The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-12-10
TELL EL0QUENT[Y
STORY OF LOCKOUT

The following eloquent appeal to
friends and sympathizers with labor
is made by the girl garment workers
of st. Louis. The Labor World is
glad to accede to the request made
to give it publication;
IT ever you visit st. Lotus and pass
Thirteenth and Washington avenue
you will see grand building, occu-
pied by the firm of Marx & Haas
Clothing Co., manufacturers of the
Jack Rabbit" brand, and the pride
of the 1000 people they employed was
the window bearing the Union label.
For four years those men and women
were happy, having conditions that a.
union always brings, until one day
we were informed that we were to
nave new manager. From that day
on it was long, hard struggle; slow
and sure came the sweat-shop condi-
tons, and condemned saw mill was
rented and fitted up for a factory,
where our girls sat under low, flat
roof, and in the hot summer months
the hot tar would drop on their backs
while working, and when the girls fell
unconscious from their machines
there was not a. drop Of ice water in
the factory, and the foreman said,
"Send them home in the city ambu-
lance-that is good enough for them. :"
All those conditions came after we
had our agreement signed with the
firm. Our one hope was to ask for
better conditions when our agreement
was up, but even this was taken away
from us when one day, without notice.
fho wnY6 no ~ ~,
factories. Two weeks later we were
sent for, and were given to under
stand that the union we had for nine
years and the union label We loved
was thing of the past We could
not give up our union-to give it up
means slave treatment and starvation
wages; we who had made them mil
lionaires would face the cold, bitter
winter, but never give up our union.
We appeal to the men and women
all over the country to see that the
merchants In your city will not handle
the Marx & Haas clothing of st. Louis
No. until they take back the men
and women who have given the best
part of their lives to build up the
11rm. All we ask is better conditions
and to be recognized as union people.
Th1s we know you would do If you
knew what the union mission is-to
save the laboring class from slavery.
the whipping post, low wages, long
hours, and brutal treatment.
Let the real men and women who
have hearts and consciences take hui
mainly back into their own clean
hands and plead for it, for freedom
OF thought and expression, for peace
and prosperity of our city. The writ
ers of this article are two girls who
nave worked in the factory, apd never
left their homes until the day we were
told we must give up our unions,
From that day on, we gave up homes
and friends and have travelled through
many cities, asking the merchants not
to handle Marx & Haas goods. and
every union man and woman through
out the country has given us his or
her support. TIE help us to win, this
means to brighten the lives of one
thousand men and women. We plead
that every union man buy nothing but
union label clothing and use their in
fluence to have them placed in every
clothing house. 80 Ks s. = ~ =
r.: = KATHERINE HURLEY.
y @s FANNIE SELLINs. s.sf !
AM# st. Louis Garment Workers
A. .--.------