The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-11-28
Contract Labor Law Broken,
Says Secretary Hilfers, Citing
Alleged Evils.
RARlTAN PLANTS REOPENED
UNDER TROOPS PROTECTION
Resumption Despite Rejection of
Ccmpromise-Strikebre
EXpected.-S0ldiers to Stay.

Charges made by the Essex Trades
Council, the most powerful labor body
In New Jersey, that the big Perth AM
boy -Keasbey strike is the result of
"one of the most fragrant and dis
graceful cases Of peonage this country
has ever KNOWN" are being investi-
gated by Governor Fort today.
Statements were made by Secretary
Henry F. Hiifers to the Trades Council
mortal to the Governor. calling on him
to appoint a commission to investigate
the Conditions of human slavery"
existing In Perth Amboy and con-
demning his action In calling out the
militia at the behest Of the owners of
the great fire-clay works.
According to documents submitted
by Secretary Hilfers thousands Of
foreigners were induced to come to this
country, In violation of the contract
labor law, and that, when they reached
the Perth Amboy works. they entered
"a condition of peonage from which
only this strike can free them"
HiIfers's Further Charges.
w lllj3 tllcyl ilhu Deen pfOiIllScO . .
wages the vast majority Of them re-
ccived only ninety cents for a day of
ten hours. The town of Keasbey, where
the majority of the strikers were en-
pioyed, is without adequate homes and
boarding houses, and the company fur
nshed quarters and board for so per
cent. of the employees. Each man had
been charged seventy cents a day for
board and lodging and, according to
s,ecretary Hilfers, the company charged
iMicc that price when the men worked
o crtiine. Frequently the men We're
acquired TO work from one to six hours
oSeriime, and on such occasions the
company charged them for two days
loard. said Mr.. Hilfers.
The report further declared that when
Committees of the laborers protested
TO tic management they were prom
ised higher wages and that on the last
occasion, In October, they were
definitely assured that If Taft were
elected all of their wages would be in
creased at once to S1.50 day. When
the promise was not kept the strike re-
suited.
AS the boarding of employees by a
company and the bringing of laborers
OH COnlTdct 1tllO the COuHITy dTe VIZ
latlons of law, the Essex County Trades
Council says, that body demands that
the Governor appoint commission to
investigate
George M. Keasbey, Newark at
torney and brother of Henry NJ. Keas-
hey, general manager of the National
Fireproofing Company, denied today
the assertion before the Essex Trades
Council that the fireclay workers had
ever been paid as low as 80 cents a
day. He said their wages ranged from
$1.30 to $1.35 day. He also denied the
charges that there was any peonage or
slavery, and that the companies had
no connection with boarding or provid
ing for the man..
THE company may build and sell
houses to tho employees" he said, 'but
there are plenty of places for them to
1--we. There has been no violation of
any law by the companies Ny broth
er's company is being made the victim
of Misrepresentation
1t was said that the strike started
across the Raritan river from Keasbey,
and that the strike spread to the Ma
4fn,aI o,,1par,x'c f,Ia