The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-08-06


most Of the t1aploye.. and> this is !
I perhaps the Kreatest cause of ts'-
balance against 10 per cent profit:
The conditions 5outstde the buildings
of the surroundings Of the laborers'
homes. The question arises as to the
conditions within the buildings. Does
the guide point to,It all the interesting
features within the houses themselves ?
Does he take HIS party into the damp
packing cellars: where FROM THREE
Tc TEN YEARS ORDINARILY Y
MARKS THE LIMITS OF A MANS
WORKING L1FEMbefore 1t breaks him
down with rheumatism and sends his
wife and childrenu=.into the fierce labor
struggle or makesSof him a supplicant
for charity? Doess he call attention to
the gangs Of mehsIin the ham houses
working with bare arms in the semi
poisonous saltpetre that causes great
fostering sores to- come out on their
hands and arms?SSs. Does he tell about
the poison festedHsair and general
surroundings which makes the slight
est scratch a menace to life through
blood poisoning ~:
The Child Slaves:
Here, as elsewhere, capitalism has
invaded the home and dragged forth
the mother andYehild to do its work
while, the father xainly walks the
streets looking FOR. master. Not.
withstanding many prosecutions dur
ing the past fewsysars; large numbers
of children are censtanly employed.
All statistics; regarding these are VAL
ueless, as, the dexterity with which
children are VIII hisked out i Of ight at
Ethes5anproachsof spect la one
il(j talinh
IS In1ered
through I ne 11azes king
will understand how easy such con
cealnert is. +
A state factory inspector says in an
official report: ''-*
Some of the boys act as butchers,
sticking sheep, lambs and swine
others cut the hide from the quiver-
ing fleshr of freshly stunned cattle;
still others sort entrails, pack meat,
and make the tin cans in which the
goods are shipped. In several places
dangerous machine, BECAUSE HIS
RY 1T, and his keeping the place
pending recovery depended upon the
boys doing mis- work during MS
fathers absence"
Uncertain Employment and Starvation
Wages.
Several years ago the packers saw
that by maintaining a capacity to
their works far beyond the actual
needs, 1t was possible to kill the en-
tire daily shipments each day and
thus save the expense of storage and
feeding. Thus it comes about that
the establishments run each. day only
until the receipts for that day are
disposed of and then shut down until
the next purchase. The result is that
thousands of men must plod to their
places each morning, utterly Ignorant
as to whether they will work one hour
hour, two hours, or sixteen. If one IL
missing from his position but a single
time when wanted, someone is called
in from. the waiting army always
| clamoring at the doors for even his
poor chance, and the place is lost. If
on the other hand, as often happens
he walks a weary distance only to fine
that the house will not run that day
no one compensates him for his time
or finds him other employment during
his waiting hours. As wages are al.
! ways by the hour or piece, a multitude
of families exist on from year to year
paying or lodging rent, buying or beg.
ging clothing, purchasing Or. picking
coal, in a miserable monotonous hold.
ing of the body and soul together or
the shameful pittance of FROM 81 tt
IS A WEEK, prevented from goine
elsewhere, had their life left then
with ambition enough to desire move.
ment, by the impossibility upon thu
one hand Of paying railroad fare, ant
On the other the Will-o'- the wisp hope
OF better wages and, fuller time" How
close the margin of existence alway:
Is to the subsistence point Is shown b,
the fact that OVBRs20 PER CENT or
THE POPULATION. ARE COMPELL.
Ell TO ASK FOR CHARITY Al
SOME TIME DURING EACH YEAR
Neither Rest Nor Hope.
1t must beremembered that for full,
80 per cent of those who begin worl
in the Yards there is, NO: HOPE OF
! EVER BECOMING ANYTHING
MORE THAN An ORDINARY LA.
BORER. Entering the u Establishment
at "A, or, It the pressure on the famil.
income Is very hard tlar !. q. year or :twt
earlier through the use Of easily oh,
tainable certificates. .s they have littl,
education or prepara ton L that woult
fit them for any hing but the simples
tasks. Robbed sof4 their birth right t
the develcp pnent the powers tina
Iare within the EN-, are bound eve
to terrible mono otonous slaveryi t,