women and
girls in various parts of the country visited,
and described the disadvantages under
which they work. She found much TO criti-
else and condemn. At Cincinnati, she says,
organization was in u deplorabe disruption
and after expressing her inability in the
time 10 detail tue women employing indus
tries, she says:
But of one or two classes Of toicrs /
would like to speak, in hopes that the
| knights of Labor, ere this convention
closes, may devise some way or means TO
! overcome, prohibit, or res riot by leg sa-
ton one of the most oppressive, perniciou1
ana damaging 10 gOO4 public systems IuLt
atilicts our country TO-DAY. l speak of the
con ract sweating middlcnCn, or stOp-shOp
! plan, which works ruin, misery, sin ana
| shame to tollcrs and death or failure 10 the
! legitimate or regular established industry
| with whom it completes
| Instance the following: Mems pants that
| retail at prices from one dollar TO seven
dollars per pair, are taken By the contrac-
| tor at 10 cents per pair, Operators are
thon employed and huddled together in Il
| close, sitting back room, where the ma
! chine operatives furn sh their own ma
! HhtnCs and IN most cases thread and do all
tie machine work on pants, without bast
! ing, Tor cents pair. They are then pass
! eel OYER 10 tho tinisher who puts on the but
! tons, makes buttOnhOleS and puts on buck.
! les Tor cents per par; six pairs is an aver
! age days work. sup osJug five operatives
! 10 be employed, and there are often more
! than his the contractor makes 30 cents u
! head W. e. nets him 81 20 per day, while
the y.c ia gets 80 cents. Mems vests axe
| Contrac ed ont u 10 CCl,s each. the ma
| C2inc operative receiving two and onc-half
cents and hnisher two and one-haf cents
! lch, making cents vest for completion.
| Twenty vests is Il day s wor Here again.
| with tho five operatives, he r she nets 81
/ per day for doing nothing, while the unfor-
| tUnate victim has - C 'nts for II or ~ hours
! OF her life's energies. These women are
| required by society TO meet all the re .uir'-
| Inents of nature i'm an honest woman. Think
of their ability % do SO under such oppJr-
| tunities.
After speaking of her trips through
! Pcnnsylvgui! Mrs. Barry says:
The VIC. ,;iou of every law in regard 20
|
! Penusy.vau PEI. j. 10 be met on every hans,
| ana il il My sincere aaI earnest re-. ue5t
| that every Knight OF dor in Pennsyi-
vana will give his support TO tho bill which
! have prepared and will have presented al
! the session o! ;hc coming state legislature
| for t.e cs' alb sam"rt of factory inspect
or law Oh behg OF the little ones of that
| rich and tn wing sD.tc, POO, 900 OF whom are
! deprived OF common school education, Guc
| 1854 600 Of whom are employed in its work
| shops, factories, mines and mercantile in
! duStIiCS
Thee 20 many evils attendant upon the
empios Int OF children, particularly girls,
which .cuds 10 misery, Ignorance and dcs-
| pair. A custom Is rapidly increasing in
| this country which means shame, dishouor
| ana "a ,miliation 10 manhood, and here and
| now .ppcal To overy father within sound of
my voice 20 be watchful aud wary of his
! little d7 Iehtcr if she be employed in any
| large establishment. or small one either,
! where Sns Is II. AIDE To- ..crstand that the
price OF aer position Is Jaa, she "Stand in
with the boss Many may ask why ! do
not give name and locality. Eirst, because
! those who re sont such pcrniC.OIs approach.
| IS shrink from giving publicity 10 their
! humiliation ana those who 90 submit Will
not make thsir misfortune public rutl per
| hyps tho. cannot longer HIDE Ia. T. umc.
! In very iuunY instance acts we're ii en-
that were blood curdlj LpJ no affidavit
! wolla DC made, and n! - myself nor the
| order was in position 10 stand libel sui,
with all the power of wealth aGains, Us
| whcreWith 70 influence "a decision against
! honor and truth