New-York tribune., 1903-06-11
DRIVE THE HEBREWS OUT
IT4LI4N G4RNENT SHOPS.
Hidecus Conditions DiscO0ered
4mong Clothing Workers

The State Factory INSPECTORS Bureau in East
Thirty -frst-st-. is nearly overwhelmed with ap-
pcations from Italian immigrants for licenses
te manufacture clothing. From statistics now
being gathered by the inspectors for the annual
report Of the Commissioner Of Labor it would
appear that the Italians driving the Hebrews
out Of the clothing making business Elizabeth
Nett and Mulberry sts. have become the banner
shop districts in the city. and it is hardly in
accurate 10 say that the clothing makers in
these three short streets are exclusively italian
The numbers of licenses issued by the State
bureau for clothing shops in these streets are
approximately follows: Eliza beth. 1.031; I;
Mott. 500: Mulberry. $50.
Every incoming steamer from Mediterranean
ports brings hundreds of unskilled Italian labor
erE. Nho, in two three days, fairly overwheln
ihe license bureau with applications for chance
q finish trousers. coats and vests. The factory
inspectors turning in reports of some ex-
1raordnarT cases of overcnowding.
Miss Anna G Bannon chief clerk n the Bu-
reau Of Licenses. which is under the direction of
Daniel OLeary. said:
An Italian came here the other dav for license.
Sesiieste has premises His place in Elizabeth
81 e@t - re mad mao ofIE b1 w ,5ere lived four
families. There were four husbands ana IhSlr
wives with about three children TO each Ia.Ins- ,
The foar families did their cooking over one stove
The license refused. The Italians are steaalIY
ness on The & lover East SIDE They seem TO be able
70 live in cbesTer rooms and TO work longer hours
come and ask for licenses Tor members OF ti1SlI
found that some of these licenses were being sold
by those who secured them NOW oIhy Inose .p-
picsnts who apply personally get licenses. An
other OF overcrowdinE was found in Mott-st.
slept and cooked in one room by feet. The
Commissioner has sent a picture of this room TO
the main Office at Albany
The Italians are spreading out from their
outnumber other nationalities in Oak Oliver and
Roosevelt sts.. and it Will not be long, at the
present progress. until they outnumber the
Hebrews in Chrystie. Hester and Monroe sts
Other Italian quarters are growing with equal
rapidity The artificial flower district in Sulli-
van. Thompson Macdougal. Varick and Car
mine SITS. Is receiving large accessons every day
So fierce is the competition for chance to earn
q living that artificial vioiets now are being
made al about four cents gross. Miss Bannon
said:
risf time Of any wage earners in the city The
work at the best IS not at all wholesome and tu-
lsrcunsis is very prevalent. Our inspectors the
other day across an Italian family where the
father has been eight years in ths country. ne Is
entire six months season at ARTIFICIAL flower max
ters nine and eleven years old The four together
mace rom = 10 = q & weh sia o or tI en- Tras Of s
2 week. There were also two younger children In
the family. twin boys, three years old There are
few of the old stock Irish families living in Eliz
abeth-st vet An Irish woman the widow or a
T-nioa var veteran was in here the other day to
get a license. She said that the Italians had be
come so thick that she could no longer make a iv
Ing selling wood and coal and she wanted a license
make clothes. In a few days she came back
highly indignant
Here's Yer license" she said. ''Shure the boss
only give seven cints for nishn' coat. and II
TUX me half day. Divil bit viii WuTruk any
more such wages. an I'm mevin' frem Eliza
betil-st. where ! lived for thirty year
One Of the State inspectors was requested
few days ago TO iook up Hebrew clothing
maker named Klatz. His license could not be
traced. and the office wanted information about
him. Yesterday the inspector turned in a re-
port follows
Dear Sir: We can't give you the address of
Klatz which gave us so much trouble by mov
ing because klatZ is dead"