Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-10
REYNOLDS FOR SENATOR.

l
| WAKEENEY, Aug. 9.-The senatorial
convention of the Fortieth district compos
| ing western Kansas, held here today nomi
mated S. S. Reynolds, Of Cove county, by
| reclamation.
| Hon. John Martin addressed large
| ratification meeting III the opera house.
THE IMMIGRATION INVESTIGATION.
NEW YORK, Aug. 9.-The immigration
investigation by the congressional com
mittee took "a new turn today. When the
committee assembled a pleasant faced
Dung woman was sworn. She gave her
name as Mary Berg. and for six years past
had worked for Herman Berg, flannel
shirt maker on East Forty-frst street.
When she went there 200 girls wer) en-
ployed working on foot machines. About
year ago steam was put in and forty or
fifty Russians and Poles We're employed,
taking the places of majority of the
girls. Previous TO the employment of the
foreigners the girls made from s. to IS a
week Now they can only make s. week.
She has known married men TO take the
places of the girls and work for 81 a
week. She heard the proprietor ask
one of the foreigners employed there if he
could not get more of his couHCTymen. lie
told him he could but would have TO send
TO Europe for them. He told him to send
and get all he could. There had been con-
tinual reduction in wages since the for
eigners came to the factory. She left there
this week on account OF a reduction of the
scale of wages She declared that a shirt
that was made for 60 cents in 1854 is now
made for 10 cents, and one that was then
made for So is now made for 81. She SAID
many of these Russians and Poles work
here and save money, then go home and
spend it and return again to make more.
She knew one man who saved s2,JU0 here
and went home where he had invested it
in business and lost it. He repeated the
experiment and is now back here for the
third time working for 81 3 week in place
of girls who had been discharged.
Mrs. Helen Aulluer then took the stand.
She is employed in making rubber goods.
About IA year ago she did some work at
making white goods for the purpose OF in
yestigating the rate OF WAGES paid and the
condition of those engaged III it. She
found that an expert could not earn - a
week The average was about 81, while
ten years ago they could make SO a week.
She ascribed this solely to the giving out
OF the work TO contractors. These con-
tractors, she said are Russian and Polish
Jews, who take the work home. The work
is not so well done by these contractors as
IL WAS formerly Dy JIIe SIriS DuG IHe Hldn-
facturers save large sums IN rent and
other ways. Witness never found per-
son who worked for a contractor who
made 81 Il week. She had carefully
investigated the habits of these for
eign laborers, and gave it as her opinion
that they were not only filthy and immoral
in their mode of life, but their example is
calculated to contaminate our own people,
who have to mix with them more or less.
She described sights as most revolving.
Francois. Glouton, a French knitter, had
been imported at their expense and under
a written contract, by McCullom, Constable
& Co., of Holyole. He sWore and produc-
ed a copy of the contract.
DR.. Charles Hoyt, secretary of the state
board of charities was sworn. He said
the proportion of foreign paupers in this
state was forty-seven times that of native
Witness said lie had particulars
Of hundreds of cases which were assisted
to this country. The Canadian people did
not want these people and as fast as they
landed there, sent them over here Wit
ness did not think any other state felt the
effect Of this evil SO much as New York in
to its population, but he
thought Michigan was beginning to feel it
and will feel it more.
Adjourned.