The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-07-12
CONDITIONS AT
LAWRENCE.
As Seen by United States
Labor Commissioner
NOT PECULIAR TO THAT CITY

Situation Amounted to "sociaI Revo-
Iution"-Highest Wages Seldom Ex-
ceeded SIP Per Week-one- Third
Employees Are Females-UnskilIed
Laborers Were Unoreanized-HaIf
Population Depended on Mills
Washington, July 8.-The Law
renee strike of last winter, the sub
ject of a hearing before the house
committee on rules, which attracted
the attention of the country from one
end to the other, amounted to a $50
cial revolution" in the opinion of
Commissioner of Labor Charles P.
Neill in report forwarded to the SEN
ate in response to a resolution intro
duced some weeks ago by Senator
PoindeXter of Washington.
While Commissioner Neill makes
few comments on the situation which
led to the strike in the mills operat-
ed by the American Wooden company,
the acts he discloses leave no doubt
as to the conditions in Lawrence. The
report shows the higest wages paid
the ordinary operatives when the mills
ran at full time seldom exceeded S12
a week; while one family of father,
mother and three children had to live
on the fathers earnings of $40 a
week.
The facts tell how mothers had to
farm their children out during the day
in order that husband and wife might
earn enough to keep the family in the
bare necessities of life. The chill
dren usually began working at IA
years of age. OF the employees 55. 4
percent were males and A. 6 percent
females.
After describing the demands of the
operatives. who asked the same pay
for the fifty-f four hour week going into
effect under the Massachusetts law on
Jan. /, that they had received for the
ffty-siX-hour week, the report says:
mo adequate conception of the
meaning and the permanent social
consequences of the doctrines pro-
mulgated during the period of bitter
struggle can be had without some
comprehension Of the spirit and senti-
ment that animated the leaders and |
some of the strikers. The circulars |
and posters widely distributed during
the strike indicated the spirit that lay
behind the struggle"
Most of the strikers, the report |
points out, were non English speak
Ing, who had been without method Of |
dealing with their employers. The |
unskilled laborers were unorganized |
and had no way to voice their pro-
tests.
1t naturally followed" writes
Commissioner Neil, that when they
broke out in a hastily planned and
more or less violent protest against a
reduction of their wages, they were
ready to follow any leadership that
gave them effective direction and fur
nished them financial resources for
the struggle. "
Commissioner Neil and his asso-
clates found that one-half the popula-
ton of Lawrence, IA years old and
over, was employed in the mills or
dependent on them
Lawrence has a population of S.
S92. and there are 60. 900 persons de-
pendent on the mills. The allied
rats among the English speaking
operatives had a total of only $500
members, when the strike broke out.
While the Industrial Workers of the
World has a paid-up list Of 300 mem
,ers. Thus there were less than 5000
lnion operatices in Lawrence.
Continuing the report says:
The actual economic condition of