The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-12-22
Manufacture Cheap Xmas Trinkets
in Sweat Shops and Unsani-
tary Tenements.
Their Lives Are Blighted by the Exploiting Methods
OF the Soulless Corporations in Their Mad
Rush for Gold and Political Power
Foster Poverty and Misery

80" hoih, bec. S1.-lnc magnlti-
cent uses that modern industry can
make of the tender fingers O, lIttl,,
children of kindersa rten age bv put.
ing them to work in home swcatshops
Is being fully Illustrated at an exhibit
or child and women labor in the home
IN the arcade OF the new Fifth Ave
p"llnlns, at the corner of 23rd street
The exhibit comes especially time.
ly now before Christmas. as if WIN
snow the public that many of the
thlngs which are bought as Christmas
presents have been made in tenc.
ments by children and women who are
PAID pitiable price for their work
inc one thing which the exhibit
brings out most stril1ingly is the fact
that the thousands of little things that
are bought lawfully cheap are the
blight of the lives OF thousands of
tenement children and women who
were forced to make these things at
prices SO low as to be almost unheliev.
able.
In contrast with the articles eXhi.
bited rs having been made in tene-
ments under insanitary conditions and
under the worst forms of exploitatio
OF child and woman labor. the Con-
sumers' League, which is giving this
exhibit. have pictures showing how
the same articles are made in proper
ly conducted factories, and under
healthfui conditions with reasonable
hours OF work and living wage.
There is on exhibition willow plumes
so fashionable this season. These are
made chiefly by little children who
are experts in this industry because
their little fingers can better tic the
fish knots. three of which are in every
flue. Fer this work mother ana
two small children, working in ten
ement room, are paid one penny fer
every forty-seven knots. By working :
all day they can make one plume.
Hair pins to hold coronation braids
in place. and back hairpins OF cclu.
loid will also be in the collection
Every one knows that celluloid is dan.
gerously inflamiable. yet the women
who set the brilliants in them must
risk her life over q gas stove. She sets
SA0StlN 1OD lOT 80 SeHlS.
Embroidered goods are also in de.
mand this winter. BY working eleven
hours, an expert can embroider one
batiste shirtwaist front for AZ cents
For embroidering n pink chiffon waist
she receives 81. This work, done in n
dark room, is n heavy STRAIN on the
eyesight.
For making flannel combination
suit for Il baby worker is paid 10
cents. An expert can finish one in an
hour. and she must furnish her own
thread. False hair is also sweat
shop industry, and the hair can be
seen kicked about the floor until the
worker is ready to make it up in the
| popular styles.
! Paper flowers will be in demand
| during the holiday season for decora
| tions. For these. in pink carnations
| the tenement house worker is paid At
| cents q hundred and can make lot
day. Children are particularly use
full in this industry, because theli
| small fingers can with case separate
the petals. Yellow rosebuds, cloth
are paid for at the rate of is cents
a gross. and n mother with the hell
of children can make three gross II
a day The investigator, Miss Trebl
Moore, found children working 4
night on red roses. for which the
were to be paid Is cents 4 gross
Three gross can be made in day