The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-05
Paid 5 Cents a Week for Drinking Water-Low
 Wages
SAW WOMEN BEATEN
 BY POLICE OFFICERS
Berger and Gompers Are Cautioned Against Personalities - Socialist Tells of Things That He Saws
 Have Meat Once a Week

Washington, March 4.-Girls and boys, fl and 15 years old, striking mill workers from Lawrence, Mass, testified today be- fore the House committee on rules. which Is considering a resolution to investigate conditions which followed riots in the strike ridden city
 Children told of working long hours for low wages. how they had to pay the American woolen company cents a week for drinking water which they described as "canal water" Some of them told of seeing women beaten by police and chil- dren knocked down and hurled into wagons like bundles of rags. at Law renee week ago Saturday.
 No Personalities Allowed
 Representative Victor Berger and Sam uel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, were again before the committee. Both made statements about the rival union conditions at Law renee and both were cautioned against the use of personalities.
 After testimony of seven or eight chil- dren had been taken, Max Bogatin, a salesman of Philadelphia. one of the socialist committee which went to Law renee to accompany strikers children to homes in Philadelphia, was questioned re- garding the charges of disorder and bru- tality at the Lawrence depot. He de- clared a soldier tried to keep him in the station by guarding the door with a bay onet
 II saw the soldiers pick the children UT by the legs, like they were rags" he said and I saw one woman choked by sol dier. I was beaten by one of the police men and still have wounds on my back where they beat me-
 Miss Book Testifies Miss Jane Book, also of the Philadel- phia. committee, corroborated much of the testimony.
 "I was pushed by the police close against a car and held there so that couldn't move" said she in describing the scene at the Lawrence depot. The children were screaming and many were dragged to a military truck and literally thrown there.
 Samuel Golden, Is years old, testified hs Ireceived sl "A fer. .tlfree days work anc never made more than $50 week. Hs said children paid , cents week fol drinking water, whether they drank oi not, and were docked an hours pay Il they were late. His father never made more than S9 8 week, he said
 Are you striker?" asked Represents tive Pou.
 q am," returned the lad proudly.
 Did you see any women clubbed?
 Saw Woman Clubbed
 q saw one policeman grab woman by the neck and hit her with a club"
 "W hat kind of a elub?'
 'Oh, good club, replied the boy
 Charles Vasiersky 15 years old, said he went to school until he was IA and then went to work.
 T would have kept on at school, but we didn't have enough to eat said he.
 Do you ever go hungry?"
 "Sometimes We never have any butter .
 Paid for Drinking Water
 August Wante. a French boy, 15 years old, said he paid 10 cents a week for drink ing water.
 was it good water?o he was asked
 Ut was canal water we got" replied Wante.
 Wante said he got 3 cents week for spending money out of his wages.
 John Boldinin, l5 years old. said he got 5 week. and so did his father.
 Did you like conditions better in the old country?" asked Representative Len root.
 Not much better, put would not like 10 go back there alone. My father spent lots of money to come here'
 Would you like to go to school?"
 "Yes but l have to work and it's hard. We cant eat bread and water all the time
 How often do you have bread and wa ter?''
 "Sometimes two or three times"
 Meat Once Week
 How often do you have meat?"
 "Once week.
 No oftener?'
 "No. but sometimes we have bread and molasses, and sometimes beans.''
 Camella Taoli told how her scalp had been torn off by the machinery in one of the mills. The company had paid a seven months hospital bill, she said.
 Several other children testified.
 There has been some question: said President Gompers in his argument, "as to the making of this investigation into conditions at Lawrence. I think the in- reference of Massachusetts with chill dren leaving Lawrence is sufficient. It has been stated that children were taken from Lawrence without the consent of their parents, but I think.it was a viola ton of the constitutional rights of these people 10 refuse to allow their children to leave"