The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-23
SOME WOMEN WHO WORK
THE PART THEY TAKE IN oRGANlZA-
ysaNs AND STRIKES.

While the Men Get the Credit-Some-
thing About Their Unions and strug-
giles In New York City.
Although 1t seldom happens that great
| long stories of labor troubles are written
about the fair toilers, they play an impor-
| tant part and have as many grievances as
their co-wetkers Of the sterner sex in the
great army of organized labor. In this
city the girls and women have shown q
spirit of union and erganfzation for the
betterment of their condition that is not
surpassed even by the men unionists.
They do not make as much fuss about 1t,
nor do they hold great mass meetings and
shout out from the housetops as to what
| they propose to do, but they go along
quietly, organize whenever a good op-
portunity presents itself, hold their little
meetings in their own quiet, soft sort of
| way, present their grievances and have
their little understandings and misunder-
standings with their employers, and many
times nobody knows anything about it but
| themselves
In the strike Of the knee breaches max
ers, which was recently settled in victory
for the strikers, the general public was not
aware that fully one-half Of the strikers
were women and girls.
They work Just as hard as the men, and
harder in many instances, at the very Same
class of work, but they must be contented
with smaller wages just because they are
women The working women and girls
have hard time of it all around, and in
many instances deserve to be lauded and
helped along; but man steps In with his
grievances, and with voice that browns
out everything in the vicinity shouts them
out, the papers take him up and the public
soon know all about it,
In this city alone there are fully Il, GOO
organized working girls, members Of
trades unions and the Knights Of Labor,
but they are rarely hesfd of.
THE sHIKTMkEERs.
One Of the Latest moves ON foot by the
girls is the gathering together of scattered
remnants of theshirtnakers' union Four
years ago the girls inet this trade had one Of
the strongest local assemblies connected
with District Assembly No @, Knights Of
Labor. Through the efforts Of the organi-
cation the girls were making good wages.
They received ss high as SaB fnr masking
dozen shirts. The manufacturers made an
attempt to reduce weges- The organiza-
ton was strong and resented the attempt.
Two thousand girls struck work, and were
Banguine of holding their OWL But a new
element stepped IN in the shape of Polish
Jews and Russians, and jumped at the op-
portunity Of taking ths places Of the girls.
The struggle lasted y good while, but the
girls at last had 20 succumb, and their noble
efforts to save the trade were lost AS a
result Of this strike the prfceeof manufact-
uring shirts have been reff0ced from So
and $3.25 dozen TO rs cents a.dczen. This
misfortune practically brokeUp the union,
and although several efforts were made to
recruit the scattered army they proved
Euitless. The strangEst part Of the story
Is that recently the Same Poles and Rus
slams who were instrumental in breaking
up the union struck for an increase Of
wages and called on the girls to aid them.
It was needless to say they receiyed little
sympathy.
Among the other girl organizations are
the carpet workers. They stE1ck in sew
eral Of the big carpet factories In the city
year or two ago, and gave in tosthe bosses
rs beaten. But this was clever little ruse
On theirpart. They got back towork, the
non-union girls who were hired in their
places were discharged. and SO sympa-
thetically and with such. shreWdness did
they worken the qniet to gain their de-
mands- originally asked for that they sue
ceeded wifheut- letting the bosses know
what they were aftsr, and low they are
working on the condi itiGns for which they
struck, and the bosses feeithat they won
victory over the girls. This organization
has como to- the conclusion that it can gain
its demands without striking. Then there
are the cigarette girls, always chatty, full
of fun and ready at any time during the
day to make dude feel bad on the street.
They have an organization th&t is full Of
fight, and Che bosses admit that they would
rather have an army of wildcats let loose
on them than haEe their girls strike. They
usually get whas they ask for without
striking if their demands are within rea-
son.
LONG HOURS AND LOW WAGES.
Then there are the feather workers, the
prettiest, loveliest girls imaginable. They
had O big strike about a year ago, but
they were only partially successful. They
are strong in numbers now, and as their
condition could be worse they are satisfied.
The paper box makers are another class Of
organized girls that ''don't take no sass
from no oue," and it only requires the
manufacturers to step on their feelings,
when they get more than they bargained
for. The silk WORKERS are also organized,
and present formidable front n this city.
It seldom happens that these organizations
spout out their grievances, but they take
them to their employers and make their
settlements,
OF course there is vast number Of IN
classified industries that are unorgani1ed.
One in particular. which is even now re-
ceiving tho attention of persons interested
in the organization Of girls, IS that Of the
sewing girls 10 embraces many different
kinds of sewing and Is called shop work.
The work is given out. Ths women go
after it and carry it homo. and owing to
competition wages are constantly falling,
though It would seem THAI the minimum
had been reached long ago Overalls, for
instance, with three or four pockets, six
buttonholes, strap and buckla, are worth
from fifty to eighty cents a dozel, and out
ing cloth shirts, with two plaits il front,
seams feIled. cuffs and coEl&r double
stitched, are worth exactly eighty cents
dozen. The wrappers which ladies buy in
stores with a yoke and rufie round the
bottom ara made for twenty-five cents
apiece, and the seamstress furnishes her
own pattern, cuts and makes completely.
These sewing girls make fron & to a
week, and their car fare fer going for and
returning the work amounts to about
thirty cents each week They Usually work
eighteen or twenty hours day in little
close roons-Nevg York ESeMng sun
Japuness PoStz1aa-
In Japan the Pnsszsna -Fears suit Of
blue cloth, a wade butter bowl hat, and