davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
Effect of the System
Upon the Men in the Mills.

In the mills developed a sullen dis
content. The men did not at all under
stand the pooling system. They re-
ser.ted the lower rating by the hour
Nineteen huntret and seffen." said one
Of them to me. we hat p. q. 90 cent "a
hour. Now we haf II, 1s 19. 20. q cent
a hour. A man vat get % cent, he smile
wit happiness" But the most hopeless
phase Of II all was that the men had
no way Of finding out how much their
pool was earning, how the earnings
were calculated. or in many cases what
the guaranteed minimum was supposed
TO be.
Little by little the new wage worked
itself out The men were earning. labor
ing with hot metal at the highest speed
possible. from 81 10 s. day. A fe W
years before some of these workmen
made s in a single day. That had been
cut 10 s. Now 1t was cut 10 less than 81.
Moreover there was put upon the men
the responsibility for speeding up" II
two or three I'm the pool were lazy or
slow the others were expected 10 hurry
them on. II one pool fnishej ahead OF
another the men OF the first were cx-
pected TO rush TO the help Of those in
the second If materials were lacking.
the men Of the pool paid part Of the
loss IN reduced earnings II a machine
broke down the men in the pool must
rush 10 repair II OF lose wages for all
the time the work waited. Finally, N
the foreman erred in applying his blue
prints and the plates must 5c reset, the
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
Pay Envelope Good
Testimony for the Workman.

The testimony Of scores OF pay en-
velopes which examined sustains the
workman's calculations rather than that
Of the company. These show that
in 1907 riveting was almost twice
as profitable as in 1909, Notwithstanding
the much lower pace Of the earlier
year. In that case Antony Nolk can
earn. when he and his mates are speed
ing up." only $2i or S25 for two weeks
labor, while IN 1907 Sebastian Piton
earned S45 for the same kind of work
In the same period. but without speed
ing Indeed, the evidence Of the en-
velopes Is that the wages OF 1906 and
1907 at the hour rate practically doubled
the aggregate OF the guaranteed mini
mum and the premium Of the piece
pool system" in 1873 MI Ryder is
surely mistaken in his estimate that the
minimum assured TO the men was only
y OF IS per cent under their old pay
And in considering this discrepancy We
owe II to ourselves 10 remember that
in 1906 (accordinR 10 Moody's Manual
for 1909 this McKees Rocks plant G.nd
its associated shops earned a surplus
above the cost Of production at the
old wages OF sS,3S1, ,Ss4, and in 1907
surplus Of S2,907, ,920.
It Is not good 70 think Of the life
which these conditions produced for the
workman. It was sickening duplicate
Of that which Upton Sinclair depicted
with whatever fidelity in Packingtown.
II the company did obtain greater
output-which is much 10 he dourrad
when all things are considerable WIS
at cost 10 the spirit Of every man and
woman dependent upon the works for
Ernrrrrnr
The Washington times., 1909-09-05

1909, in February. I paid him s.; did
not get jon; never received money
back"
Sam y. JuEic makes affidavit that he
paid to Boss jim Tate Sl0;" Mike Kral-
jak that he paid 10 Mr. Rosenburg to Boss
Jolasson. $1O;" Ignatz Karaman that me
was told by his boss to treat him with
whisky and beer. Not being able to
comply with the request. he was dis
charged Nike Matkovski that "he was
compelled TO pay boss four times So
nd so on.
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
teontinued From First Page)


Ground for wOrkmen in America
between the despotism Of ruthless
corporation employers on the one
hand and the despotism of labor
unionism on the other?
The striking employees of the
Pressed Steel Car Company believe
It does. If they win they may
only escape the one evil for the
other. But today they are fighting
for the middle ground. Today they
ase contending only for rights we
Rre wont to think synonymous
with residence in the United States.
To-day they are remaining outside
the works for the lack of these
things and these things alone
r
The right to know at what rate
they are being paid.
he right to be paid each man
according to his ability
The right to be paid all their
wage.
The right to make such with
6rawals from their wage as they,
not the company. shall choose for
Insurance. medical attendance, and
house rent
The right to a municipal gov
Rrnment independent of the factory.
The right to know for what they
nre arrested.
The right to keep at work on
the ground of merit alone and not
because of bribes paid to foremen
or blackmail endured from fore
men.
The right to know for what they
are discharged.
Ehe right to adjust lesser differ
ences by arbitration.
Surely there is nothing here
which warrants a lockout by any
employer Indeed, many of these
demands are so obviously just chat
while the Pressed Steel Car Com
Dany refuses to meet its striking
men and so informs them, it has
already granted these rights to the
strike-breakers. Yet for lack of
these things the men now out of
TIE mills have endured almost un-
beIievable injustice.
They have been told their COM
mittee could "get the hell out"
xThey have been discharged and
bIacklisted without intimation Of
the cause. They have been re-
quired to pay money 10 obtain en-
ployment and to keep it, and some
of them have had to yield up their
wives and daughters. They have
been arrested and fined for no
cause made known to them. They
have been subject to a municipal
government practically identical
with the management of the COM
pany, to the Withholding Of money
for rent without right OF appeal to
any court, to deductions for insur-
ance without opportunity even TO
correct mistakes in the calculation
of the premium, to penalties for
the mistakes of foremen. They
have been pooled" in groups and
paid according 10 the work done
by the pool" reckoned by a pro-
cess which worked error in $40
cases out of 4S2 claims adjusted
Immediately after the walkout.
They have been rated Without
formal notice 70 them and on
pressing the inquiry have been
turned away under threat of dis
charge.
This is the situation against
which these immigrants have pro-
tested. If you and I are to under
stand how It could come about we
shall have TO look generally over
McKees Rocks.
THE PARENT COMPANY.
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
Paid the Foreman
To Give Them Work.

But the deductions did not stop with
che company cashiers. Let's run through
that pile of afhdavits again
Paul Cara, No. 34S4. being duly sworn,
says:
II paid $40 to Foreman Miller to get
job for self and another. I received a
job, but my triend did not. ] asked Mil
Ter 90 give me back the s.. but ne gave
The Washington times., 1909-09-05

assured each workman was from L 10 10
per cent below his total pay or Two
years ago for work OF the same class
and the premium in the form OF the
piece pool payment would about
equalize the two rates. 10 sustain this
estimate the company has given out
sample pool It includes six men who
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
BADLY ADMINISTERED.

WELLs accepting the system as it is.
1t would seem to have been
wretchedly administered. In one day
after the walk-out. 49, claims were pre-
sented to the company by TIE strikers.
OF these claims 352 were found to be
just. Mr.. Ryder. following his practice
Of being entirely frank with me. showed
me his list Here are the important
items:
The Washington times., 1909-09-05

This sum was divided according 10 the
following table. the hour ratings belnS
given in order 10 make sure that in no
case did the piece-pool earnings fall be
low the guaranteed minimum;
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
Manager Contends
Can Discount Stories.

These are, TO be sure, only charges
Mr.. Ryder believes they car be dis
counted oS per cent Yet when these
charges were made formal and urged
against seven of the foreman by name
the conpany's own investigation led to
the discharge Of five, and the suspension
of the remaining two. Now-that is to
say. since the stTike-there is posted
about the mills the following rule:
mo. S. Any work-Han Offering money
OF gift Of any kind to any foreman,
boss or clerk. and any foreman. boss or
clerk receiving such gift from any
workman. will be dismissed.
We come after that to one of the
ugliest chapters in the whole miserable
story. The brow-beating of the foremen
did not stop at money. whisky and beer.
Every street in "HunkeytOwn" buzzed
with whispers before the strike Those
whispers were renewed in response to
my questions. Ona-poor, pretty, help
less little Ona Of THE Jungle''-had
many sisters in her misfortune here in
Preston. Proof Of :his was hard to get.
Women may have been forced TO shame
ever so black. bat they will shrink from
publishing il 70 the world. Yet I myself
had from women, husbands. fathers.
doctors, ana priests what any reader
wodld Judge 70 be warrant enough for
printing these two cases that follow.
A young Lithuanian sent back to the
valley of the Niemen. in Russia. for mis-
bride. We do not know what was IN
mis- heart. But surely we can think his
hope was like our own when we set
about making home. And surely, also,
we can think his heart was the lighter
for the whirling OF his sweetheart out
Of that dreadful Russia before she was
crushed under the shame OF a brutal.
ir1DeriaI roIdfarv
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
Story of Conditions
In Dirty HunkeytOwn.

She came, confused by the roar and
smoke Of Pittsburg, wondering Gt may
be) If the smoke does not curl down
into the hearts OF these strange people,
but happy, also, and eager for the little
house Of which her man had written
They were married-in Hunkevtown-by
the priest all just as it might have been
AT home. They mad their little wedding
festival Though she did not know how
the company collected Sc extra rent be-
cause Of it and they bought little
furniture and they put one dollar Of
every ten IN the savings bank, and oh,
they were wonderfully happy.
For little. Then one day the fore
The Washington times., 1909-09-05

man walked through the street and
saw the bride. Then. soon after that.
he stopped near the bridegroom and
said simply.
You amt goin' home tonight. Do you
understand
We will hope the poor young fellow
did not understand.
Another Croatian-had three daugh-
ters But they were all mere children.
The eldest was only fifteen and she
was safe a year more at any rate. II
was not the same foreman which saw
this daughter one evening at the store
But he. too. sought out the workman
most closely bound 10 the woman who
had pleased his fancy. The father was
not surprised. It had come a little
sooner than he had expected. that was
all At home he would have died Of
the shame. But here! And so A
slip Of child became a Magdalen there
in Hunkeytown, by the power Of the
Pressed Steel Car Company. and her
father could not save her He could
only get drunk
1t was in connection with these cases
that Mr.. Ryder urged me to discount
all she stories of grating by foremen
by 9s per cent
Did they give you names?" he asked.
And If they did. what business is that
Of ours?''
looked At him moment. He IS
splendid. manly Hkeable young fellow,
not yet thirty-four years old. Then I
answered him honestly.
Everything" I said.
He toed the mark.
ploy such men II we know it."
Graft Runs Rampant
Throughout the Works.
What kind of men was the company
employing. in fact?
Well, there was Mr.. Farrell. As chief
of the corporations police force he was
in position Of peculiar general au-
thority
John Kavalcovitz swears that hs was
at the employing office seeking a job
on January 13. The chief arrested him.
ne saws. for throwing snowballs. "of
which was innocent Of and took him
70 the Office Of Justice Of the Peace J.
o. Clark There he was fined and made
TO pay costs, the total being 1918. paid
for me by Fred Chaniozak. ard It was
der why an incident like this is en-
Dhasized. Maybe the fellow did throw
the snowballs." you will say. Maybe
he did. But he was not tried for that
Here is the sworn account Of the trial.
There was no criminal cha -ge what
soever- No defense was accepted The
squire asked three questions. Where
did YOU come from? How old are you?
How long have you been in this -coun-
try? Then he said five dollars and costs
or ten days in jail"
And when a friend went security for
poor Kavalcovitz the fine and costs
were taken from the friends pay en-
velope by the company tbs is not
the end OF the story. Andrew SteckO
was at the employment Offi,e shaking
hands. was likewise arrested. likewise
tried. likewise fined. In March, by spe-
Cifc testimony, Farrell bOasted that this
business had netted him in shares Of
fines collected by the squire" $40 for
that month alone
What Was Paid
For Company Houses.
The last species Of graft with which
we need concern ourselves was that re-
lating 10 the company houses These
The Washington times., 1909-09-05

Many a man goes broke-in
Islth-then wealth. Blames his
'nd-says IT don't work right;
L all the time it's his bowels.
yhey don't work-liver dead and
he whole system gets clOgged with
fpoison. Nothing kills good, clean
cut brain action like constipation.
CASCARETS will relieve and cure.
Try 1t now. as
CAsCARETS loc q box FOR a weeks
treatment. all druggists. Biggest seller
IN the world Million boxes month.
The Washington times., 1909-09-05

1t III Iu9t DC uh"eIst0od tlat this table
covers an unusual number Of claims.
and that IT is not known how far hack
the claims reach. But If we examine
the afhdavits made by the workmen
we shall have better light on the vag-
aries OF this system as It worked.
Louis Iavacald, No. so14, swears that
he worked forty hours and was paid
20 cents; Lozab Pelc, No. 1862, that he
worked thlrty-three hours and was not
paid anything; L Schacter, No 1893,
that his envelope was marked sILI5. but
contained only S1G15: EIek Komarnic-
ky. that his guaranteed minimum for
the hours worked was $3.50. and he
received only $3.50, and so on as long
almost as one chooses to read
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
GREAT PLANT REOPENED.

SOON after January /. last, the Nc
- KEGS Rocks gates swung in. Many
OF the old men had gone away. But
there were yet many who had found
employment there through nine years.
With these rs a nucleus the remaining
was hurried There were a score OF
applicants for each place. Restive un-
der the tdleness OF the preceding year
and a half, wOrkmen crowded to the
two employment sheds from every sec
ton Of Pittsburg. BY chance or other
wise most OF those selected were for
igners-Croatians. Russians, BulRar-
ians. Slovenes, Poles. Bohemians. Slo-
vaks. Wends, Kashoubes. Italians. Ger
mans, Lithuanians, Hungarians. Rou-
manians. Russian Jews. and Serbs.
This horde Immediately sought houses.
Now, the better to understand the sit
uation as to these dwellings. it is need
ful TO note carefully that the Pressed
Steel Car Company did not locate its
plant inside the borough Of McKees
Rocks. II went farther out on the
point, crossed the tracks Of the Pitts
burg and Lake Erie branch OF the New
York Central railroad and bought
ground in the township Of Stowe on
part Of that ground it grected. outside
the fence Of the mill. ~ double houses
and fat Of thlrty-two apartments. It
was to these 274 dwellings that most of
the 5000 workmen taken on the past
winter turned.
Houses Of Company
Builded Substantially.
The company had buidea for them
substantially. The houses are all
weather-tight. There is running water
at each back door. The streets are
drained. Once the mana gers sodded
the front yards, but by this time there
was nothing but gravel and dust Two
stores. rented by the company to Rus
sian Jews, hanked Athe entrance. There
was also a church, and near 70 that
stood one school building with desks
for 200 children. Ano in that space, to
the life Of utter unIoveliness II bespoke,
perhaps 1900 of these aliens made their
homes IN the New World.
Township government. under the law
Of Pennsylvania, consists chiefly OF a
board OF three supervisors. In Stowe
there were also two Justices Of the
peace. a constable and three deputies,
and a supine board Of health. To this
force, with power limited 20 its own
premises. the company added about a
dozen special policemen under the di-
rection Of one T. A. Farrell as chief
II will be noted that this special force
did not lack FOR authority over the
company houses and streets where the
workmen lived. II will be understood
also. that the men chosen TO be super
visors. Justices Of the peace, consta-
bles. and health officers were agreeable
TO the manag gers Of the company. This
settlement was ten years ago. formally
named Preston" But it was known
even 20 the postal clerks, as "Hunkcy-
town"
one thing more must be understood
Is nearly as possible n we are 20 under
stand the setting for this revolution. Tt
is the new method Of pay.
The Washington times., 1909-09-05
What Was Paid
For Company Houses.

The last species Of graft with which
we need concern ourselves was that re-
lating 10 the company houses These
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29

The Board of License Commission
ers for the City and County Of Homo
lulu will hold a meeting at the Execu-
tive Building on Friday. July 10th,
1909, at p. m, to consider the appli-
cation of Carl Klemme, for a restau-
rant license to sell intoxicating liquors
at corner of Queen and Richard
Streets, Honolulu, under the provi-
sions of Act 119, Session Laws of 1907,
All protests or objections against
the issuing of License under said
Application should be filed with the
Secretary of the Board not later than
the time set for said hearing.
CARLOS A, LONG,
Sec. Board of License Commissioners.
4ts-June IS, 25 July 2, 9.
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29

The desire of Great Britain Ior "n
o1aneive and defensive alliance Will
the limited States IS well understood
rhe traditional repugnance OF the
1rsited States to all foreign alliances
80 +bie nature is understood equally
VOL At Washington the other uay'
porop Trriu yice-admiral of the Jap
anese navy, used this language Il
war should come, | expect 10 see tne
Tinted States, England and Japan In
ed IN against the other world pow
ers." That similar expectation Is
entertained among leading British
statesmen is fact of which we nave
had repeated and sufficient evidence
of late. The attitude of the United
States toward Great Britain and ia
nan is one of warm friendship.
II may be put down as a settled
proposition that there will be no Of
fensive or defensive alliances between
the United States and these nations.
Friendship for Great Britain and ia
pan does not imply on our part en-
nifty to the other great powers. We
have nothing to gain and much to lose
by assuming a hostile attitude toward
any other nation.
Nevertheless, an alliance between
the three nations is not only posi-
bic but desirable. 1t must, however,
be an alliance for the promotion and
preservation of peace rather than for
the carrying on of war
An alliance between the United
States, Great Britain and Japan with
this end in view would constitute
benefcent international copartnership.
It would be one of the greatest moral
forces the modern world has known.
1t would be able to exercise in world
politics an influence which would com
pei recognition from the most AFRO
giant of governments and the most
headstrong OF statesmen. BY standing
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29
CHARLES Fl. ROSE.

Deputy Sheriff, District of Honolulu
City and County of Honolulu.
Honolulu, June 10, 1909.
3ts-June 10, &c. July u.
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29
An All POWERFUL TRIPLE ALLIANCE

behind the righteous decisions OF Inc
Hague conference it could enforce IN
ternational arbitration. In time II
would be able to insure the civilized
world against war SO as to bring
about disarmament and to put an emu
to militarism.
It need not be an exclusive coparC-
nership at all. 1t should welcome IN
to it's organization other nations oe-
sirous of sharing in the glory ana re-
wards of it's triumphs over the prlue
and passions of men.
The kind of a foreign alliance we
believe. the people of the United
states would gladly approve of-Bos-
ton Monitor
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29
THE BOOSTING OF SALARIES.

e.; for the BOARD Of Supervisors if they have an eye to
t ol; future The people the city and county are ooN'
for results and when present administration comes 10
~: - ;rod NV what il has accomplished In the meantime noun
;r At al IS accomplished Ivy raising salaries all round e
lessenng of funds available for roads and other permanent % M
- The SUPERVISORS proceedings of last night 1oeShaucw @
loss Of the next election by the Republican party Inc s
The legal department boosted to over $4,000 o
~ 60 r month assistants $Ioo and right ana el @
ontere and bookkeepers from 500 to $50 are an
mich higher than such services command IN oror @ ;rs
81 4oct of this sort of lberaly to add to the injurious
olent ambition to get Jobs in the government mere a. ~
I e no more undesirable service than that OF W0Nns ~ o
.l &C. The discipline often merely political and tne 'e
- e;t;on is ALWAYS uncertain. The result OF many hser
tared in public has been to make INN pooo t; o
a that government Jobs where the work IS no'oH Iond
&c. aid than those positions in commercial houses WHICH ~
services salaries
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29
ENFORCING THE LIQUOR LAW

The liquor commissioners decided upon closed Sunday
In SO doing we think they agreed with the sentiment OF me
community They added this complete shutting down Oh
all privileges of liquor restaurants after the closing hu
of saloons This is regulation going good deal fdshe aph1
as to alike Now let us have thoo
enforcement AS far the Sunday business Is
has been very unsatisfactory This admitted even by the
Those who Sunday privileges take the view that there
have been many licensed places If only two or three places
have the right to sell Sunday they the volume OF business
SO great that cannot Be handled properly In other words there
have been violations law Sundays it was due TO the
@ there was too much business the few places much
that even proprors anxious to conduct places properly cu
look after it. strongly bears out the statement
- + these naes were practically Sunday saloons Such were
rot contemplated by who drafted and voted Tor the liquor M
row on the statute Hence in stopping their business
- hoard If liquor commissioners simply putting the law e
hect
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29
NOTHING DOING IN ART CIRCLES

NOTHING DOING IN ART CIRCLES
Honolulu, June 90, 1909.
EDITOR STAR
One of the things that surprises me
more than anything else, is the tact
that with the exception of Mr.. and
Mrs. Bishop we have no patrons oil
art among our rich men; or at least
none after the Mark Hopkins order
Money, it is said, can be found Tor
almost any thing else, even for GOLD
bricks of the largest dimensions, and
the most costly nature, but for that
which is inconceivably more precious
beautiful, and valuable there is nc
demand. 1t also seems strange to me
considering that this one of the rich
est countries in the world, that there
are not found among all the rich and
well to do residents of 1his city,
enough art patrons to keep employed
a single professional artist; a man
whose long residence here and untir-
ing devotion to his art has placed him
in the front rank, and who it is said
has caught the beauty of the sky, sea
and landscape OF this fair land better
than anyone else has ever done.
Many of his pictures, too, it is said
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29

Fine Job Pr '-7g, Star once.
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-06-29

Fine Job Printing. star once.