Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-03-16
Watkins Tells of the ConditI on Of
Glass Workers.

When the Stokes bill, requiring payment
of wages in cash every two weeks, came up
in the Assembly on Tuesday, March z,
Speaker Watkins left the chair, and in
advocating its passage dealt Republican
Protection some sledge hammer blOws-He
said in part; =
~ have been requested to speak for the
bill, ;" he said, although I think the very
title OF the measure would be sufficient to
cause every member to vote for it. 1t
seems strange that in the year 1889 there
should be any necessity for such BILL but
the fact is, there is necessity Tor 1t.
" The southern part of New Jersey has
long been noted as the home of the glass
blowing industry. 1t fact, the industry
has been carried on to such an extent in
southern New Jersey that it has made the
state the greatest gIass-producing state in
the United States That industry requires
peculiar style of skill. a .fete gears ago
the men engaged in the industry t0ere prOtec-
fected by their union, and they made good
wages By some means or other their order
was thrown down. the company store began
its existence, in small way at first, not
ItAUk " ACNCiOR any tckic-
latioa or to show the necessity for any
legislation. But it grew, until now it has
amassed such strength that no man working
for these corporations dare ask for anything
excepting a store order book in payment for
his labor. These manufacturers issue a
book to their employees at the very outset.
1t is issued in amounts from 80 cents
upward, and is not transferable. AS soon
as man enters the employ of one of the
companies, he is given one of these books
and whenever be wants a suit of clothes
to cover his back, his wife wants any cloth
ing whatever, whenever he wants any food
or coal, or even rent, he is required to take
one of these books to his employer, and
instead of having money turned oyer to
him the employer punches the book, just
as a railway conductor punches a tickets.
That system is kept up for an entire
blast, beginning about the first of Septem-
Der and ending the first June. During all
that time the only semblance of money
that the glass worker sees is the store order
book. At the end of the blast he receives
whatever is due him in cash. The COM
pany keeps his account, both as to the
amount be is entitled to in pay and the
amount he owes for order books, and have
known of cases where at the end of the
blast men received but go cents as a
balance. This system is very common in
my own county OF Gloucester and in the
counties of Cumberland and Salem. 1t
also exists in other parts of the state. This
bill will cover all the trouble. 1t will
compel the manufacturer, the corporation,
the employer or any one else employing
M 0H N rbafr at Iocof
two weeks, and by that means give them
the right they should have as American
citizen to deal wherever they see fit.
am not standing here as demagogoe
Il belieYe that SO ont of every 100 corpora
tons in the state pay their men every
week. The bill is aimed especially at the
evil that exists in South Jersey. The bill
has been amended in the House for the
purpose OF exempting from its provisions
the agricultural classes Their money is
paid TO them usually in September, and it
would be great hindrance to them to
have to pay their help in accordance
With the provisions of this billp
Here is frank and open admission
that Protection don't protect working men
that tine only protection the glassblower.
ever had was their Union; that the pro-
tected manufacturers have systematically
cOnspired to break down this Union, and
have reduced their employees-skilled
American workmen-tO system of servi-
tude as humiliating as was imposed on the
negro in slavery days, and more inhuman,
because the old slave master supplied a
physician in illness and house whether
be furnished employment or not
Our editorial neighbor down the street
used to advise the glass workers to vote
Protection to their employers and in turn
their employers would protect them. How
well they have done this is told in Mr..
Watkins speech on the floor Of the New
Jersey Assembly