Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-10-10


shows that the mill owners were OPP
posed to the organization of the un-
skilled employees. This, of course,
was so that the owners could more
readily keep down wages to the star
walton point.
''The employees attempted to ex-
press their dissatisfaction before the
strike, but were given no encourage
ment or consideration, and even after
the strike had continued for a con-
siderable time, Notwithstanding thu
promises of the mill owners to an
swer propositions submitted by the
strikers for consideration, the wner
delayed their answer until they were
finally forced to give 1t.
Victory for Workers.
1.-THE occasion IF the strike was a
reduction by a law of Massachusetts
of the hours of labor for ome and
for children under IS years of age
from fifty-six to ffty-four hours. The
owners refused to make any read
justment Of wages so that there
would be a reduction in weekly earn
ings Of 3 Al per cent. The commits
olpiAti IA @PR@aA
slight, but it was really a serious
matter to the low-paid textile mill
employees This statement of the
commissioner is easily corroborated
by the figures of wages which show
hat the average pay of employees
who were on full time was 1915 a
week and the commissioner states
hat the investigation showed that
the complaints of short time were
justified. Think of mill owners en-
joying a protective tariff averaging
nearly 100 per cent. cutting down such
wages.
1.-THE commissioners report states
that the fun time earnings of a large
number of adult employees are entire-
" Inadequate To maintain a family
and that these wages are not pecu-
liar to Lawrence, and that the wages
of textile workers in that city are not
lower than in most textile towns, adj
ding that the normal family of five,
unless the father Is employed in n
of the comparatively few better pay
Ing occupations, is compelled to sup
ply to -wage-earners in order to Sc
cure the necessaries of life, and that
the economic condition of the head of
the family in one of the poorer paid
occupations with two or three chill
dren so young as to necessitate the
mother remaining al home to care for
them is one of extreme hardship.
Forces Children to Work.
"The report shows that necessity
forces a large number of wives and
small children to enter the mills, and
in these cases. where no older chill
dren or other members of the family
remain at home throughout the day,
the small children are left in charge
of other families
"In one instance of a family con-
sisting of husband, wife and three
children, the husband being the sole
w-age-earner, his wage were 1910 IL
week. In another case, where the
family consisted of husband, wife
and five children, the husband earned
$11.09 a week.
THE total wages paid in 1905 in the
wool industry were $40, 1917, 524. The
value of the output was $3.50, 934, 003,
that is to say the laboS cost was Is
per cent of the value of the output.
The average rate of duty collected on
wooden goods was S7.65 per cent, that
is the labor cost was only one-fifth
of the duty. The commissioner says
the infant mortality. as in other tex
tile cities is very high
1.-The commissioners report sub
stimulates Congressman Townsend's
figures, which made such an impress
sion when he gave them to the House
of Representatives"