The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-05

AMY OF tne united States SofeIIIlGllt'
Another instance of abuse in the use
of the labels came to our notice. In
two different establishments great
stocks of old canned goods were being
put through a washing process to re-
move the old labels. They were then
subjected to sufficient heat to "liven'
up" the contents-to use the phrase OF
the room superintendent. After this,
fresh labels, with the Government name
on them, We're to be placed upon the
cans, and they were to be sent out
bearing all the evidence of being
freshly put up product. In one OF these
instances, by the admission OF the SUI
perintendent, the stock thus being rela-
beled was over two years old. IN the
other case the superintendent eyaded
statement Of how old the goods were.
V.-TREATMENT OF EMPLOY Els.
The lack of consideration for the
health and comfort of the laborers IN
the Chicago stock yards seems to ne a
direct consequence of the system Of adj
ministration that prevails. The various
departments are under the direct con-
troll of superintendent who claim to
use full authority In dealing with the
employees and who seem to ignore all
considerations except those of the ac-
count book Under this system proper
care of the products and of the health
and comfort of the employees is impos-
sible and the consumer suffers In con"
sequence. The insanitary conditions In
which the laborers work and the fever
ish pace which they are forced to main
tain inevitably affect their health.
| Physicians state that tuberculosis Is
disproportionately prevalent in the
stock yards, and the victims of this dis
ease expectorate on the spongy wooden
| floors of the dark workrooms, from
which falling scraps Of meat are later
shoveled up to be converted into food
products. Even the ordinary decencies
of life are completely ignored. In prac-
! tically all cases the doors of the toilet
rooms open directly into the working
rooms, the privies of men and women.
! frequently adjoin and the entrances
are sometimes no more than foot or
two apart. In other cases there are no
| privies Tor women In the rooms in
which they work, and to reach the
nearest it is necessary to go up or down
couple of flights Of stairs. In one no.
ticea.ble instance the priyy for the wo-
men working in several adjoining rooms
was in a room in which men chiefly
We're employed, and every girl going to
use this had to pass by the working
places of dozens of male operatives and
| 49, NJ 1onr nf V,b9Nh
not six feet from the working place of
one of the men operatives AS previ-
ously noted, in the privies for men and
women alike there are ma partitions,
but simply long row of open seats.
Rest rooms, where tired women work.
ers might 60 for a short rest, were
found as rare exceptions, and in some
establishments women are even placed
in charge of prlvies chiefly for the pur-
pose, it was stated, to see that the girls
did not absent themselves too long from
their work under the excuse of visiting
/ them. In some instances what was
called a rest room was simply one end
of the privy partitioned Off by a six
foot partition from the remaining in
closure. A few girls were found using
this, not only as a rest room, but as the
only available place in which to sit to
eat their luncheon.
Much of the work In connection with
the handling of meat has to be carried
on in rooms Of a low temperature, but
even here a callous disregard was eve
rywhere seen for the comfort Of those
who worked in these rooms Girls and
women were found in rooms registering
temperature of thirty-eight sdegree
Fahrenheit, without any ventilation
whatever, depending entirely upon arti-
fetal light. The floors were wet and
soggy, and In some cases covered with
water, SO that the girls had to stand in
boxes of sawdust as protection for
their feet. In few cases even drip
pings from the refrigerator rooms
above trickled through the ceiling upon
the heads of the workers and upon the
food products being prepared, A very
slight expense would have furnished
drier floors and protected them against
trick1ing from the ceiling 1t was as
serted by the superintendent of these
rooms that this low temperature was
essential to the proper keeping Of the
! meat; but precisely similar work was
found In other establishments carried
on in rooms kept at a fair temperature.
In many cases girls of sixteen, seven
teen and eighteen years stand ten hours
day at work, much of which could be
carried on while sitting down,
In several establishments well man
aged restaurants were provided for the
clerical force, and In one instance a
smoking room was provided for them;
but no provision was found anywhere
for placeto eat for the male laiborers.
In pleasant weather they eat their
luncheon sitting outdoors along the
edge of the sidewalk, or any place
where they can find standing room. In
winter, however, and in Indictment
weather their lunches have to be eaten
in rooms that in many cases are sitting
and nauseating. Eating aooms are pro-
vided in a number of places for womer
workers In the various departments;
and in most of the large establishments
coffee is served them at penny a cup
Beyond this meager consideration foi
their convenience at meal times, scarce
ly any evidence is found that any one
gave thought to their comfort.
The neglect on the part of their en-
ployers to recognize or provide for tbs
requirements of cleanlinesN and decen-
cy of the employees must have an infiu-
ence than can not be exaggerated In