The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25
Girls Who Are Asked to Work
Fifteen Hours Out Of
Twenty.four.
AN INVESTIGATION REQUESTED
Strong Communication Sent to Labor
Commissioner Fitzgerald
Yesterday.

Residents of the district about. Thir-
teenth and Mission streets have for
warded strong protest to Labor Com
missioner Fitzgerald regarding the man.
ner in which the managers of the Electric
Laundry at 80 Ridley street treat the en-
ployes OF the establishment. Among
those who make living in the laundry
are about twenty young girls and it is al
legged in the neighborhood that more than
one has been broken down in health and
strength through the heavy tasks imposed
upon them and also through the lack Of
proper sanitary arrangements about the
place.
The main complaint, however, comes
from the length of hours the girls are ex-
pected to work Most of them are re-
quired to be at their ironing benches by
O'Clock in the morning and are not al
lowed to return to their homes until 10
o'clock or later al night.
The laundry, of which the Mercantile
Towel Company that supplies offices and
stores about town with towels, soap, etc.
at stated amount per month, is part, is
running full blast day and night, and the
employees are expected to be at the beck
The communication forwarded to the
Commissioner is as follows:
z. ". Fitzgerald, Labor Commissioner-DEAR
SIR: Knowing the efforts you are making to
better the condition of the laboring classes in
this vicinity, we venture to address you on the
subject Of a laundry in this City which is in
| need of attention at your hands. For months
past the Electric laundry, on Thirteenth and
Valencia streets, has been conducted on plan
that makes the employes-most OF them young
girls-litte better than slaves, and it is quite
possible that in slavery days few human chat
tells were compelled to work so long, so hard
and under such conditions as these poor girls
They are expected to appear for work at 6
o'clock in the morning, and do not leave until
10 or 1870 at night. At noon they are al
lowed forty minutes for their dinner, but at
supper time are only permitted to be absent
from their benches for twenty minutes. This
means that girls living more than a very short
distance from the laundry must go supperless.
The rest of the time they are worked like
slaves in the hot, steaming air, and it is no I'M
common thing to see them come out so weary
and worn as to be scarce able to walk.
The sanitary conditions are also bad and
should be looked into.
And what do these girls receive for this ar
duous labor which would tax the strength of a
strong man, much less of young and immature
girls The magnificent sum of $17 so per
month, of which So % is held back by the
management on the pretense that it must be
secured against loss.
The worst feature of this whole matter is
| that some of the girls are not able to support
the families dependent upon them with such
slender pay. and more than one has been led
| into life of sin.
| The Redlight saloon, on Fourteenth and Va
! lenca streets, has become the resort of some
of these girls after working hours and the
scenes that take place there are almost beyond
| belief The undersigned are residents of the
| neighborhood and see the things mentioned
herein. We trust that you will see fl to inves-
tigate the laundry, as such course would be
commended by hundreds who are conversant
with the facts. THOMAS SPENCER,
JOHN E. RYAN.
A young girl employed in the laundry,
who would not allow the use of her name
for fear OF being discharged, said yesterday
that she would not remain in the place for
day longer were it not for the fact that
her parents were partially dependent upon
the few dollars she earns per month for
the necessities of life.