New-York tribune., 1910-06-27
.HARDSH|PS OF STEEL MEN
Report of Social and Economic
Conditions at Bethlehem.
ENFORCED SUNDAY LABOR
Federal Council of Churcnes
Gets Suggestions for Relief
from Special Committee.

The social and economic conditions OIL tho
men employed I'm the Bethiehehi 0
Works are presented in report JUST is'u
bv the Social Service Commission OF ti'e
Federal Council of the Churches OF |hfiS'
In America. The report is mace oy 'p0
ciaI committee appointed by the cotiiliiiS
sion. consisting of the Rev. Charles Steizie'
DR.. Josiah Strong and Paul u hehoes'
who made personal observations In Sou'h
Bethlehem.
Resides the commission. those who signed
the report are Jacob Riis, DIR. Graham ray
lor. John H. Glenn. the Rev Ernest H.
Abbott Charles r. Towson, DR.. Hubert -
Herring, Dr. E. B. Sanford. Dr. Lelgh'oh
Williams, DIR. John Mcdowell, the Rev j.
H Meish, Professor Edwin l.. Earb, Dr.
William II. Morgan, DR.. Samuel H. Batten'
John B. Lennon. DR.. Charles 5. Macfar-
land. Arthur B. Pugh, John Williams Dr.
George c. Chase and President Herbert
Welch.
These members of the commission, through
their committee, state that just before the
strike 4,725 men, or 81 per cent of all the
employees, worked twelve hours day; 22o
workmen had twelve-hour day, excepting
on Saturdays, when they worked ten or
eleven hours: 4,203 employees had work
dav of from ten and a half to eleven hours,
with half day off on Saturdays. and Al
worked on other schedules not specified
In addition to these hours, the committee
reported. men in many Of the departments
worked seven-day week Twenty-elght
per cent of all employees are said to work
seven days a week, and in adition were
those who work on Sundays regularly as
overtime The total number working seven
days a week, both regular and overtime
last January is said to have amounted to
4,041, or 49 per cent. The committee re-
ported that while the management at Beth-
lehem said that the extra work is optional
with the men, in some cases the foremen
and gang bosses have compelled the men
under them to work extra time, under pain
of discharge 1t Is said to have been such
a case which brought on the recent strike.
Referring to the wages at Bethlehem, the
committee reported that 81 per cent OF the
91A employees earned less than Is cents an
hour. or 81 1s for a twelve-hour day, and
81 9-10 per cent earned less than IA cents
an hour These rates OF wages, according
to the committee, make 1t imperative for
many men to live in the same room
It is asserted that during the last year
927 injuries occurred in the Bethlehem plant,
Of which 754 involved the loss Of more than
one weeks time. Six of these employees lost
an arm or ,eg and q lost their lives.
It was said by labor organizers that dur
ing the strike the churches-Protestant as
well as Catholic-gave no aid to the men
who were fighting for a moral issue, and
the labor organizers insisted that the COM
pany had taken money out of the pay en-
velopes of the men without their consent to
pay over to the clergy. The organizers also
said that the Protestant Ministerial Asso-
citation as a body practically championed
the cause of the corporation.
The committee appointed by the commits
sion reported that 1T held conferences with
representatives of the Ministerial Associa-
ton of Bethlehem. At this conference the
ministers said that they had tried to abolish
the Sunday labor. The committee in its
report says that both the men and the cor
poration seem to be at fault
The committee makes a number OF rec
concentrations as to the best way to re-
lieve the situation and urges that q six-day
week and an eight-hoCr day be enforced
It also suggests that the Church take up the
questions of what constitutes a proper iv-
ing wage scale, of the right of the men to
organize as they see fit and the necessity
for the employers to recognize such organi-
cations as long as they comply with the