The morning times., 1895-07-12
UHI0a OF LAUNDRY GIRLS
Wlman Take Up the Fight Against
the Chinese Washes"
ARE READY TO ORGANIZE IT
They Expect the Knights Of Labor
VIII BE Gallant Enough TO Wel-
come TLem-At Least Four Hun
dred Would .Join-Appeai to the
Public to Withhold Patronage

I'VE are are all in for it," said one of the
live!est of Laundry girls yesterday I'VE
are ready to go into a Laundry Girls Union
| just as we read about in The Times not
| long ago whgn, the National Council OF
Women was in session."
The eagcrness to 20 into such union was
expressed by IA yourg IauuGress III one of
| the establishments on Thirteenth street
! yesterday.
II haven't heard yet Of wat the other
| girls propose. : she said, but they can get
! all the hep taey want right here. What
| | mean by union is rot something TO fight
! our employers, because / really DON'T think
! they can give us higher wages, while the
| Chinese hold tie town: but / mean that swe
! girls should get together and tell the people
of Washington how we are kept at a low
state OF wages tust because the Chinese
and japanese are willing to co three days
work for one days pay"
GALLANT KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
''If your managers go into a union, why
cant We? / suppose the knights of Labor
will be gallant enough to receive an ac-
credited delegate. II not, we can have a
union of our own, so that we shall know
what TO do and how TO do when the oc-
casion arises"
Several of the representatives or the
laundries We're seen yesterday and they all
said that anything that would help the con-
dltion OF the laundry girls would be agreeable
TO them.
The representative of the Swiss Laundry
said that h- should first be appriscd or what
the real object OF Laundry Girls Union, be-
fore lie could express an opinion on the
subject He agreed, however, to the gen
eral principle that the girls would be per
fectly jusuliable in forming an organization
through which they could state their case
collectively TO the public.
PUBLIC MUST DECIDE
Thissappears to be a case in which the
Washington public must decide between
these poor girls, and the Chinese laundry
men who may be here 10 day and away to-
morrow, while the honest girls are always
with us.
The agent of the Swiss laundry said that
the reduction OF wages of the girls would
not be nlade-that they would prefer TO 20
out OF the business first. He said that there
has been some tax OF laundries not being
affected by the Chinese industry This VIII
not DO as an argument, he maintained, be-
cause they do not take into consideration
the facC how much additional business there
would be If the Chinese lauudTies were not
a part of the local business
Another laundryman said that he was
thoroughly in sympathy with he movement
for an organized laundry representation in
the Knights of Labor
MEANS OF RELIEF.
"It is he said, 1.-The only pra ctical
means of relief, and | am quite in favor of
the girls getting together hiring hall
| If they please, and going into union. They
are timid set anyhow, but a most re-
spectacle set, and the people viii listen
to them when they speak their mind col
lectiveIy"
The prospects for the union are good
so FAR as membership is concerned. One
OF the girls ran rapidly over ON her fin gers
yesterday the number that could be en-
! rolled, ard She mentioned the girls Of the
TolInan. the Dexter the Swiss the Boston,
the Franklin. the Troy, the Columbia, tie
Pearl, the National Capital, the Godfrey
the Fourteenth Street. the Champion, and
other laundry establishments. In those
mentioned alone they could probably Sc
cure 400 members, much larger number
than that on the rolls OF several OF the
most respectable organized unions OF labor
IN the city
CHINESE CUT PRICES.
The Chinese, as is Well known, have
cut their rates % per cent and some OF the
laundries must meet this either by cut
OF Il dltlliuutlOu DL Nut EuillDtJ OIL IltIE
employees this last remedy being very
| distasteful to the laundry managers Of
the city.
The laundry uuion in other cities is
not primarily for purposes of strike in
case OF oppression by managers, but for
the social and intellectual Improvement
OF the young women in this business.
1t has been tried successfully in some of
the larger cities. and the present seems
such an orga DizatiOn in Washington
The girls are perfectly aware tnat, Just
as soon as the Chinese can reduce the cost
of labor 10 a minimum. and can control the
larger share of tie floating business the
companies cannot really pay them living
wages and their occupation viii be gone.
They have, however, confidence that the
public VIII not b9 parry TO their losing
their Jobs"
RESULT OF THE KNIFING.
One evil result of the Chinese cut in
prices was reported last night to the Dis
triCt Organizer X. of l.. He said that the
cut had been made by one of the laundrieS
on + street northwest. This fact Is an iu-
dication that there may be Il corresponding
cut all along the line OF the white laun-
dries which circumstance would naturally
carry with it a reduction in the wages of
the laundry employees, notwithstan ding
gers that the girls ought TO be given the
best wages possible.
District Master workman Simmons, OF
the knights of Labor, said last night that
delegates from wCmens associations were
receivable in the Assembly and that a
union Of the young ledies of the laundrieS
would be received with pleasure. There
was in fact, he said, a ladies' organization
in the Assembly, the Woman's Progressive
Assembly which was doing admirable work
in its proper sphere.
Mr.. Simmons, il Illustration of the value
and probabilities OF woman'S organiza-
ton. cited an instance from Cleveland, Ohio,
where the laundry girls, after the breaking
up OF a laundry, went in and made the eS-
tablishment n success, and it is now Running
TO the satisfaction OF the new girl managers.
Mr. Simmons indorSed the sugEcS; ion that
this kind of labor should be organized,
not only from thestandpoint of union. which
meant strength. but for the intellectual
Improvement of the women engaged in
the business.