New-York tribune., 1901-01-11
4RR4IGNS EAST SIDE BAKFsHOPS.
JAMES r REYNOLDS SAYS FILTHY CONDITIONS
AND LAW DEFYTNG WORK HOURS
MARK THEM.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.

TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir. The recent strike of the East Side ba kers
-eveals one more horror in the condition of this
quarter which demands public attention and sym
pathy There are I am informed about one
hundred and forty bakeshops the East Side en-
ploying from five to ttirty-dve men apiece
Under a law passed a few years ago only ten
hours of work consecutively are permitted in any
bakeshop. sixty hours week. no excess on any
given day being allowed. unless 1t be thereby 70
lessen the hours of work on the last day or the
week This law is wholly disregarded. The Fac
tory Inspector informs that the courts have
required that the evidence of not less than two
employees IN a snop is required in order to prove
violation of the law Such evidence II is of course
impossible TO obtain any employe giving il would
be instantly discharged. BY this Interpretation of
the evidence demanded the courts have placed the
men at the mercy OF their employers Extensive
questioning has convinced me that fifteen and six
teen hours daily would not be an overestinate OF
the average days work performed by the East Side
bakers. One baker with whom one of our residents
talked gave the above time 5 his average but
stated stated that that on THURSDAY and Friday he worked
that he worked eighteen hours four days in the
that he went no work az Two uayS @ @AnGther
worked until o'clock the next afternoon. the only
work at o'clock and worked until II O'Clock the
The sanitary conditions IN these shops. which are
usually IN easements. are such that l believe no
made; The bread made in the East Side shops S' is
usually baked in n large loaf and is Smearcd with
egg to give the top of the loaf certain gloss The
eggs used for this purpose are frequently such as
would stagger an eggtng party. They are bought
at from % to 80 cents hundred and some of the
bakers have assured that they were not IN
frequently positively rotten.
The rooms constantly kept AT n most I'M
wholesome heat. IN order to raise the bread tFe
workers toi1ns In trousers and flannel shirts In no
shop visited by us were there signs of white
washing or the side walls which, under the law
the Factory Inspector may require 10 be done once
In three months. In one shop, dingy whiteWash
was peeling or directly over the place where the
bread was being made. In this shop the were
dirty and their Clothing dirty. There were no
windows. except over the tables where the bread
being made. No watercosets are provided
rule. unless IT Is in corner OF the room used
closet adds to the general bad odor of the KIace
Men frequently sleep IN the bakeShopS on the
benches where the bread is rolled. or even the
bread itself.
OF the bakeshop law is believe. with the Factory
Inspectors office. but the condition which l have
described is such that If the Board of Health'S
inspectors were in the habit of visiting our
would long ago have stopped this condition in the
interests of the public welfare.
The announcement in the papers few days ago
that the larger bakeshops had settled with the men
by the majority Of the employers regarding the
hours and sanitary conditions If this the
case IL would have been merely pledge to keep
the law and not pledge TO grant any unusual
mands made by the men But this Is not the case.
There stn nearly nine hundred of
work If, however, half of these places could be
Inspector and the other half forced maint ain a
higher standard OF cleanliness and to observe the
law in respect to the hours of labor, the present
conditions, suicidal TO many of the workmen,
would be vastly improved
JAMES B. REYNOLDS
New-York Jan. TO- 1901.