The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-15
HERE ON MISSION
TO HELP STRIKERS
Ida Mayerson Declares Girl
Workers Will Win
Their Battle.
By sELENE ARMSTRONG.

Have you ever thought what the world
would be like if there were no shirt
Wafsts2
Have you ever wondered what would
become Of the IaiIOT-made girl, and
how armies Of women would appear
coming down to work each morning
wearing their Sunday gO-tO-meeung
gowns and cherished old evening wraps?
Have you tried 10 fancy q militant suf-
Eragette making speeches in party
frock Of silk and lace, instead Of the
regulation shirt waist stiff collar and
smart mannish tie2 Heaven forbid
we can imagine q universe without tele-
phone, telegraph, or train service, but
world without shirt waists Is world
without women
But, Just the same, the shirt waist
strikers OF Philadelphia are gong 20
hold out in their determination 10 supply
10 more waists until they have gained
the ends for which they are nghIln-,
today declared Ida EIayersOn. VINO, WIN
Anna Magld, IS in Washington lH tt-E
hope Of raising funds with Wnlcn 20 a-1
the girl strikers Of philadelphia, and 70
see 81 they VIII be able TO gam tile ca
and the interest OF President 1aLt- JLi
Monday accCu tniei by Mrs thaTleS
Ferguson, NoI. ing pastor OF me REQ
pIe's Church, here, they appeared be
fore the Contra Labor Union WnlCh or
Canization has contributed funds 20 the
strike and has authorized them 10 ap-
pear as delegates before the various
Ia boz organizations here affiliated Win
the Central Union Because OF her syn
parhy with the shirt waist SLFlheISs t1d
ATaversOn was a few days ago us
charged by one OF the big bosses OF me
shirt waist industry in Pnlladelpnla,
losing thereby a position Of bOokkeepeE
Al Sl1 ner week Fired BY zeal 1OT the
cause Of the strikers, feeling their cold
and hunger as her own and Eiorying IN
The nerOiSm o. these girls VINO nave
defiance the face or EnIla4t--
uffa'S shirt waist bosses, she tells an
frpassioned and dramatic story
Question Of Starving.
with the 800 girl shirt waist strik-
ers Of Philadelphia. 1t is a question Of
starving at the machine or away from
II We prefer TO starve away from It.
There are 500 men striking with US They
are the shirt waist cutters, and so long
as they refuse to work, the bosses can
not have the material cut in Phiiadei-
phia. and made up elsewhere You see.
Philadelphia and New York supply
practically the shirt waist trade Of the
country, and this is the season in which
the demand for spring and summer
waists is on. II is an opportune time
for the strike
Asked what the girls Of Philadelphia
hope to gain by the strike La Ma eI-
son in return came BACK WIN some
startling questions
..TIaz-s Won ever worked in a sweat
shop. where there is neither light ar
nor heat and where the WhlrTInE OF
the sewing machines is the only sound
heard from morning until night as the
girls put their stitches in the shirt
-7FSr Won buy for IS cents or S4-SsI
or whatever II cost.
Have YOU ever tried TO pay for rent.
clothes food. and medicine out OF = q
week and this IN d big city,
And If s. a week, or 50 cents a cay
doesn't sound so small remember that
this usually means not Only the support
Of the girl who earns II. put or some
member or members Of her family Then
remember too that it Is a higher wage
than MANY women earn Fancy 70 your
self the fate OF many OF the girls Wn0
work for an average waSe OF - cents
It's Full Meaning
Then have YOU ever been 50 cold and
hungry that You got Up courage TO ash
for a raise. and were told that yOJ
could live the life of the streets If youl
wages didn't please yOu2 Well. II these
things haven't happened 10 you, you
don. know what IL means 10 be a shiT1
waist maker Since The strike began
four weeks ago, the strikers have re
ceived only $50 each from the Phlla-
deIphia shirt waist Makers Union. but
Just the same they viii hold out"
Then Ida NayerSOu declared she had
learned '-On the inside that the DIG
bosses Of Philadelphia are urging tbs
little bosses TO hold out in their fight
against the girls, III the hope that these
little bosses viii themselves lose out al
together IN the struggle
But the girls viii hold out" she re-
Iterated with pride They ask onl-
q little shorter hours. decent wages,
some sanitation Of the sweat shops, and
recognition by the bosses Of the Shirt
waist Makers Union Oh we know that
they VIII hold out
Ida AIayersOn IS one Of them Her
- +-aF-= EHrfflr-f~gr- and theirs
are the same She says that they VII
hold out