Richmond planet., 1899-12-16


Richmond and vicinity have had much
trouble in the matter of obtaining
white girls. They finally concluded to
try colored ones. This raised q CON-
motion among certain white men OF
limited means and the Young Business
Mems Association is reported TO have
gone down in al effort to bring white
girls here from the country districts.
They made all kinds Of promises il
seems, and their efforts were rewarded
with only partial success. The follow
ing from the Richmond News OF Fri.
day, Dec. 8th explains itself:
"Great dissatisfaction and discon-
tent is manifested by the country girls
employed in some Of the factories in
she city.
They feel and say that they have
been deceived and uDjustly treated.
Eixty-flve Of them employed at the
Allen & Ginter Branch of the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company are on a strike,
on account OF thefr wages being re-
ducAd from cents q hundred TO 8
cenNE hundred for rolling cigarettes.
SAY PROMISES WE'RE NOT KEPT.
The girls only want what WAS prom
ised them, and say that il they are
pSid the regular price of cents 3 hun
dred they are willing to go back to
work.
The promise of the manufacsure to
the girls, the girls say, was that when
they came to work in their factories,
they would be paid in the beRinhing -
q week for two weeks, and after that
time they would be paid for the work
= hn rwrw winl
came down from their honles in the
country, to a strange city to work,
that out of the first weeks salary ofs$2
the sum of $1.30 was taken for the So
called tools, which the girls say f, is only
a plank on which the cigarettes are
rolled.
EXPERIENCE OF SISTERS.
Two fresh, young girls who were sis
tere, from one OF the counties, nothing
more than mere children, came to
work in one of the factories and after
the two weeks expired, they were left
to make the fortune that awaited any
Industrious employee. These Inexpe-
xienced children, away nom all home
ties, family and friends, found that by
constant and Arduous work they could
turn out in day 200 cigarettes, yield
ing them the ipitiful sum OF l6 cents
for their daily labors. At the present
rate of payment the amount would
only be y cente'a day.
The kind iady, with whom these
young girls boarded, advised them to
leave the factory, and seek some other
employment. This they determined to
do, and went to the manager OF the
factory and stated their case, telling
him il was impossible for them TO ex-
ist on the wages paid thems and asking
as favor that their $1.30 tools, or
board, be given them, or would the
manager be so kind as to sell the tools
for them, to the girls who would come
to take their places. They were will
ing to take 81 for their boards rather
than lose the whole amount.
DID NOT BELONG TO THEM.
They say they were told that the
tools belonged to the factory, and not
to them, and received nothing.
All of their first weeks' wages except
20 cents. was taken by the factory as
payment for the tools.
GET oTHKR EMPLOYMENT.
The sisters finally succeeded in OBJ
taining employment on Church Hill
under more favorable conditions.
The factory will have to get q new
supply of girls or agree to pay the
girls here the 8 cents q hundred for
the cigarettes, as promised. Some OF
the girls formerly employed have gone
TO work during the Christmas rush, at
one OF the large department. stores at
an advance salary.
INA DEPARTMENT STORE.
It is their intention to remain at the
store il they are able to secure perma-
nent employment.
When seen this morning the man
ager Of the cigarette factory OF the
Alien & Ginter Branch Of the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company, made the fol-
lowing statement:
heretofore the girls have been paid
at the rate OF 8 cente q hundred, and
when the work was imperfect and wac
rejected the girls would have to do
the work q second time, receiving no
pay for doing the work over.
SYSTEM CHANGED.
"This was changed, and instead Of
tbe rejected work being done q second
time, the rollers were paid at the rate