The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

Revolving Conditions Found
inSweatshopsW Where Hard
Work Wins But Little Pay
POOR SANITATION
CAUSES SICKNESS
Refugees From Russia Exc
Out Miserable Existencein
These Clothing Factories
SPECIAL GABLE no rHr cA1r..

SPECIAL CABLE TO THE CALL.
LONDON, July 14.-London. like Chi
cago. has discovered it's Jungle. The
strike Of $4,000 OF the East End taiIors
against the inhuman conditions OF their
existence has suddenly revealed stats
Of things Of which few people wers
aware. and which none can consider
without a feeling approaching horror. Z
London's Jungle lies in the heart OF
Whitechapel and Bethnal Green. where
thousands OF aIiensIwho hate ths
name-live in grinding poverty. At
present they are to be seen In thou
sands in the East End streets-hungry.
looking men. whose life blood has been
drunk by the tigerish sweating system
which seizes them for its victims the
moment they land from Russia. and
often keeps them in it's grip for ten or
twenty years after their arrival In
London.
In the Jungle London's clothes are
made by these half-starved Russian
Jews. who hitherto have had to take
whatever pittance their master Sweat
ers" have been willing to give them.
Twenty thousand tailors. men and
women. make clothes in the East End
under conditions which are often sick
stairs kitchens and cellars Most OF
them work in rooms which are far too
small. HI-ventilated or unventilated.
many of them being garrets In the
home of the master sweater.
Half the men in London would re-
fuse to wear the coats made in sweat
shops" said one OF the strikers. "it
the clothes are made. We are putting
our very lives into these garments and
most of US. you can see. are consump-
tives. How can we be otherwise IL We
work fifteen and eighteen hours day
in small shops without a breath OF
fresh air2
Most OF the strikers are immigrants
from Russia They are so chained to
their shops that most OF them would
be lost outside OF the few East Side
streets they know.
The clothing men pay WELL" one OF
the strikers said. but our employers
take too big a share for themselves.
Out of SLIP allowed for an ordinary
coat by the clothing firms the sweater
takes 81 or Ss cents; OF $3.50 for frock
coats we get only 75 to IS cents. The
same conditions hold good in high
grade work done in sweatshops"
As consequence OF these wages the
workers cannot afford to live in sani-
tary houses and are packed up in cell
reaps a heavy harvest. Those who es-
cape consumption suffer from other
lung diseases. and 1t is almost inn
possible to find a person in the East
Side with a buoyant look or a healthy
appearance.
Since was thirteen years old have
been tailoring. and I am now thirty
three" striker said. Il am today SIS
In debt. and I do not see how I can
ever pay it on. I have wife and four
children, and I have not half-penny
left. One day I shall be sold out. That
happens to men every day. live as care
fully as they can
In the slack season many times have
gone home with six cents. which
have borrowed to buy my children dry
bread for dinner. have gone back
dinnerless to work Yet am one OF
the best-paid men who, the employers
say. earn $3.50 a week So we do.
from April to July, but for the rest Of
the year we earn often only s2.25 to
$3.50 week"
The man quoted is one OF the best
workers in his trade and a native OF
England The newcomers are much
worse off The sweaters take ad-
vantage Of their Ignorance and pay
them lower wages and make them
work longer hours.