The Springfield herald., 1898-08-26
NEAR STARVATION.
} MEN WHO SHOULD STRIKE.
Desperate Condition of Workingmen's
Fnmiiie, at Oshkosh Wisconsin-Many
Have Less Than 81 per day to Live On.

The woodworkers of Oshkosh. Wis
sonsin, are on II strike for hlSher
wages.
When the Oshkosh strike was be-
gun ii made 1,G00 persons idle. Or
these fifty were girls, $40 boys ana
the rest We're men ranging In age
from 1G 10 - years. During the last
few weeks several hundred of the
strikers have left the city TO seek
worls while about 200 of them have
returned to work in the Robert Nc
Millen Il Co. mill. originally there
We're seven milling companies in the
strike.
Recently McMillcn &; Co. met their
men, made satisfactory terms with
them and now their mills are in full
operation. The strikers claim the re-
suit mt McMillcn's is a victory for the
union, and contend that if McAlillcn
" Co. can pay nm advance in wages
the other manufacturers ought to be
able TO do the same.
Whatever may be the condition OF
the woodworking industry from the
standpoint of the manufacturers, all
who sympathiZc with the strikers feel
that the operatives are receiving
wages below the living limit. AT Il
meeting held Saturday afternoon in
the labor hall of oshkosl-a meeting
of the striking woodwOrkcrs-the fol-
lowing statements were made by men
taken from the assembly:
- -. aged rs. German. works
in planning mill Gets so cents Il day,
Has wife and three children, all of
whom are mt home. owns Il house on
which there is n $500 mortgage Pays
per year $50 interest. so insurance,
SS.6i taxes. Doesn't have any meat.
Two of the children attend school.
The mother makes the clothing for
herself and children. The family has
no source of income except the faith
el's wages
= -. aged 60. German, works
in planning mill Gets so cents Il day.
Has wife and Two children. Owns
his home. Pays SO insurance and 81
taxes per annum. Lives on the poor
est flour and the cheapest meats
- -. aged 80. works in mill
yard for 81 day; has wife and four
children boy, 20. makes so cents n
day: boy. II. - cents. Owns Il home
on wnicn there is a $500 mortgage.
His interest. taxes and insurance are
running him more and more in debt.
One child is attending school. Fam
lily has meat occasionally
- -. aged 81 years. American.
glazicr skilled work.. gets S1.25 n
day, used TO get S2.50. Has n wife
and three children. Children going 10
school. Wife makes all the clothing
for The family. Pays SO rent"
- -, aged 30. German, fireman.
gets GO cents day for ten hours
work. Has Il wife and three children,
all small. owns home and has gar
den. Pays 50 taxes and 81 insurance
per year. Has no meat. buys 5-cent
soup bone occasionally. The wife
washes three days in the week"
The men who gave their testimonies
as shown above We're called out hap
hazard from Il large gathering of
strikers. They declare the examples
presented do not reveal the worst con-
ditions that prevail in Oshkosh. The
men get comparatively steady work,
but yet there are occasional break
downs in the mills and sioppages
from other causes that aggregate Il
period of idlcncss said to be Il month
or more n year on the average. The
strikers also assert that whenever the
machinery stops for any reason for
five minutes all are dockcd fifteen
minutes. They say further that If
anybody is Il minute late getting to his
work he is dockcd fifteen minutes.