The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-15
SOME WOMEN WHO WORK
TIE PART THEY TAKE IN oReANlzA-
TloNs AND STRIKES.

thing About Their Unions and strug-
giles IN New York city.
Although IL seldom happens that great
ion,, stories OF labor troubles are written
about the fair toilers, they play an impor'
tont mart and have n many grievances as
their co-workers of the sterner sex IN the
gr,at army Of organized labor. In this
Civ the girls and women have shown
shirt of union and organization for the
retirement of their condition that is not
.urnossed oven by the men unionists.
They do not make rs much fuss about u,
nor do they hold great mass meetings ana
shout cut from the housetops rs 10 what
they propose to do, but they 20 along
quietly, organize whenever good OPP
portunity presents itself, hold their little
meetings in their own quiet, soft sort OF
WAY. present their grievances ana 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 breechcs max
ers. which was recently settled IN victory
for the strikers, the general public was not
aware that fully gne-half Of the strikers
were women and girls
They work just as hard rs the men, and
harder in many instances, at the very same
class of work, bat they must be contented
with smaller wages just because they are
women. The working woilcl and girls
have hard time of it all around, and in
many instances deserve % be- !auded and
helped along: but man steps in with his
grievance, and with voice thnt browns
out everything in the vicinity shouts them
out, the papers take him up and the pubhc
soon know all about it.
In this city alone there are fully 1900
organized working girls, members q
trades unions and the Kniehts Of Labor,
but they are rarely heard Of.
TIE sHlETNAKERs.
One Of the latest moves on foot ly the
girls IS The gathering together OF scattered
remnants OF the shirtmakers' union. -Four
years ago the girls in this trade hal one Vi
the strongest local assemblies connected
with District Assembly 30 80, knights of
Labor. Through the efforts of the organi-
zation the girls were making good wages.
They received as high as S - for making
dozen shirts The manufacturers made an
attempt to reduce wages The orgall11-
ton was strong and resented the attempt.
Two thousand girls struck work, alI were
sanguine of holding their own. But anew
element stepped in in the shape of Polish
jew, and Russians, aai jumped at the OPP
portunity Of taking the places of the girls.
| The struggle lasted a good while, but tac
| girls az last had to succumh. and their noble
! efforts TO save the trade were lost As
result of this strike the prices of nlanufa-t-
uring shirts have been reduced from -
! and s. - a dozen 10 - cent, dozen. This
misfortune practically broke zap the union
and although several efforts were made %
recruit the scattered army they proved
| fruitless. The strangcst part of the story
| Is that recently the same Poles and Rus
SLAMS who were instrumental in breaking
up the union struck for On increase ol
wages and called on the girls % aid them.
It was needless to say they received little
sympathy.
Among the other girl organizations are
the carpet workers. They struck in sew
| eral Of the biz carpet factories in the city q
year or two ago, and gave in % the bosses
| as beaten But this was "a clever little ruse
On their part They got back 10 work, the
! nOn-union girls who were hired in their
| places were discharged, and 50 sympa-
! thetically and with such shrcwdncss did
| they work on the quiet 10 gain their de-
mand. originally asked for that they sue
ceedcd without letting the bosses know
what they were after, and now they are
working on the conditions for which they
! struck. and the bosses feel that they won q
| victory over the girls This organization
h. c2G q thgss99aflpiioa that il can g.in
are the cigarette girls, always chatty, full
! - fun aui ready az any time during the
day 60 mako "a dudc feel bad on che street
They have an organization that is fun OF
fight, and the bosses admit that they would
rather have an army Of wildcats let loose
on them than have their girls strike. They
usually get what they ask for without
striking if their demands are within ret
son.
long HOURS AND LOW WAGES.
Then there are the feather workers, the
prettiest, lOyclest girls imaginable. Tney
had a big strike ahOr- year ago, bu-
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'J take no s25s
! from no one" and j. only requires the
! manufacturers to steD on their feelings,
when they yet more than they bar2aiacl
! for The silk workers are also organized.
and present a formidable front in this city.
1t seldom happens that these organizations
spout ont their grievances but they take
them 10 their employers and make their
| settlements.
! OF course there is a vast number OF un
! classified industries that are unorganized.
! One i'm particular, which Is even now re
ceiying the attention Of persons interested
in the organization OF girls, is that of the
sewing girls II embraces many different
! kinds of sewing and is called shop work
| The work is given out. The women 90
after it and carry it home. and owing 20
| competition wages are constantly falling,
| though it would seem that the minimum
had been reached long ago. Overalls, for
| instance. with three or four pockets, six
buttOIAoles, strap and buckle are worth
from fifty to eighty cents "A dozen, and out
ing cloth shirts, with two plaits in 'front.'
seams felied, culIs and collar double
stitched, are worth exactly eighty cents a
dozen. The wrappers which ladies buy in
stores with % yoke and runle round the
bottom are made for twenty-five cents
apiece, aud the selms,ress furnishes her
own pattern, cuts and make, completely.
These sewing girls make from s. to q a
week, and their car fare for going for and
returning the work amounts 20 about
thirty cents each week. They usually work
eighteen or twenty hours a day in little
close roOms.-New York Evening sun.
Japanese POstman.
In Japan the postman wears a suit Of
blue cloth, wide butter bowl hat, and
walks or rather trots along In comfortable