The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-20
speclnl pL,pateh to tho 1n,ellIreneer.


WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. l9.-Post-
master General Wilson, the Official head
OF the so-called sweatshop. has made
response to the resolution of inquiry in
troduced in the senate by Mr.. Kyle in
respect to the condition OF the mailbag
repair department, and while admitting
that the contractor has the cotton can-
vass sacks and the jute bags maunfac-
tured by convict lebor. he declares that
under the existing law he has no au-
thority 10 forbid II.
The contracts. he says, was awarded
April l, 1893, TO f. c. Johnson and Peter
II. McNulty, both OF New York state,
both covering n period OF four years.
and the Inference from his version Is
that the contractor is left free to eNer-
clse his own choice Of labor.
The report quotes the payroll for
January, which shows that the super
intendent OF the establishment was paid
Sls6,26 for his services, while the sub
ordinate employees received compensa-
tion, Us follows:
Machine workers earned between SS5
and S36 per month: ten operatives earn:
ed salaries ranging between s25 and
$50 per month; nine made between $40
and S25 per month, while six made less
than 800 per month. or the hand
sewers, ten received between SS5 and
$40; sixteen between $50 and SS5; seven
between $25 and $50: three between $40
and SIS, and three under $50; the lowest
being $40 So per month. respectively.
The darners' pay ranged principally
between $50 and $40 per month.
For the month OF December the pay.
was about the same as January, though
the superintendent salary was $1Si Is.
Women the Victims.
The operatives In this branch OF the
public service upon whom the burdens
fall heaviest, are the women workers.
whose pay Is the lowest. and 1t was in
their behalf. principally, that the In
yestigation was ordered. The men can
and sometimes do make as much as
SlOO per month. These repair pouches
at the rate Of IL lilo cents apiece.
Other male workers receive salaries
ranging from $50 to Sl02 per month.
These are the inspectors, the sub-su-
perfntendents and the mechanics.
Twenty or more OF the female work
er5 were furloughed the other day. and
their belief Is that the order therefor
was the result OF their prominence in
the matter OF filing appeals for redress
against the hardshlps OF the service,
Notwithstanding the denial made by the
/, officials. and despite the paragraph In
the postmaster generals reply TO Sem
ntor Kyle's -resolutiony-tn which Mr..
Wilson informs the senate that ne has
mo knowledge OF the employees being
under any restraint from making COM
plants by fear OF dismissal"
In a previous dispatch TO the lntelli-
gencer, II was stated that the post
master general Is not charged with the
establishment OF the sweat-shop. but
he was subject to the criticism OF not
having Immediately ordered an investi-
CATION OF the charges as soon nS made.
The Wicked Partner.
He has q wicked partner" however,
in the person OF Assistant Postmaster
General Nelson, who seems to be an
autocrat OF the ancient type. who
knows more than he is obliged to tell.
and whose power no one seems disposed
TO curtRll.
Mr.. Nelson says the employees have
no cause for complaint. In answer to
this II was suggested that few workers
VINO are reasonably well treated and
well paid are liable to so voluntarily to
the powers that be with charge OF IN
justice. especially when, in their own
Judgment. the Hing OF such charge
is quite likely TO incur the penalty of
dismissal.
These operatives filed complaints, and
set forth their grievances, when at the
same time they were quaklng with the
fear OF losing their Jobs and the pay,
which, from the postmaster generals
own figures, ia shown to be OF the moat
meager amount. From this II is ar
gued, with good reason, that the work
was quite as hard and taxing us It was
painted, and that the employees must
have had cause for the appeal made for
redregg