New-York tribune., 1912-12-17
WOMAN CONTRAD|CTS
CANNERY TEACHER
Civic League Worker Says
Mrs. Bowen Is Paid by
Factory Owner.
DECLARES CONDITIONS BAD
State Commission Is Ready to
Begin It's Final Drafting OF
Remedial Bills to Go
Before Legislature.

Miss Grace r. !. Parker. general sec
retarv Of the New York and New jersey
committee Of the North American Cillc
League for Immigrants. investigating the
cop6itions under which women and chll-
dren work in the Burt Olney cannery' at
North Albion. n. y, gave testimony yes
to,a.,, ,,orning before the New York
state Factory Investigating Commission
She denied that Mrs. Bowen VINO h'u
testified in Rochester of splendid cohoi-
lions in that cannery truly representa-
the league or had testified as 10 the u"e
conditions existing. Later Miss ParAer
gave an interview.
The commission viii begin on Frida!
its executive hearings. in the course Oh
which legislation to be recommended now
IN a tentative form. will be finally dralteu
and passed upon. so as TO be reaoE 10,
presentation soon after the opening oi
he Legislature. January l.
Upholds Miss Chamberlain.
Mrs RoNen. employed by the league as
@ ,oocber in the little kindergarten schooi
10 which the children of the Olney can
merry are sent, gave testimony in hoclie'
ter two weeks ago that spoke wen loi
conditions i'm the cannery and school' hei
testimony directly contradicted that oi
Miss Marie Louisa Chamberlain, Na'-
car graduate who declared the cohul-
lions under which the children and "oHl-
on worked were horrible Yesterday MISS
Parker partly upheld the testimony OF
Miss Chamberlain. She declared that
Mrs Bowen, though hired by the league
canpe,.v. What Mrs. Bowen had testified
10. she said, was not in sympathy Win
the findings of the investigating league
In her interview Miss Parker said:
father and mother seek employment
in the cannery because they are permit
ted to take with them their entire M IaII!i! sI
the last year, / believe, the chlldren ui-
der ten years of age have not been pei
mitted 10 enter the factory Yer! Olttii'
Rut the conditions under which those IT
lie children live in the shacks are terrible.
one can see small tots wandering doOut
the streets, half clad. They should De III
school. <,. r,a
little children stand up beside thrT
parents and aid them In their work Iht
parents, you see, are pald pS the PlVO
The children are not themselves palu Dut
they help their parents 10 earn !IoI n.
money. They work and overwork from
he early part of May until the middle OF
October Then the season ends. Inc
Youngest child that l ever saw In one ol
the sheds was one Of SIX years
She was asked why she considered that
the school was not a success, and replied
il was partly because the teacher (Mrs.
Bowen) was not in sympathy with the
conditions. She was also asked why Mr.
Olney could not prevent the children from
working in the sheds.
Bring Children to Work.
Because the mothers and fathers
wouldn't come 70 the factory without
their children" she replied.
Eugene S. Benjamin, president OF the
Clothing Trade Association and represen-
tative of the allied needlework Industries
read a report containing opinions on sew
eral Of the bills 10 be recommended by
the commission Of ave allied associations.
representing the opinion Of the Industry
at large in New York State.
DR.. Thomas Darlington, former head OF
tbe Board of Health, declared child la
bor must be abolished in the state.
Every child must have good educa-
tion-we owe that not only TO the child
but 10 the nation" said he. III these
children are going TO grow up to be USE
f,I citizens they must have plenty ot
plav and fresh air They can have neither
81 they must work every waking hour.
lanes NJ. Curran, a railroad worker
told the commission OF the long hours
cf streetcar men In queens county
Notorrnen and conductors, he SAID, ire
oueptlv worked seventeen hours Wlthout
time for meals.