The evening times., 1896-02-12


and because there is public court of ap
peals beyond the officials in charge the,
make much Of any little grievance.
l have shown that think there is moth
ing to complain of in the quarters sci
apart for this work, and / saw no in
civility on the part Of the officials.
The trouble is in the remuneration fol
the work, and the method by which the
salary is computed.
do not think any complaint about the
quarters at this time of the year is worthy
of notice. The place is kept warm enough,
or was while l was there. 1t is light
enough. and is as wei ventilated as it can
be. The bags smell bad, there is no doubt
about that, but this is a feature OF the work
that so far as know cannot be obya ted.
/ am told that in the summer time the
place becomes unendurably hot and close.
Yet, on questioning, l found that electric
fans are kept running, and what more could
be done for the betterment of the place, 1
don't understand. 1t is hot everywhere In
Washington during the summer.
Another thing that was complained about
a great deal was the dressing ROOM sena-
tor Faulkner, in his speech, had referred TO
them as retiring rooms. and the girls had
! quoted this phrase over Il great many times
| in mocking spirit.
They ridiculed the retiring rooms, and
yet cannot see but that they are suitable
for the purposes intended.
| THE OLD LOUNGE.
There is lounge in one of these roomsfor
the use OF women who are overcome with
| the work. The girls said 1t was full of rer-
| min, and made u great point OF that; but l
| fancy that would be the fate OF any lounge
| put in the place. The girls come here from
| every part of the city, from cheap boarding
| houses, and some not overly clean homes as
| well. TO judge from appearances.
| In the washreoms some improvement
| might be made by the introduction OF hot
| water pipes. as the girls have Il great deaiof
| CRIME 10 get rid OF at the close OF their
| work.
Yet this is not a ground for serious COM
plant. The girls have plenty OF basins, rum
ming water, soap. and each OF them clean
towel for herself once a week. The closets
are in one large room. and are not made pri-
vate by partitions. That is the era vest fault
/ can find with the accommodations.
l wish to focus attention on the piece
work, which seems TO me TO bc the heart
OF the trouble, and 1t is doubtless an error
OF Judgment on the part OF the official IN
charge. Doubtless he has been aided in
making the error by many or the ambitious
girls who have no more sanity than TO pre-
fer it. For children aud people of weak
Judgment laws must be Ia ID down to insure
protection.
No one can tell anything about this work
without trying it. 1t isn't possible to walk
through the place and come to just con-
clusion. On Wednesday l put myself on
the same strain as the others all day,
working to the utmost of my strength that
! might know what it meant.
At the close OF the afternoon my eyes
were burning. my limbs jumping with pain
like a toothacbe, and my back haunted with
a dull pain. My hands were as sore as
though they had been pounded. Iattributec
much OF this to the fact that ] was an
amateur, yet the women around me com
planned every night of wretched WEAKNESS,
and said they never got used to the work
As result OF this days work had turned
out twenty-one bags and was beginning TO
feel that in the course OF time ] might be
able TO ma kc n decent showing. After had
washed the ctfrt from my hands ] remem-
bered a bag l had asked TO have saved |
and went back to the table to inquire about |
it.
Mr.. Cullen had just come up and was |
speaking to the forewonlan with a paper |
in his hands. |
AS came up to the table Mr.. Cullen hastily |
put the paper down by his side and we |
both smiled. This Is Detroit paper"
he said.
Yes; l noticed it, |
Very good; it's Washington Times" |
he said, and held it up showing an article |
on the repair shop and what Senator Kyle |
was trying to do.
But don't want to see The Times; |
can see that any time. L wanted to ask |
about the bag l requested TO have saved
out this morning."
''Oh, that bag; why, 1 think it got lost
in the shufflc.'
"Oh; but / PARTICULARLY desired Mr.. Nc
ont fnr
We'll; 1 am tic superintendent of this
Institution and told him to send il ,.owD
stairs.
Then, it's gone with the othcrs?''
HE WAS SUSPICIOUS.
We'll, maybe I know where it is. What
do you want of il? DO you want to take 1T
away from here?''
mo; merely want it kept apart so 1
can show 1t TO Major Tyler
We'll, we can't do that. You can say
about it you want to to me-
But I particularly desire TO talk to
Major Tyler about it,
And / can't have you doing that. I'd
have all the women in the place saving
cut bags
And you won't do it?"
mo, / won't"
"Oh, very well,'' and walked away. He
looked decidedly annoyed, and, 1 suppose,
with reason, as 1 have no doubt such a
practice would cause trouble in the place,
and he had no reason to know 1 was there
on any different mission from any of the
others.
The next morning I decided to be late
gain, as 1 wanted opportunity to watch
the women at work once more. 1 met
Mr.. Cullen on my way to the office. He
was going out for breakfast. He spoke
10 me plea asantly, as though wishing to do
away with the unpleasantness Of the even
ng before, and asked me IL found the |
work too hard and the hour too early.
"Well, / am not used to getting to work |
at O'Clock, and have been SO unusually
tired the last few days, that don't seem
to be able to arise as early as / ought"
"Well, go right up to the building.
They'll let you go to work at 81 he said,
and SO went on. When 1 had gotten into
ny work dress proceeded to carry out my
plan of investigation. l went over among
The hand sewers and sat down upon the ,
floor.
The women talked to me pleasantly, and
was soon very interested. There was a
phase OF conscience in this end of the room
hat had not before come upon. One of !
he women seemed to be quite satisfied ,
With the work. always providing she could !
get all she could do.
How many bags can you turn out?'
why. if the work amt too bad, l can do
ixty."
THAT means you patch them and darn
hem bOth?'
"Yes, but you see how this work is
lone; it's very coarse sewing. Then we
1et IA cents apiece, where the machine
lands only have 2. They don't flush the
,ags; the darners take them, you know,
Ind the darners get the extra cent and a
luarter."
IT rs HARD.