Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-09
WORK GIRLS FASTENING
THE IMMIGRATION COMMlTTEE
 ON NEW TRACK.
How Imported Labor Takes Bread from the Mouths of American Working Girls.
 How the Poles and Russians Live.

immigration CoInmlttee nave started A new lne of investigation by inquiring Into the wages paid in certain industries and the effect upon them of immigration. An American glrl named Mary Berg, who until last week was employed in the shirt factory Of Herman Stern, was the first witness. She was pretty, intelligent girl, well and neatly dressed, and she gave her evidence frankly, modestly, and with great clearness She said that she had been employed in Stern's factory for six years; at from 150 to 200 hands were employed in the factory, mostly American girls, who earned from seven to eight dol lars week, some as high as nine dollars. Inc sewing machines were operated by the employees, but about n year ago steam power was introduced, and tho number of hands was reduced. At that time Russian and Polish immigrants wore introduced in- to the factory. and the reduction of wages was begun, and has beon steadily main tained since, untll now tho girls have to work hard to make five dollars a week. Some time ago the witness said she heard the proprietor ask one of the Russian workmen if he could not get moro of his countrymen to work for him. The man replied in the affirmative, he said he could get plenty; they were In Europe. In about six weeks saul the witness, Aum- Der of foreigners came aud a number of
  the prices paid to be largely reduced; the married men among those Polish and Rus sian Jews would work for little S4 week; they would also take work home and work until eleven o'clock at night, so that they made 0 little moro that way these immigrants, said the witness, were driving the poor American girls to desper ation; until these men were employed thero was sometimes a rush of work, and tho CirlG SiOnQllV made Q little but now there was only a rush of work people. The witness gave n graphic ac- count of tho dirty habits of some of these Russian and Polish immigrants and the alleged disregard of the employer, Stern, for the decencies of life, in not providing proper accommodations for workwomen. Various petty exactions were described at length, and the way in which the wages were gradually forced down through the Cheapness of the labor of the Russian ana Polish immigrants, was told in detail. The witness said she knew of several cases where these immigrants, after working on almost starvation wages, succeeded in saving enough money to go home and start in business ln their own country. She knew of one man who did that three times, being unsuccess full twice in The venture he started on hts savings The witness said she resigned her employment last week. when another reduction of wages was made.
 The next witness was 0 Miss Marion Preston, middle-aged Englishwoman, who had evidently seen better days She had been in this country, she said, about six years She worked for cloak and shirt maker, and six years ago could aver age ut that work S10 week; now could only make S5, and was lucky when she got that much; sometimes now she only made g or $3 week, and would have starved put for friends. If the worKmen com plaincd at the price they were told they could get out; that men could be obtained who would So the work cheaper and better, and the men, many of them, said the wit ness could do much ot the fine work bet ter than the women.
 The next witness was Mrs. Helen Auk- ner, 2T years old, who has devoted much time 10 the investigation of the condition of the working women of New York. She gave the Committee some very inter- esung testimony. She said she was of Irish birth, but had been in tkis country since she was three years old. She siad the Russian and Polish immigrants knew nothing of home-lMe, and the meaning o f decency and morality were almost un- known to them; a visit to the places in which they live made one sad; 1t was only the people who worked in the factories who made A 6 week, tho witness said; ten years ago women working OF white goods averaged Sl0 or SIP week; il required an expert now to make $5 and the majority did well if they got $4 week those who worked for contractors were well satis fed if they got s week; these Polish and Russian immigrants lunched on bread and water; how the American girls kept body and soul together on sS weeh Ehe witness was unable to say. The witness said that in addition te the redu C. Aion tn wages brought about by the lmpor s6tloti of cheap labor, much of the evil was attributed to the contract system of givinl out the work. The manufacturers gay, their work out to contractors, who in turl farmed 1t out to others at reduced rates the manufacturers so-called, thus savec rent and the trouble of teaching man, hands, and moreover avoided the troubl, of having .the workpeople to look after After recess of ten minutes, Mattia. Wolfensperk, who arrived from Alsacs last evening, was the next witness Ht gave his evidence through Congressman Guenther, who acted as interpreter for ths nonce. He was detained at Castle Gardel last night. He appeared by his testimon, to have been furnished with a free ticke to this country by Mrs. Simon, of No. 2l Rast Forty Second street, in order to worl sn siIk-dyeing factory for he
 
 Vhe Committee caused his deten ton I believing that the witness eveidentl, csn1e out under an Implied contract, al though in consequence of certain defect in thu, law the circumstances would ne warrant hls being returned The Commit, tee, however, were deslrous of getting hl testimony in Eorder to Eshow one phas of the Importation of contract labor b. manufacturers. The witness said that b only had five francs in his posssssio when he landed; he sold a bedsteas an mattress for fifty francs, in orderu to ge little money in addition to his ticket which he got from Mrs. Simon.
 At the conclusion of the witness's test mony he was placed in tho custody of Ser seant-at-Arms Leedom, who was instrut ted to detain him until he was applied fo by the Castle Garden authorities. Ml # Leedom was not instructed what to do l the event of the authorities not applyin for the immigrant, and he looked rathe blue at the prospect of having to keep NJ Wolfensperk company for an indehnit time