The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-10

WASHINGTON, March 9,-Mr. James
Campbell. factory inspector Of Penn
sylvanla. was before the Industrial
commission to-day. Mr.. CampDells tes-
timony dealt with organized labor gem
orally and especially in the glass indus
try. He spoke enthusiastically Of the
! labor organization OF the. glass workers
{ of his state saying that before organiza-
tion was made practicable he had never
known an instance Of manufacturers
attempting to reduce wages which had
I not been successful. Since organization
had been effected no reduction had been
made without the assent OF the work.
ers. He declared that there was now
mutual confidence between employer
and operatives.
Mr.. Campbell was strong advocate
Of protective tariff. saying that It was
generally understood by the workmen
that change In the tariff means a
change In the scale Of wages. He said
that the wages Of the glass workers
never had been better in the history of
the country than at present., taking into
consideration the purchasing power of
money. This improved condition he
thought due to the protective tariff and
to the organization Of labor. There had
never been period Of greater depres-
sion, he added. than during the opera
ton of the Wilson law.
Mr.. Campbell spoke of the miners as
class who were imposed upon, and he
found especial fault with the store sys-
TEN, which he said was generally in
vogue about the mine. The mine own
ers generally owned the store and the
operatives dealing In them were required
to pay from rs to 40 per cent profit. He
did not believe the evil could bereached
by, legislation but thought 1t could be
met by organization on the part Of the
laborers.
Speaking Of sweat shops. Mr.. Camp
bell said there were about 10000 persons
engaged in them In Pennsylvania, most
ly in Philadelphia. He thought the low
I prices were due to the sharp competi-
ton between sub-contractors. He
spoke OF the filth about the sweat shops
and said he had himself seen clothing
made in the shops infested with vermin
and very dirty. He made especial mem
ton OF an investigation into the manu-
facture of soldiers clothing. where this
condition was found to prevail. Mr..
Campbell declared that generally the
sweat shop people could not be believed
under oath and he saw no means Of
regulating the business short of confls-
cation and destruction where the condi-
lions were found to be contrary to law.
Mr.. Campbell stated that most Of the
retail stores handled the sweat shop
products. AS a rule the manufacturers
complied cheerfu1Iy with the laws and
only four or five prosecutions ever had
been undertaken. Mr.. Campbell spoke
in general in commcndatory terms Of
the labor laws Of Pennsylvania, saying
that he had not advised any change ex-
cept in the laws applying to sweat
shops. There had been efforts to intro
duce politics into the labor regulations,
but these efforts had not been success
full. The present Pennsylvania law pro-
hibits the employment of children below
the age OF thirteen, and the witness ex-
pressed the opinion that the limit was
not too low. 1t was true, he said, that
the employment Of children had o ten
dency to supplant adult labor, but 1t
was also true that there were many
trades which could be properly MASTER
ed only by beginning at an early age.
Mr.. Campbell expressed the opinion
that the immigration laws should be
more restrictive than at present. He
was especially opposed to allowing for
efgners to come in in droves as, he said,
they do. He thought many people were
thus brought in who were not desirable.
In the matter Of convict labor he
thought prisoners should be kept on
hand work and not given machines.
DIR. Bulls Cough Syrup Is the peo-
pies remedy. 1t will cure the worst
cottrh or cold whom othpr npf1iripo 90