The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-07-08

in severe terms the actions of the clergy
and church people in the Bethlehem
strike region. We made no comment al
that time upon the article as the evi
dence on the other side had not come
in and The Journal believes in absolute
fairness. We are glad therefore to be
able at this time to give space to the
following evidence "'from the accused
as gathered and produced by the Rev
Chas. Stezle:
Church Reports on Conditions in Beth
lehem Steel Works.
The deplorable social and economic
conditions of the men employed in the
Bethlehem Steel Works are presented
in a 5000 word report just issued by
the Social Service Commission of the
Federal Council of the Churches of
Christ in America. The report is made
by special committee appointed by the
Social Service Commission, consisting
of the Rev. Charles Stelzle, Dr. Josiah
Strong and Paul U. Kellogg, who in
vestigated in person the situation in
South Bethlehem.
Among the members of the Social
Service Commission, who signed the
document, besides the committee, are
Jacob Riis, Dr. Graham Taylor. John NJ
Glenn Rev. Ernest II. Abbott, Charles
r. Towson, DR.. Hubert G. Herring, DR..
+. b Sanford, DR.. Leighton Williams,
DR.. John Mcdowell, Rev. j. II Melish,
Prof. Edwin L. Earb, DIR. William II.
Morgan, DR.. Samuel u. Batten, John
b. Lennon, Dr. Charles S. Macfarland,
Arthur B. Pugh, John Williams, DR..
George G. Chase and President Her
bert Welch
Excessive Hours and Sunday Work
The committee reports that Gust be-
fore the strike, 4,725 men, or 81 per cent
of all the employees, worked II hours a
day; 220 workmen had a l2-hour day
excepting on Saturdays, when their
hours were either 10 to IL; 4,203 EN-
ployes had a work day of l0h to IL
hours in length, generally with half
day off on Saturday; and Al worked
on other schedules not specified. Beyond
and intensifying, the evils of a II hour
day, was the existence in many depart
ments of a 7-day week. twenty eight
per cent of all employees worked regu
larly seven days in the week, but in
addition were those who worked on
Sundays regularly as overtime. The
total number working seven days in
week, both regular and as overtime,
during last January, was 404l, or 43
per cent. The situation with regard to
Sunday work in Bethlehem is worse
than that found in the Pittsburg Steel
mills, as discovered by the Pittsburg
Survey. The committee asserts that
while it is claimed by the management
that Sunday and overtime work, is, in
some departments at least, optional
with the men, it is nevertheless true
that foremen and gang bosses have
men to work ON Sunday
against their protest upon pain of dis
charge. 1t was n case of this kind
which precipitated the strike"
With regard to wages, the committee
declares that 81 per cent of the 9,lS4
employed earned less than Is cents an
hour, or $2.l6 for a l2-hour day; and
81 9-l0 per cent earned less than IA
cents an hour, or less than $l.6S for
l2-hour day. The committee declares
this is a wage scale that leaves no
option to the common laborers but the
boarding boss method of living with
many men to the room. When man
has family with him, they take in
lodgers, or even the woman goes to
work. 1t is reported that immigrant
parents send their little children back to
the old country to be reared while the
mother goes to work"
1t is asserted that during the last
year there We're 927 injuries in the
Bethlehem plant of which 754 involved
the loss of more than one weeks time;
3s of these lost bodily members and six
lost an arm or leg; 81 lost their lives.
Criticism of the Church.
1t was declared by labor organizers
that during the strike the churches
Protestant as we'll as Catholic-gave no
aid to the men who were fighting for
great moral issue, and the labor or
ganizers insisted that "the company
has taken money out of the pay en-
velopes of the laboring men without
their consent to pay same over TO the
clergy. and that there is a standing
offer to all of the ministers of the
Bethlehem Steel Company to have the
church dues collected through the com
pany's office" The organizers also as
sert that ''the Protestant Ministerial
Association, as a body, practically cham
pioned the cause of the corporation"
The committee appointed by the So
eial Service Commission held conferences
with representatives of the Protestant
Ministerial Association of the Bethle-
hems and also with the labor organic
ors. IL was shown, in this conference
with the ministers that thew had fire..