The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-24
SUIT OF CLOTHES
FROM SWEATSHOP
Horrible Conditions Revealed
Following investigation
by Detective.
EXHIBITION OF NEW ART CULT
London Regaled, but Not Edi-
fcd-iro Raise Standard OF
Messenger Service.
by ED. l.. KEEN.
'ecial Gable to Tho Tunes pispa,ch.l

Especial Gable to The Times pispatchl
London, March 23.-This IS the story
of a suit OF clothes-made in London.
II was cheap suit; as arc most Eng
llsh clothes. compared with the Arneri-
can product. thanks largely to the
bcnefcient operation of Schedule X.
Blu; that wasn't the only reason for
its cheapness, as Will appear.
a young clerk in Broad Street Of
fee. having just received a raise. de-
cided TO invest in some new Sunday
apparel. He purchased for $3.50 what
appeared to be very nobhy suit-as
English clothes so. lie could hardly
wait until Sunday. 1t was en,ir .ly> too
good suit to wear 10 the office. The
young man retired Sunday night. thor
oughiy satisfied with the favorable i'm
preston he had made on the public in
general and his best girl In particular.
However. as the weather was not pro-
pitious. he thought 1t best to lay the
suit aside for a few weeks On the
following "Wednesday he develop I'd a
peculiarly irritating form Of skin dis
ease and went 10 consul, Z doctors
The physician could only conclude that
he had contracted the a!linent in a
street car or bus
The patient was under treatment for
three weeks. a fortnight after mis- re-
covery he got out the new suit for
another weekend Splash" Another
attack of the same troubl. followed.
After searching personal inquiries tho
doctor hit upon the new clothes as a
possible solution OF the problem. He
took them to meteorological. The
cultures showed that the cloth was
swarminG with germs from which the
weaTer was suffering
detective was hired and he found
that the tailoring firm which maintain
ing "a small sanitary workshop on III.
premises. put most of its orders out tc
swcatshop concern. The SUI; III ques-
filthy court In the Ghetto of the
East End. The room in which the suit
was made. measuring twelve by ff-
teen feet. was occupi I'd BY tho tailor,
his family of seven persons and two
Polish employees. In order to evade
the factory act, the two Poles passed
as members of the nmily. so that the
room could be called private one and
not workshop 1t served as both work
room and living-room for the ten per-
sons. Three OF the taior's sons and
the two Poles slept in IL, using the
plies OF unfinished garments as he'd
ding. AS the room was constantly in
use, IL was never cleaned. Three of
the inmates OF the house were suffer
ing from the same disease that the
owner of the suit had contracted. Two
of the daughters, who worked at the
machines, We're afflicted with tuber-
culosis In an advanced stage. and the
foul, swslterng atmosphere caused
them to cough almost continuously
When these conditions We're re-
vealed 10 the tailors VINO sold the suit
they profcssed TO be greatly shocked;
and for fear of public exposure re-
funded its cost and the young mans
doctor bill.
Thousands OF cheap suits worn daily
in London could tell a similar story,
Under the courts Interpretation of the
factories act it is next to impossible to
convict for sweating. Neither the
tailor who sails the suit nor his go
between who lets the work to the
swea tshop proprietor. can be prose
cuted. Nor can the latter be olested.
no matter how vile may BE- the condi-
lions In his work-room, if those who
are employed there are members of
his family. If the proprietor says they
are, 1t is up to the government 20
prove that he Is lying-an almost hope
less task.