Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-28
IRON A STAFF CORRESPONDENCE

WAsHIN GToN, January N.-The EUeT-
ing Capital, which has been purchased by
three very clever young newspaper men,
who have changed its name back to the
original one of the Critic, signalize their ad-
vent by calling the attention of Postmaster
General Wanamaker, "the Christian advo-
cate and exponent of the golden rule" to
the condition of the women who repair the
Government mail bags. Its story is long
and pathetic one, and is not in the least
overdrawn. The following extracts contain
the gist of the expose, which has created a
good deal of gossip:
'In the third story of building once
used as a carriage repository on G street,
between Four and Half and Sixth, north
west sit IS women from A. M. to P. NJ,
almost obscured in binding, sitting cloud
of dust, plying their needles the livelong
day, repairing torn and dilapidated mail
sacks. There is no conversation among
them. There is no time to lose in talking.
A task is imposed upon them which they
must fulfill or get out. Each one must re-
pair 40 bags day.
A POSITIVE STINT.
IL maLG6Tb uOb WUebneT The DaS has q
small rent in it, or whether it is ripped
from top to bottom. 1t must be mended.
II woman gets slightly damaged bags TO
mend, and she can do 30 day, it's her good
fortune. If she gets badly torn ones, and
finds it impossible to keep up the record of
40 bags day, it is her misfortune, and she
must give way for soue one else. The bags
are heavy, ,flthilY dusty, hard to manage, but
the women toll away, bending silently over
their work, while only a hacking cough
breaks the silence now and then, telling
only too we'll that the sitting dust is affect
ing their lungs. For this they get the pal
try pay of $50 a month. II, by good for
tune, a woman can do more than 40 bags a
day, she is allowed 3 cents additional for
each bag.
"The suffering that is caused sometimes is
hard to realize. The women bend in a
strained position for hours over the dusty
bags, with the dust going to their lungs,
their hands torn by the ragged edges OF the
bags, and cut by the coarse twine used for
thread, while they have to exert almost a
mans strength to pull the needle through at
times.
DRIVEN WORSE THAN SLAVES.
"One worker was overcome by hem
orrhage, one day, while bending over her
work, and had to be helped to the dressing
room. This is a dark retreat. ventilated
from the top by trap-door, the walls coarse
duck, nailed on posts. 1t is cruel irony to
call it dressing-room. The women
are driven as no slaves were ever
driven. The fear of dismissal is con-
stantly before them. It is 'forty bags or
co. In cases of 'culIed, or selected bags,
this can be done, but when one receives half
a dozen bags with great rents in them, it is
out of the question. Sometimes it takes a
half and even three-quarters OF an hour to
mend one bag. 1t is a physical impossible
lty to keep up the average of 40 with so
much time spent on few bad ones.
"Not long since a woman who has two
fatherIess children dependent on her was
called up and told that her work was below
the average. 1t was midday. on the last
day OF the month you are 30 bags behind
your number she was told. She had half
day in which to make it up. If she failed
dismissal awaited her. She tottered back
to her seat, nearly overcome with fear. I
shall do it; must do it or starve,' she cried
in anguish.
AIDED BY GOOD LUCK.
Doubtless some good angel stirred the