Evening star., 1899-03-08
MADE IN SWEAT SHOPS
The Industrial Commission Told About Army
Uniforms
Inspector O'Lcary Describes the State
the metropolitan District.

| MI Daniel . Leary, chief factory in
| spector of New York. was an interesting
| witness before the industrial commission
! this morning and told of the sweat shop
| system in his state
| Members of thc> commission present were
Representatives. Gardner, Livingston and
Bell, Messrs. y. L. Harris. S. n. D. North
j. NJ. Farquhar. E D. Conger. T. W. Phil
| lips, c. ]. Harris, NJ. D. Ratchford and J. l..
| Kennedy.
| Mr.. O'Leary has been chief factory in
| spec.or of New York since May 1. 1896
| Last year the entire expense of the depart
ment was slightly more than $50 coo, the
| force under the chief inspector numbering
| forty-sfx. which, the witness said was not
suhic!ent to properly do the work laid out
| for them.
New fork's Labor Inv Enforced.
| The labor law of New York state. he said,
| was easy to enforce and there was no COM
| plant that it was evaded Last year they
had had only thirty-four complaints, of
| which number but ten We're sustained Out
| SIDE OF New York and Brooklyn no diff
| Guilty is experienced with factory tene-
ments in New York state There is, he
said, law before the legislature to further
control the sweating shops. The enforce
| ment of this law which Mr.. O'Leary ex-
poets to be enacted by the New York leg
| islature would. he thought. result in oblit-
Grating the evils of the sweat-shop system
| in that state. They had found the Poles
Italians and others manufacturing clothing
IN their tenementS to be filthy, and the
| inspectors had prevented them from MAX
| ing more clothing until they had cleaned
| up their homes. But while they We're forced
| to clean up in this way they would in
rev days be IN as filthy state as formerly.
This trouble was the fault. he said of the
people working on the clothing. These peo-
pie, he said. were nearly all foreigners
hardly per cent of them being Ameri-
cans.
for as low as 321a cents, while in Rochester
II would cost II cents He could not say
how long 1t took to make ccat. as the
work Is divided around among as many as
ten persons. each workman doing only a
particular part of the work
Army Uniforms Made in Sweat Shops
MIR. O'Leary said 1t had been learned that
army clothing was being made In New
York sweat shops some time ago and it
had been reported to the War Department
the result being that more contracts
will be given In New York for clothing
without a written agreement that they will
not be made in Objectionable places. He
said it was found that infantry pants were
made as low as - cents and cavalry pants
as low as 33 cents. and in one case as low
as 26 cents. Vests brought from IL to II
cents for making An understanding ex-
lists between the War DeDartment and the
inspection department of New York state TO
prevent the manufacture of army clothing
in sweat shops.
The witness spoke of the cases in which
vermin has been found on newly bought
clothing Many of the tenements in which
clothing Is made, he said. are filled with
vernin Brownsville. Brooklyn. was in his
Judgment. one of the worst pest holes in
America. and he knew of cases of clothing
dealers who fumieate their stock before
selling It. He thought it was a terrible con-
dition that would make this fuInigation
necessary.
Fiithiness of BrcusyilIe.
h told of the filthy habits of those peo-
pie in Brownsville. Brooklyn.
Il took up this work. he said with
large sympathy for these people. 1 have
no sympathy for them now. They are
filthy because of their own fault They are
dishonest. You cannot believe a single
word they speak / am speaking OF these
Italian, Jews and Polish immigrants"
Objectionable Immigrants.
When asked what class Of Immigrants
he would debar from coming to this coun-
try, Mr.. O'Leary said he was opposed to
people coming to this country who were
not s.lf-supporting in their own homes
and had to have money sent from this
country to bring them across the ocean.
He said this foreign population is greatly
increasing in New York and that they re-
mained In the city instead of going west
ward. With few exceptions, he said, these
people place very little value their
American citizenship.
After some discussion on the subject of
immigrat lion the commission took recess
until 5 o'clock.