, 1896-09-30

on less than S. a week.
@. Have you anyone to support? A.
Yes; l have my mother and brother and
sister to support. My brother works
part Of the time, but work Is slack. In
July 1t started with work for four days
in the week.
Miss Annie NJ. D%everaux, Providence,
X. L.. jeweler:
Q. What is YOU work, Miss Dever-
eaux? A. / am a chain maker in the
jewelry establishment of Kent & Stan
ley Company. Providence.
@. Do you work by the day or by the
piece? A. I work by the piece. I
average 50 per week. usually more. but
| have been on short time a long while
and do not average so much. The
wages are the same. but 1t is short
time. The loss is in short hours-same
pay but short hours.
Q. Do you know the cause of short
hours? A. Because our business is de-
pendent on the general prosperity Of
other trades. The general depression
has affected us. l live at home and
there is no one dependent on me.
Miss Emily s.. Young, Providence.
r. l.. jeweler:
@. What is your work. Miss Young?
A. am a shipping clerk for the man
ufacturing jewelers., Potter & Buffing-
ton. Providence. l have worked there
l6 years; not in that department, but
for the firm. My work is by the day or
week.
@. What do you receive per week?
A. I receive $40 a week.
Q. Is your business good at the pres
ent time? A. In all years that I have
worked there, I have not known them
to work so short hours as they are
working now; never. OF course now
and then a day or job work, but the
shop seems almost closed.
@. Senator Aldrich.) Could you
estimate the reduction? A. At least
80 per cent from now and two years
ago.
Q. Miss Young. are you dependent
on yourself for support? A. Yes, l
am dependent on myself for support;
my sister and I together support our-
selves.
Miss Mary ]. Ryan, Woonsocket. R.
l.. cotton weaver:
@. Miss Ryan. please state your
business. A. l am a cotton weaver.
| have worked 90 years for the Social
Manufacturing company. have al
ways done weaving.
@. What has been your average
wages? l averaged $40 a week until
September. 1893. In October. 50 a week
I-sl.50 a day.
Q. Why did you wages fall from $40
to 50? A. The depression in business.
owing to the tariff question, caused the
works to be stopped for two weeks, and
for four months following the work
was slack. They stopped last October.
scarcity of work.
@. (Senator Aldrich.) Explain what
you mean by that. A. mean that you
can run four or five or six looms, but If
You have only two or three looms. you
will be there and your time will be TAX
en- up. but you will not earn so much.
Q. Do you know why the work was
slack during the time you have men
toned? A.. l was never told why the
work was slack. but I learned through
the press.
Q. (Senator Aldrich.) Have you
been able to ave anything from your
wages? A. Yes, l have been able to
SAVE something in these years, but I
have not saved anything for nine
months. If this Wilson bill goes into
effect we suppose our wages will be re-
duced.
Miss Edith W%olstoncraft, Taunton.
Mass. cotton weave
Q. Please state what kind of work
you do. A. l work at the Whittenton
Manufacturing company. on Bingham
weaving.
@. What wages can you make? A.
/ can make IS on the average a week.
@. Have you ever worked in any
other country? A. was born in Eng
land. I worked in England. l worked
on velvet at home at Oldham. I made
from 16 to IS shillings a week. l had
two looms. l work two hours more a
week now than I did at home. Fifty
eight hours now Sc over there.
@. Senator Allison.) Who do you
support besides yourself? A. have
my mother to keep. We are able to get
on pretty well and keep house. I get
on better in this country. l could not
keep my mother at home. 1t Is better
living here. I would not go back
again and work there.
Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler, Boston, Mass,
carpet weaver
@. Mrs. Tyler. please tell the COM
mittee where you work. A. I work
at the Roxbury Carpet mills. 1t was 81
there.
@. What wages do you get? A. I
average my wages for 1892 and 1893.
up to the last Of August, at IS and some
odd cents. Since that time the aver
age pay. up to the present time. has
been about $3.50. I formerly made
40 =