New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-06
HOW DISEASE IS SPREAD.
Homework in Tenement Houses
Most Potent Means.
UPPER CLASSES" CROCHET
Factory Investigation Commits.
sion Hears Cigarette Makers
Are Worst Offenders.

The horrors of home work I'm the tene.
ment house, as destroyer of child
hood, as we'll as a means of spreading
disease. was the subject taken In nv
the State Factory Investigation Commits
sion yesterday. What was declared 10
be one OF the most potent means OF
spreading disease was the practice among
cigarette makers Of taking home the
paper wrappers and licking them with
their tongues in order to moisten the
glue when 1t had become dry.
DR.. s. Adolphus Knopf, of the Post.
Graduate Hospital, appeared before the
committee and said this tyne of sweat.
shop work was largely responsible for
the nigh rate of sickness and death in
large cities. He declared long hours.
overwork, poor ventilation and under
feeding were productive of tuberculosis
among the toilers. and that this diseas.
was spread broadcast through the articles
they turned out. He said there were M
ward of 5000 deaths o year In New York
City alone from pulmonary tuberculosis
while $4,000 persons were afflicted with Il
Samuel Borchardt a crochet slipper
manufacturer, told of the conditions under
which this sort of work was let out TO
tenement house dwelers He said the
workers got fifty cents dozen pair for
this sort of work, adding that many OF
the upper classes" were engaged In IL
to earn pin money.
Three cigarette manufacturers were az
amined, and each admitted that some Of
his I'm hob %
wrappers home In order to stick them
In the form Of tubes. They said they
did not know anything about the sanitary
conditions under which this was done.
and had never made any effort to find
out. The cigarettes. they said, were tho
highest class OF the monogrammed type
made for clubs, hotels and private use
DO society women realize that the
cigarettes they smoke are licked by tho
mouths Of these low class workers."
asked Mr.. Elkus. William T. Taylor.
president OF the Anglo Egyptian Ciga-
rette Company, replied that he did not
suppose these fair smokers ever gave
the matter any thought. He was fol-
lowed on the stand by William Pinku,
whose business Is at No. 81 Cedar street.
Although you say you don't know what
conditions the work is done under" Mr..
E1kus said to him, rs II not true some
OF your workers are low. class Syrians
and the work Is done in dirty, filthy
tenements?"
Il suppose that may be So" he re-
piled, "but I am anxious to have my
cigarettes Of the very highest grade.
made under the most sanitary conditions.
I believe home work should be prohibited
altogether"
Miss Elizabeth Watson. an investiga-
tor for the commission, told OF the con
ditions she had found. especially In re-
gard to the extraction of the meat OF
nuts at home for the use of confec-
TONERS. She said this work was done
by diseased persons often, and under the
most filthy conditions. The nuts were
picked, she said, sometimes by hairpins.
This industry, she said. was restricted
to pecan nuts.
The most pathetic story was told by Or.
Annie Daniels, Of New York infirmary.
She said her practice led her AMIDST eX-
clusfvely among the poorer tenement
house jewellers.
II saw one woman" she said. whose
husband was a gambler She was a
finisher working on trousers. Her baby,
less than two years old, was dying from
infantile paralysis The mother WORKED
eighteen hours a day. The mother could
rot even quit her work to attend to the
baby as It lay dying. 1t died while she
labored on" -,
The hearing OF the commission VIII %
continued this morning at 1880 IN the
County Courthouse.