Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-12

T. ]. Crouchley, of New York,
general auditor of the Unit-
ed Garment Workers of Amer
lea, was in the city today enroute
| to Oskaloosa, where he goes to organ
ize local branch of that union. He
will return to Ottumwa tomorrow for
the purpose of organizing a like union
here. He was accompanied to Oska-
loosa today by ]. F. Byrne, of this city,
general organizer for this state for the
American Federation of Labor.
The Garment Workers.
The United Garment Workers OF
America is an organization effected in
1891. The prime object was to obtain
more sanitary conditions for the gar
ment makers of the country, and if
possible, to better the wages and con-
dition of the makers of garments worn
by men and boys. The field of the or
ganization is entirely with the ready
made" GARMENTS sold in the clothing
stores thruotlt the country, and does
not in any way conflict with the Jour-
neymen Tailors' Union of America, an
older organization, whose field is in
tailor made goods entirely.
Mr.. Crouchley is an enthusiastic I'M
ion man, and is especially enthusiastic
in the support of the organization
he represents. Since it's conception he
has been on ardent worker in its in
terests, and that his efforts have met
with much success is indicated by the
present strength of the garment work
ers' union, and the benefits they have
given to people engaged in this class
of labor.
Demand for Union Made Garments.
Two years ago Edwin Sabine, of
Syracuse, New York, then president of
the United Garment Workers, was in
this city in the interest of the organ
ization. Since that time, thru the I'M
firing work of the officers of the union,
the demand for union made garments
has, according to Mr.. Crouchleys own
figures, increased by 200 per cent, an
enormous showing for such a short
time. There are now in good stand
ing in this country 146 local unions,
all in good standing.
Interview With MIR. crouchIey.
A Courier reporter was afforded
the pleasure of an interview yesterday
with Mr.. Crouchley, who spoke of the
good work done by the organization,
and of the good work which it intends
to do in the future. He said, "Our or
ganization is but ten years old, but
we have done much in alternating the
conditions of the laboring people, and
bringing to light the worst of these
conditions. My work has been done
largely in New York City, where l
| live. There are about fifty factory in
spectors in that city, whose duty is to
inspect factories for sanitary condi-
lions. These are not enough, howev-
er, to fill the demand. They do all
l they can, but it takes our efforts to
aid them in the work. This branch of
our organizations work is entirely I'M
der my supervision, and | spend much
of my time at 1t.
1.-THE conditions of some of the peo-
! pie who make non-union clothing is
pitiful in the extreme. l refer to the
sweat shop workmen in New York.
test of places in the meanest portions
of the city. Their dens, for such they
really are, are sometimes reeking
with vermin. Thru our efforts, how
ever, the sweat shop has been almost
QOue away Will So ldf DIS the garment
making is concerned. Nevertheless,
we have yet much work to do.
The Sweat Shop Evil.
"In the sweat shops the work is
done by teams of three men each.
Their task is from 20 to "a coats per
day. This requires about 18 or 10
hours of work each day, which would
yield, on ten hour basis, about
4 80 cents per day. These wages neces-
state cheap life, and with the cheap
i life goes a dirty one. have seen
clothes come into ware houses with
vermin on them, so low was the Gus.
tom some years ago. This is one of
the great evils with which we have
nearly done away
Our great trouble with the sweat
! shop people is in the finishing of the
garments, which the contractors, or
many of them, have done in sweat
shops. This is because the buyers do
not pay the contractors enough to al
low the contractors to have all the
goods made in the factories. In a
free shop every thing is made in Tie
factory.
4 Progress of the Union.
/ During the early years of the I'm.