The wageworker., 1909-09-11
Miss Mcdowell Talked
Frankly to Star Reporter

tories of the great packing houses -
a strong advocate OF uni0nism Miss
Mcdowell thinks that Fne conditions o<
the working classes II the packing
plants as well as the other large zze-
tories. can only De -aI5sviated 5y Ea@
close organization Of the working peg
pie
The average wages paid 20 Eae girls
IN the stock yards. Miss Mcdowell
says. Is about s. week Our of this
allowance they have 20 pay for taes<
board as well as lodging and es0rz@z
Nearly all Of ne girls who are IN -hs
packing houses are foreigners. many u
whom are unable TO speak the E1zszsa
the teaemen-s without the protection
OF home and without the gzsdEax II
iuence of parents The mos: miserable
conditions Miss Mcdowell beIier-s-
are not IN the packing plants but n
the eating and sleeping quarters Of the
girls Dozens Of item ara huddled to
gether night after night in a single
room, size declared. where there IL IL
tie ventilation and where the air .
made more acrid b. the foul odors os
the nearby fertilizer plants and zIae
factories
More than one man. said Miss Nc
Doweu has spent twenty OF rairry
years IN the packing houses xorxinz
for wages that were barely enough TO
keep poverty from swapping AZ his heels
only TO be refused JOB ard turned
away from the labor gates when ne
had passed the years OF Ese1E.ress-
The places are then taken oy younger
men who are better able 20 do the ar
duous Labor IN sueh cases fr has
often been necessary for the wires
and mothers OF these men TO 10 n1enzaz
aoor TO furnish bread for the family
There Is no pension system o. eEs1
/ system OF protection N most OF tie
| houses One Of the packing plants has
| q mutual benefit society bur ir has
been a current ramor that even thai
instead of being for the benefit Of he
men has been made money pr0duesr
j Tor Iie owners of tas pszz-
There are no labor unions in the
Chicago packing plants There we're
strong trades organizations previous 10
1904, but the defeat Of Mike" Don-
ally and his 10000 workers at that
time was so thorough that unionism
has not regained its feet For years
Miss Mcdowell said, attempts have
been made TO organize the women sat
the foreign girls are difficult to con-
sI, and even If the unions we're
f.s med they would be Ineffective on
account OF the necessity for the girls
Eerking whether or not they might
desire. The American girls. she says
do not work in the plants. but may be
found in the uptown Offices or IN the
factories where more money Is paid
In many factories the American born
women have formed strong unions
which have been a means Of getting
higher wages and better working con-
ditions, and Miss McDowelI believes
that the same condition viii exist IN
the packing house district az soon a.
the foreign girls can be made TO unds--
stand what they would gain By union
!. ism
a great deal of good has been done
in Chicago by the American Assoctz-
Ition OF Labor Legislation Miss Nc
DoweH said. in discussing the working
hours of men in the packing plants
/ ,vrr1 hoe x-1 IN
securing a ten hour working day for
women and it attempting to get the
limit reduced TO eight hours This or
ganization was formed in 1906 10
serve as the American section of the
International Association for Labor
legislation The International AssocSa-
ton was established at the Paris ex-
position in 1900, and the permanent
bureau was opened In Basel. Swirzer-
land, in 1901 This bureau which IS
strictly scientific in character. has az
its special function the examination Of
labor measures and the investigation
of actual conditions underlying labor
Legislation 1t is semIprivats in char
acter inasmueh as it IS voluntary or
ganization composed of experts and
officials as well as public-spfrfred cit
zens- 1t is. however. quasi-ofcizr as
It receives SubvensIons from most
Il civilized governments fucfudlus ore
from our own federal government
Strictly non-partisan IN character Is
wen as scientific. It aids governments
by its investigations conducted by
men trained in economies Il has d.
rected special attention to Industrial
r,fsiSorS -,i.E,. zr.,rl- ~ z-.s