Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-03-10
QUESTIONS OF LABOR.
Views of an Advocate of Unions
and Believer i'm a Protec.
tive Tariff.
TWO GOOD THINGS FOR WORKERS,

In His Opinion, Are Organization and
Protection - Testimony Given to the
Congressional Committee by PennsyI-
| Vania's Labor Comments
on the sweatshop and Mine Store Sys-
| tems-ChiId and Convict Labor.
| Washington. March 1O.-James Camp
ceIl, factory inspector of Pennsylvania.
| was before the Industrial commission
| yesterday. CampbeIl's testimony dealt
with organized labor generally. and es-
pecially in the glass industry. He spoke
| enthusiastically Of the labor organization
Of the glass workers Of his state. saying
| that before organization was made
practicable he had never known an in
stance Of manufacturers attempting to
reduce wages which had not been sue
| cessfUl. Since organization had been
effected no reduction had been made
Without the assent of the workers. He
declared that there was now mutual
| confidence between employer and OF
eratives. Campbell was n strong advo-
cate of a protective tariff, saying that
it was generally understood by the
Torkmen that a change in the tariff
means change in the scale of wages.
He said that 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.
Labor Unions and Tariff:
This improved condition he thought
due to the protective tariff and to the
organization of labor. There had never
been d period of greater depression, he
added, than during the operation of the
Wilson law. Campbell spoke of the
miners as a class Of men who were
generally imposed upon. and he found
especial fault with the store system
which he said was generally in vogue
about the mines. Unoer this system the
mine owners generally owned the stores
and the operatives dealing with them
were required to ray from % to 40 per
cent. prufit. He did not believe the evil
could he reached by legislation, but
thought It could be met by organization
on the part Of the laborers. Speaking
OF sweatshops Campbell said there were
about 10000 persons engaged in them
in Pennsylvania. mostly in Philadel-
phia. He thought the low prices were
due to sharp competition between sub
contractors.
Filth and Vermin on the Work.
He spoke of the filth about the sweat
shops and said he had himself seen
clothing made in the shops infested
with verrnin ana very dirty. He made
especial mention of an INVESTIGATION into
the manufacture of soldiers clothing
where this condition was found to pre-
vail. Campbell declared that generally
the swoatshOp people could not be be-
lieved under oath. and he saw TO means
of regulating the business short of con-
fscati1n and destruction where thecon-
ditiors were found to be contrary to
law. Campbell stated that most of the
retail stores handled the sweatshop
products. The employment of children
had q tendency to supplant adult labor,
but it was also true that there were
many trades which could he properly
only by beginning at an early |
age. He expressed the opinion that the |
laws should be more re- |
strictive than at present. In the matter |
of convict labor he thought prisoners
should be kept on hand work and not !
given machines.