The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-23
THAT SWEATSH0P
Run by the Post Office Depart
mcnt Mt Washington.
THE EXPOSURE is APpLAUDED
by the ppbiIe-Thp Poor Women ICncour-
aged by the EGorts tn Thelr Behnif-The
second Assistant Postmaster Gcnerals
Hard Hearted R.n,ari-IIis Explains
don Worse ti,au ti,e oEsnse.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 22-The
Times says: Tho revelations printed
yesterday concerning the wretched con-
dItlons OF work and pay under which
American women are struggling for
bread in the government mail bag re-
pair shop were read everywhere with
keen interest In this community. There
| was none TO commend the management
there and its results except those who
were indicted.
| Everywhere there were commenda.
ton OF the women who were men
| enough TO make their protest to Gen.
Nelson, the Second Assistant Post
master General.
The practical position OF General
Nelson, as published In the Evening
| Times; Yes that ia all true. but what
| are you going to do about Il? was, to
! say the least, unexpected. There wns
some hone that he had declined TO act
In favor OF the employees for the reason
| that he was not familiar With the
| facts. On the contrary, he knows IT,
he knew II, and IustiHes II. The excuse
OF the highest authority on the subject
| appears 10 be. that II the women could
l
better thing for the government. There
is only one conclusion for General Nell
sons remarks. VIZ: that there Will
be another reduction In wages as soon
| as the women grow strong enough 70
do more work for less ray. Why not
have Il done by the ChincHe2
WIN Congress Aeti
The hint wns plainly given yesterday
that II nothing else would prevail there
would be a congressional Investigation,
Public opinion has nil along been erys-
tallged in the conviction that he undc-
MED allegations as to the excessive
work, the small pay, and the unhealthy
| conditions ut 1.-THE shop" are u shame
! and q disgrace to the government, and
nm outrage upon the employees.
The temper OF Gen. Nelson toward
the employees might have been gathered
from hts advice to the women who
protested, to so back md gee Major
! Tyler about H. II was not anticipated
us losing place Is the penalty OF talk
ing, that the subject would have pub
| tic exposition.
II Is true that women are taken out OF
] the shop In the afternoon utterly eX-
hausted md that some OF them have
had TO be taken horne by their friends.
II Is true that they work at the hardest
| kind OF labor foT elght hours and n
! majority OF them. perhaps, do not make
more than htty cents day II Is true
that while their wnEes were never high
| they have been reduced to the verge OF
crime against the working woman,
! whether or not she has dependent
family, MS many Of them have. II Is true
| that while wages have been cut NOR
cftessty, there has been nothing done to
make their surroundings agreeable.
II is always the same dirt and dust
and dlsagrceable odors.
skeletons In the Closet.
The superintendent, It would appear,
could at lcast this season. when the ap-
preparation was sufficient have done
somothlng TO alleviate the causes OF
complaint. There are strnuge tales in
the air about that mail bag den, which
itn may be necessary to print There
have been many tears shed in that shop
over wasted fingers and out Of eyes
dlmmed all through the long days
work.
There are seven inspectors. one OF
whom gets $40 month and three $50
a month. These salaries have not been
| lOuCilNAlt anu l'tAlluln AhNl bhpAAN AAbh
J hive been changed.
II has been suggestcd MS n challenge
to Gen. Nelson. that he permit the wo-
men to make their complaints Ia full,
and give them immunity from dis
] charge. In this viii II alone be possl-
BILE to get at the whole truth.
II Is stated that when the women hrc
| late ut their work, ~ reason AZ de-
layed trains or otherwise, they are fin
| ed TO the extent OF a quarter OF n day.
| a women who makes ffty cents Will be
| paid for that day only thlrty-seven
| and a hnif CENTS.
Gen. Nelson says that he can yet
] plenty Of women TO do the same work
but It is tho fact that applicants must
be able To do an average days work.
as done by these experts Where then
can he get recruits ut these starvation
wagcs2
One OF tho girls wrote letter to the
Times last niEht in which she graphi-
/ caiiy described the Joy In the shop over
the championship OF their Gauge by the
| Times. She says: Don't be bluncd by
| Gen. Nelson or Major Tyler. now that
| you have started to assist US. II Will
be IT worse shame and dlsgFacc for the
| government, after what Il knows, II will
not send dlsintcrcEtcd agents around
here TO look into the case
Work for the GulIiotine.
| Concerning the developments. the
Times has the following editorial:
1t has been clearly demonstrated by
the investigation Of the department OF
mall bag repairs that Uncle Sam IS
| proprietor OF n sweat chop almost MS
| Objectionable and ho7lfylnE IN Ito de-
| tails as those Of New York City The
character OF the work is oven more re-
| pulsive. az II embraces the intending OF
old snoks lmpregnnted with nausenting
| smells, and the pay OF tho employees Is
based or the sweat shop system Of piece
work. and Ia 30 low that they must
| either slave or Rtnrvc.
| Recently. the managers Of this slave
driving den saw ~ 10 cut down the
pay OF women employees, without inter-
fering with the wages OF the men. This
| injustice illustrates but one OF the
wrongs to which women must submit
who are unfortunate enough 10 b.
compelled TO work IN that place. and
Ms the postal authorities refuse 10 act
on the appeals of these much nbgscd
| employee II is time Congress took steps
10 make an IHreatlFntion Of this In.
inevitable condition ct amalrH.
The people Of the United States do not
| want Uncle Sam TO employ women Ut
the low wages Of from forty 70 sixty
cents a day, especially ut work that Is
| aB trying and lnborious as mending
/ - J.. ~ 4.