St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-24
MINNEAPOLIS COMMENT.

Wyman. Mullen & Co.'s manufactur-
ing department has lately been removed
to new and comfortable quarters. The
employees say that the factory is actually
kept clean, and is as pleasant work
room as can be found in the city. This
is so decided a contrast to the former
state of affairs that the girls are some
times. tempted to think it only pleas
ant dream. and that some day they will
wake to find themselves in the old shop
with all its GiScOmfortS. But the fore
man, Mr.. Nevins, says the new regime
has come to stay, and he delieS either
John Lamb or Eva Gay to find any flaw
in the present arrangement. Of course,
it would be eminently unfair to insin
uate that either of the fault finders
quoted had any hand in educating the
genial foreman to his present elevated
standard.
The custom of presenting expensive
gold watches and Overcoats to foremen
as an alleged mark of esteem is growing
in popularity among the employees in
the city sewer department. The men
working on the sewers perform the most
diSagreeable and labOriOuS tasks that
fall to the lot of wOrkiDgmen. Their
wages range from 81 to S1.75 per day.
Some bright individual, in whom the i'm
stinct of toadyiSm is strongly developed,
starts a subscription paper about the
time the pay roll goes in. He has no
difficulty in collecting about 800 in 81,
subscriptions. The men pass over their
dollars with the most amazing alacrity
that is, it would be amazing if one
didn't know the reasons why. Should
Int h m
already inadequate for his needs; that
employment will be scarce article dur
ing the winter; that he hasn't any spe-
cial reason to love or esteem his fore
man-any minor consideration of this.
sort will be Overruled by the fact that
refusal to contribute to the watch fund
means loss of caste among his fellow
wOrkmen. They will be encouraged to.
call him mean and misery. 1t also les
sens his chances of steady employment.
Strange to say, after the foreman re-
ceiveS the testimonial of esteem" and
reads the list of subscribers thereto, the
man who didn't subscribe falls as many
degrees in his estimation as the mer
curry does when a cold wave strikes
| this latitude. A reason is found for not
wanting that mans services any more.
| The person who started the scheme and
pdSSOu popOI, UoOho III LilC
| sunshine of the fOreman'S gratitude and
dreams of promotion. 1t seems that the
| foreman cannot be blamed, for he usually
knows nothing of the gift until the pre-
| sentation speech is made. No individ-
| ual employees protest would have much
weight in stopping the abuse. But the
| heads of the department are said to be
| opposed to the custom, and it could
easily be stopped by issuing all order
notwithstanding the practice and
promptly dlscharging the first individ-
ual found directing such a plan. The
adjustment of the plan will probably
be more satisfactory to all parties con-
| cerned. AS the matter stands, it is not
specially fiattering to foreman to wear
gift, the money for which purchase
was collected under Silent protest. and
| fear of discharge. Nor does it add to a
mans self-respect to subscribe toward
| gift that he doesn't want to give,
knowing that the money would be bet
ter applied in paying his honest debts.
A few days ago a workman was Sc
verely injured by an accident. Some
| one suggested contribution from his
fellow workmen to relieve his needs.
| Nobody volunteered nickel. His as
sOciates said: ''I,et the city take care
of him; we haven't enough to keep our
| families from want"
"You didn't say that when B. asked
you to give dollar toward buying a
watch for the foreman" said the solic-
| itOr for charity.
son that the workman urged. Common
Justice demands that the present Gus,
tom be so adjusted that things would be
different" so that the needs of a
brother might be stronger plea than
the fear of losing place.
The subject of child labor is now re.
ceiying much attention. Taking the
children out of the factory and applying
compulsory education, without regard
to existing economic conditions, is urged
| by many, whose hearts are doubtless in
the right place, but whose intellects re-
fuse to face the alternative offered by
the competitive system of civilization.
How would they deal with the follow
ing cases?
Secretary Holt i'm his last monthly re-
port to the associated charities of this
city states that this year the people re-
ceiving aid are not paupers, but mem
bers of the middle classes reduced to
| poverty from inability to find work.
| Nine OF LneS0 IdINIlltS HAVE dSkcu TIC
associated charities to find homes for
their children, preferring to part with
the little ones rather than see them suf-
| fer.
Again, on Thursday, Eva Moore, a
young woman captured in the raid made
by the police on Mother Raymer's
rooms, testified that a few years ago she
and her sister had lived with their
mother in respectable home. By a
series of misfortunes they were left
without means of support and were
willing to work, but unable to earn
enough by honest work for their sup
port. The daughter accepted a life of
| Shame rather than see her aged mother
destitute. Her story was found to be true.
| Now chattel slavery was considered a
terrible evil because it separated the
family and allowed its members to be
sold. Yet in Minneapolis are well au.
thenticated cases where parents are in
an industrial slavery that forces them
to give up their children entirely as in
the first instance, or run the risk of
rearing daughters for the street as in
the second case.