United labor bulletin., 1912-05-02
CHARITY INSTITUTIONS
IN FALSE POSITION
By Trade Competition They Create
Inmates for Thefy Institutions.


Shepherd, etc., would heIR our line OF
business and our empIoyeN also. This
class Of competition has alresoy Drought
the flat work business and Me wages
paid In this department to a very low
level and as they have also started to
compete In the other lines Of our business
the chances are that II will have the same
effect in the other departments unless
something is done to relieve the situa-
tion.'
This is the substance of complaint
made to the state labor department by
one OF the large laundry companies of
the city. II was given to Chairman
Compton of the public institutions com
mittee OF the Trades Assembly and was
included in a report made to that body
, at the meeting Sunday. Chairman Comp
ton made complaint TO the labor depart
ment in regard to Information he had
received about the House OF the Good
Shepherd. and Inspector George Howe
was detailed on the work by the depart
tment The inspector failed to get the
facts in the case, but detailed the in
formation given him from the mother
superior What the assembly desired to
know was whether the report was cor
rect that inmates OF the home were
forced to begin work at o'clock in the
morning and work until 6 without break
fast. and to get the facts regarding the
conditions under which the girls are en-
ployed-
The report says that men only are EN-
ployed in the washroom. II further
states that girls as young as 13 are
started to work at 6 O'Clock in the morn
ing and are worked to without break
fast II is against the law to work girls
under l6 before O'Clock in the morn
ing. and this was ordered stopped.
Il also find upon investigation, says
the report. that this is charitable In
r,,tution, there being 32l girls. the re-
A<epM for tuition being only sil7. max
ing an average OF slightly over IL per
girl confined in the institution.
with this money and what Is made
I'm the laundry. these girls, or at least
great many OF them. are fed. clothed and
educated. The laundry Is used more as
a means of education for the girls than
for profit, there being twice the amount
of help for each particular operation thhh
there is in the ordinary laundry For
instance: on the shake table, where the
average laundry employs three girls
there are six at this place doing the
same work. Their prices compare very
1 .ayorabiy with the other laundries, In
ftct are higher for fiat work. DO cents
-ie.r hundred being the cheapest work
that they take.
'.'rhe mother superior informs me that
as soon as they move to their new home
they will discontinue the fat work only
as. II comes from the home or iainlS
wNshinrs ms she says that Is ohly
done for education OF the chisdren.
There not being n great enough variety
of fiat work. she has concluded 70 40
this.
There are more than enough girls TO
do the work in the laundry as II Is, so
the work must be divided as near equally
as uossihle in order TO enable them All
to receive some instructions.
The report says that the inmates OF
the Home are made TO do laundry work
in order that they may receive instrue-
ton in this work. and that the price LOT
fiat work is so cents per hundred, which
the report claims compares fayorably.
Manager Hin of the New Method
laundry tells us that so cents per hun
dred for fiat work Is far below the aver
age. the average being about 40 cents
per hundred, although he says some
classes OF work is done as low as ~
cents per hundred.
These two subjects: Instruction and
prIce. give the meat in the cocoanut. The
price at which laundry is done in the
best laundries in the city is so low that
not more than living wages can be paio.
This is a fact that cannot be disputed
We have in mind union laundry IKE
the New Method. Then we have the non
union laundry that endeavors to pay
little smaller wage than the union iauh-
dry and work the girls little longer
that IL may underbid the union laundry
in getting work--and they get II. Then
comes the Home of the Good Shepherd,
n charitable organization that does not
look far into the future In Its desire TO
benefit wayward girls. This home sehus
out wagons on Sundays and other days
to gather up laundry at slightly less than
the non-union laundries can do II tor-
This work Is done at this low wage
forcing the iaundries that employ free
labor to cut wages in order to compete
with the charitable work. This forces
the free labor to love wages and long
hours. and the victims OF these condi-
tions are often forced to want, hunger
and broken health. and many to white
slavery.
Then we come to INSTRUCTION" in laun.
dry work at the Home of the Good Shep
herd The mother superior says that
the girls must do laundry work that she
may gain instructions. The question
naturally follows: why give instruction
in a trade that when followed for Nv
ing leads to want. hunger and broken
health? II the girls are being educated
in laundry work certainly they are ex-
pected at some future time to use that
education to support themselves. Surely
the sisters can see that their practice
of undermining free labor but makes
more victims for their institution. and
by an endless system the institution
makes It necessary for It's own enlarge
ment. The state should put stop 10
prison labor being brought into competi
ton with free labor.
Are YOU aiding this system by pat
ronizing nonunion laundries or charita-
~