The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-10-26

thing as brimstoue} then it would
take more than a Dante 70 picture
what hell is.
The Diamond Match Co, which now
is the largest institution of the kind
in n United States; WINS, vas timber
tracts in Massachusetts, New Hamp-
shire, Vermont, Maine, and Colorado,
having 20 miles OF railroad through
its forests in the latter state and kav-
ing just purchased 100000 acres of
timber in California. On a capital
stock of $4,000. 900, it last year, ac-
cording to Moody's Manual earned
profits to the amount of Sl,7S0,0O0.
The law which has been passed
prohibits the use of white phosphorus
and is good in a way, but it will
strengthen the trust by reason of re-
ducirg the ingredients that are avail
able for making matches and give it
a practical monopoly.
CHAPTER II.
During the past~year there have
been numerous strikes among the
garment workers in the large cities,
in most of which the workers lost. The
! government report of conditions of
Women and Children Pa the United
States, Volume ., dated 1911. gives
the total number of women working
on mems clothing in the United States
in 1890 at 1854; and in 1905 it was
practically the same, 76,46S; showing
that The laws against women and child
labor had effected conditions very
little. These, however, do not cons
titute anything like the total number
of women and children who are work
ing on clothing. These figures rep
resent those employed in factories, and
probably twice the numbe take cloth
ing home and make it there, children
from three years old being used as
helpers. To quote from the report:
Because OF the long periods of idle
ness, when they can earn nothing,
these women make the most of the
busy season when it comes, and when
plenty of work can be had, and the
combined labor of the entire family
all day and often at night is utilized.
They take as many garments home as
they can possibly secure and then
work unlimited hours and strain to
the utmost to complete the work"
On Page 22S this report says:
THE compensation which the home
workers receive for their labor is as a
rule such that hey do not earn
enough to provide even shelter and
food to maintain a modern ida
of physical efficiency" To quote
further: About five cents an hour is
what can be earned BY a good worker
at home. The finishers business in
life is finishing, and conditions of la
Dor are such that even though she re-
mains at home while at work, her
necessary constant attention to the
work renders her children practically
motherless. AS a class, the home
workers in New York are anaemic,
living in over crowded apartment
homes which lack everything in the
way of furniture but the barest neces-7
stiles; rearing large families in the
most depressing surroundings, the wo-
men give their entire time to the fin
ish work N household duties"
So much has said about children in
the cotton and coal mines that I will
not refer to that mater. Carroll;D.
Wright say in his Practical Sociolo-
sy, it was estimated that in 1900 there
were 5~,319,912 women employed in
Sainful occupations in the United
States: the average wage of the work
ing woman was $272.Oi per annum,
and more than one-half of these wo-
e L III ID.
The average number of children
employed according to the same au-
thority. were in 1900. ~1,755,21O out of
9,627,460 who were wage arner The
average yearly wage OF these children
was $1J2.1S.
CHAPTER III.
The laws against child labor are
wholly Inadequate and are confessedly
not enforced; 20 states prohibit child
labor at night but not in the day
time. In South Carolina childhood
ends at H.; in Alabama at 10; in Ar
kansas, Texas and Virginia at IA.
The one hopeful thing about the sit
uation is not the laws that are being
placed on the statute books, but the
awakening of~the women. 1 am not a
believer that the ballot will always
prove efficacious. 1t will be a bene-
fit only where used i~ntelligently. But
the fact is, where women are permit
ted to vote. they are securing reforms
that they were not able to get any,
where else, and they are increasing
the political power which they have
hitherto heidi During the past year
the women of Washington state have
been given the franchise: it has been
conceded largely through the efforts
of the Socialists. One of the first no.
table political acts recorded in that
State was the recall of the Mayor of