The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-09
WAGES AND THE TARIFF.

Senator Plumb continues to pour ho
shot into the republican tariff bill. Hi
latest flank attack is the presentation
Of memorial from the Woman's Ma
tional Industrial league, which com
pletely refutes the favorite assertion o.
the high tariff advocates that the Nc
Kinley bill was prepared in the interest
OF labor. These wide-awake women say
Evidently the intended protection
literally bestowed by the house and sen.
ate does not protect labor, but it is only
fruitful to the manufacturers in this
country. Women and children of ten
der age are virtually to-day the slaves OF
powerful corporations. In the cotton
and wooden mills of Pennsylvania, New
York and the New England states wo-
men work at from IS to IS cents a day
their days work consists of ten hours,
hence, at from three and one-half to
seven and one-half cents per hour.
According to the census of Massa.
chusetts Of 1885, % per cent. of all pc.
sons employed in the cotton and wooden
mills received s2.1O to $3.50 per week
attending to from two to three looms
each, while in Great Britain they have
charge of from one to two looms only
Families in these aforementioned states
falsify entries in their family Bibles so
as to enable them to put their children
earlier to work than the law permits,
being unfortunately forced to resort to
these means in order to be able to meet
current living expenses.
Immediately after the passage of the
tariff bill in the house on May 81 last,
when bountiful provision Of an adj
vance OF so per cent. on the ad valorem
duty was granted to the cloak manu-
facturers, they on the 5th day of June
notified their women workers that their
wages would be reduced 25 per cent.
Receiving themselves further protec-
tion of 80 per cent on the ad valorem
duty, yet reducing in turn their women
workers. pittances to a further reduc-
ton OF % per cent. seems like grinning
mockery and wanton cruelty"
The memorial concludes as follows
The silk weavers of Bethlehem, Pa,
have been notified by their employers that
a reduction of 40 per cent. of their wages
has been decided upon, and they for self
preservation had to strike. These silk rib
bon manufacturers have also been literally
provided for with an advance of 20 per
cent. by the house and senate on their
goods. Receiving bounty of 20 per cent.
extra and asking their white slaves to con-
tribute from their already scant wages 40
per cent. seems almost inhumane. Your
also respectfully submit to
you that women in New York city are MAX
ng boys jackets for L. cents each Tin fact,
a whole jacket for the price of two loaves of
bread); pair of pants for II cents each.
Women tinishers in the wooden mills of
Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsyl-
vania annual report of tho secretary of in
ternal affairs for 1888, receive only AZ cents
\ day (no girls, but full-grown women);
women spinners, Il cents per day; women
spoilers from Is to Ga cents per day; wo-
men weavers, 40 to 80 cents per dsy-the
latter to experts only.
Al tAO hAAb kOOAS 1dCbOElcS women mot
girls) receive 55 cents per day for winding
spools; women spinners, 50 cents per day;
yarn twisters, 63 cents per day; yarn spin
ners, 6s cents per day; reelers, 65 cents per
day.
Girls at work in Pennsylvania in the shoe
and boot factories receive SO cents per day.
In the textile fabric factories the women
spinners and spoilers receive from AZ to IS
cents per day, and the winders &C cents per
day, while the dressers of woven textiles get
only 43 cents psr day.
In vol. II, page Bis, of the Massachusetts
census for 1885, the following startling con-
fession is recorded: During the year ended
June 30, 1885, 1858 women were furnished
with work at home, and the amount paid to
these women for the whole year was $514.-
1862, or at the average of $3.50 year of
312 working days, equal to 20 So cents per
day.
These are hard facts that the repubh-
can statesmen who assemble in Butte
this week will do we'll to take under con-
sideration. What answer can they