Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-16

- curate to say an old enemy in
new makeup, for after all the
shirt waist maker. now figuring in tur-
bulent uprisings in various parts of the
country. is simply a striker
But she is a kind of striker such as
the employer has seldom before had to
deal with.
When he faced the bearded, wild-speak-
ing labor agtator. who threatened phys
ical demonstration in case his demands
were not granted, the employer knew
what to do.
1t was easy for him.
He turned the whole issue over to the
police, and let them deal with it, and
public opinion, aligned as it generally is
against disorder and any disturbing OF
the comfort of the community. was usu-
ally ready to take the side of the en-
ployer.
But the new striker cannot be dealt
with in that way.
She is protected both by her sex and
her youth.
She is hardly more than a child. Her
skirts have not yet been dropped to the
ground. her cheeks are red she wears
big pompadour and her person is adorned
with all the little vanities of dress and
cheap jewelry dear to the growing girl.
conceals no bombs, she has no plans
working deadly vengeance on those who
oppose her claims. She is merely out
for fair play, and she finds it very
troublesome matter to get the sympathy
of the community.
For one thing the women are back of
her, which ordinarily is not the case in a
strike where the principals are men.
The housewife who must see to the
feeding and the clothing of the little
ones never gets enthusiastic over the
idea OF strike that VII put her hus-
band out of work and make it difficult
to get food. In such cases her cOunSelS
are for peace, and she would favor COM
promise or even surrender rather than
stop the weekly income.
But women can understand the griev-
ance of the shirt waist makers.
The average woman has good enough
knowledge of needlework to he able to
see how undergrad is the work done by
the girls who sit at their machines all
day. and then draw only pittance for
work that is very trying on the eyes and
general health.
For sixty or eighty cents the mother
of the family will buy a shirt waist that
did not net its maker more than ten
cents. and the mother can tell how long
it took.
Therefore the shirt waist maker has
the backing of the women of the cities,
those who have no direct connection
with their cause, but who find i'll their
complaint justice because they know the
subject.
In New York, Boston and Philadelphia
the shirt waist makers troubles have been
freely ventilated in the last month or
two. and there are prospects of other
strikes elsewhere
Thirty or forty thousand girls went out
in New York city and the uprising has
there is a virtual monopoly of woman
employees
The Women's Trades Union League in
New York made vain efforts to stop the
strike, but the enthusiasm was so great
that the fever spread In the metropolis
and before long sympathy had led the
dressmakers working In the so-called
sweatshops to join i'll the strike, and
there at one time peril that every
woman employe of "A corporation In the
city would be numbered among the strik-
erS
In New York it meant virtual ruin for
some of the firms that stood opposed to
the demands of the girls Tor more money,
shorter hours and better working condi-
lions.
Before the strike was two weeks and
d half old. 10 shops decided that they
could not stand out against the refusal
of the girls to work and these shops
signed the scale. returning to work about
1860 of the strikers in the glory of vic
tory.
In every strike. no matter where it
took place, the general system of organi-
cation has been the same. Each of the
shops has been organized into d chapter
of the union, and all have vowed their
allegiance to a general committee to han
die the strike, the latter having its head
quarters at some central point.
The. most astonishing loyalty has
marked the attitude of the strikers If
any opponent of the Sentler sex ever rises
to remark that woman lacks the capacity
of organization il is up TO him to hang
his dishonored head in shame. for with
virtually absolute unaninity those who
went out have stuck to the guns.
Some of the girls make as much as
SO week. These have no personal kick.
They acknowledge that their wages are
adequate, but they announce firm de-