The San Francisco call., 1898-04-03

as quickly and as we'll. If the girls are i'll they are in their rooms, and if friends will carry them food. all right.
 Everywhere the smaller mangles are heated by gas, and being exactly in front of the operators mouth she must breathe this hot air all day. In one laundry only we found protectors; they can be put on at very small cost
 One man found, who was a pathetic example of the system. His voice was quite gone, and to any observer 1t is but too evident how nearly his days are done. It was all right; he had nothing to say against the laundries. People were willing to work twelve or sixteen hours a day and glad to get the chance. When folks are compelled to work, they expect to work. In one breath he told me 1t was a frequent thing for man to lose his hand or part of 1t, and he was lucky if he could get back to work when the injury had healed. Scarcely had he finished the sentence when he took it back and said the laundries were all right. When he got stronger he expected to go back and would not hazard his chance of en- ployment-not to save the lives of all the rest of the world.
 It seems very unfair that laun- dries like the La Grande, White Star and United States should have to compete with the sweat shops, and yet none of these seem to be in danger of immediate bankruptcy. Their employees have reasonable hours, get good pay and are healthy-looking, in great con- trast to the white, drawn faces and bloodless lips at some of the other laun- dries.
 MT. Biggy is the vice. president at the United States and the superintendent. The girls there are healthy, not worn out and can get their work finished and be home at a good hour. for there are no girls in the boarding house at- tached to this laundry
 We found MT. Biggy bandagin~ the hand of girl who had been injured. Her. expenses. and salary were paid during her absence and MT. Biggy hopes to be able to have the hand as good as ever. The girl works a few hours a day, receiving full pay, al- though the accident was her fault and caused by wearing ring, contrary to rules.
 The Electric should come under mo- tice of the Board of Health. The St. Nicholas was quite as bad. It was a peculiar place, tumble down and lily ventilated, with a toilet room without water, off t.-e room where the girls work. The manageress tried to impress us with the fact that it was a scarcely worked at all. and were we'll paid for overtime. The girls told mo the same and her pay roll was thing to admire.
 Later went upstairs, and ME Green of the Labor Commission talked to the girls without her, and they de- clared it was a common thing for them to be working at II o'clock at night. Never did they receive any extra pay when they signed the pay roll.
 I have visited many of the homes of the girls, and have seen how indispen- sable is the pittance earned. where small girls are supporting sick mothers or fathers and small children. It Is pit iful that these young heroines are not protected by the same law which would be quick to find them if they trans gressed.
 I went home with a woman whose face had attracted me in one of the places where I worked It was only a short distance from the laundry and was much cleaner than the appearance of the girl had led me to expect. As we went along, looking into the uncur- tained windows at the family groups Nora's steps quickened. In one a man was rocking baby to sleep and smok- ing pipe. while a woman sat near mending, her feet on the hearth of the cook stove.
 Nora said 1t always made her feel wicked when she went home at night empty handed, to her babies, who were alone all day, for she must eat at the