The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-14
SAD PICTURES IN
STOCKING PLANTS
Forty Thousand Women and Girls
May Have To Toll Longer If
Tariff Is Increased.
BY w. G. SHEPHERD.


PHILADELPHIA. April l4.--If con-
gress raises the tariff on stockings,
who's going to be protected In Phil
adelphia,
II the American consumer has TO
pay 20 cents more dozen for hose
and stockings, who's going to get the
money
II won't 20 to the factory girls.
We won't raise the wages oil the
factory hands" said F. w. Simons TO
me- MIR. Simons ought TO know. he
is president of the National Associa-
ton of Hosiery and Underwear man
ufacturers.
Salaries won't be raised II the
tariff on hosiery Is increased" said +.
Park Moore He's the chairman or
the tariff committee of the national
association above mentioned.
Well. where will the the worker
benefit" l asked him.
They'll get steadier work. he re-
piled.
And that answer Is enough to give
you the horrors, after you have seen
the knitting district.
"Steadier work." That means more
hours cramped mp. over knitting ma
chimes. II means fewer holidays. II
means less rest II means all these
things TO 10000 women and girls III
the Philadelphia factories.
No more wages: no fewer hours.
Here's little Anna Morgan. for In
stance. Her parents are poor and her
father is Ill; he gave 20 years OF life
TO the factories.
DIVA haan unrktnU IN Waaka I'm tho
factory" said Anna. proudly. as she
was on her way 10 work the other
morning at quarter TO o'clock. The
first week worked for nothing. /
was learning then. but the next week
earned 81. The third week earned
50. and after that got a steady sal
er I'll get more money. like the big
girls do
Annals face was bright and smiling.
The fact that she had TO work until
quarter past that evening didn't
seem to worry her. II was all new and
exciting 10 her She said she was 10
years old.
Down the street | saw coming a
girl who had lost her smile,
That's the second stage of the fac
Rlfl - ilit. HIS sill III bi' eNN
ond stage, was wan and worn. Her
eyes were still bright. as II there was
Just tiny bit OF sunshine that simply
couldn't leave them.
But her tace was immovable. Lit
tie Anna had smiled when the pho
.togyapher took her picture. This girl
was willing TO have her picture TAX
en-, but she didn't smile. There was
something terribly old about her.
I saw hundreds OF these girls go up
the stairs to the factory doors. in the
sunshine of the early morning.
Then there were the women in the
third stages Their faces told the
stories OF their lives. They moved
like machines
When the photographer turned his
camera on them they stood stolid and
expressionless.
What do you want the picture for?"
asked little Anna. who had an inter
est in life. smoothing her hair
Il don't look dressed up said the
girl in the second stage.
But the woman In the third stage
didn't seem to- care what the picture
was for or whether she looked well.
And. in view OF these sights-these
have lost their smile. these hopeless.
machine women-the masters OF these
mills even while they are crying to
congress for protection, confess thai
their protection" will give these worl-
Ell NOTHING more than sreadier
work.
These manufacturers, from the head
quarters I'm the Drexel building in
Philadelphia. sent out story that
they might have parade OF factory
girls in Washington TO further the
hosiery tariff bill.
But they won't. II would be sight
that would appeal strongly to the hui
man instincts IL the parade looked
like the throngs that entered the fac
tory buildings in Philadelphia the
morning ] saw them.
There won't be any parade" said
Mr.. Slmons. IL think somebody sug-
gested II at the Chapman factory in
Easton, Pa. but II would be TOO expen-
sive to take them all down to Wash
ington."