Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-06
HARD STRUGGLE FOR LIVING

The other day the New York papers
carried rather remarkable story" A
Russian named Mark Seiboff who es-
capped from the convict mines in Siberia
announced that he was tired of trying to
gain livelihood in New York: that the
competition was so great and the strain
so hard that the mines of Siberia were
preferable. He had saved up his scant
savings until he had enough TO get a
ticket back to Russia and he was leaving
to re-enter the mines This is certainly
not glowing tribute to the land of great
freedom from a man who has come out
of that which is pictured as the one of
deep gloom and great tribulation.
An article. however by George wilfred
Pearce. one of the editors of Textile In
dustries. confirms this Russians state
ment. He declares that between competi-
ton and municipal graft which levies its
toll on all. the cheap clothing manufac-
turers and workers are in a crushing
grind and that the tax LEVERS are max
ing 1t impossible for people to build work
shops which are not firetraps. He Is
specifically speaking of conditions in New
York when he declares
Within radius of twelve miles from
the Pulitzer building 5000 men, women
and children are employAl during the
busy seasons in making clothing in build
lngs none of which is fireproof, and few
of which are OF slow burning construc-
ton. II Is a poor business for employers
and employees. Competition is keen; labor
always in oversupply. For the last
hree years the local makers of low
priced clothing for both sexes have not
made more than 3 per cent per annum
upon the capital invested. Millions of
women who dress in fine outward gar
ments wear the lowest cost obtsinable I'M
derwear and shirtwaists for home use on
undress occasions. These women give
way to their emotions. at theaters and in
reading novels. over the woes OF heroes
an heroines, but they have no sympathy
for men and women and children working
under intolerable conditions in the low
priced clothing factories.
Hoods Song OF the Shirt applies to
a multitude Of people living in New York
today with as much vivid interest as IL
did to the seamstresses OF London sew
enty years ago. Most Of our toilers in
making loW-pricsd clothing live in the
CoTEcst~d districts and walk to and from
work. Few can afford 10 cents a day for
riding as the 10 cents saved suffices to
buy two loaves Of bread, largely made of
rotten potatoes, flour deprived OF gluten.
talc-laden to make II heavy and puffed
up to make the loaves big. To be within
walking distance Of the tenement house
districts, many local makers Of cheap
clothing pay very high rents in buildings
which the owners put up to get the larg
est possible return for the smallest out
lay They have TO scrimp in all ways in
order 10 clear a small return from the
capital invested.
Few owners OF buildings that rent out
lofts for manufacturing purposes clear
more than to per cent per annum on
the investment. The reason FOR the
scrimping in building construction and
for the small returns upon such property
is the very high rate Of taxation and
other high costs that are directly and in
directly due TO the fact that for more
than half a century New York has beer
ruled as a conquered province by the
.9i The Nlndas whom Lord Mac
au,ay fifty Years ago, in letter 10 his
friend freeman, OF this city, predicted
would wreck our civilization as far as
they could accomplish their purposes