The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1912-12-09
YOUNG VASSAR GIRL,
EXPOSES Shocking
Mary Chamberlain Worked
In Big Canneries to
Get Evidence.

u 70 industrial revelation of recent
~ years has so shocked the coun-
try as Miss Mary Louise Cham
berlain's description of the New
York canneries, where little children,
many of them worked for seventeen
hours, labor with bruised, cut fingers
until they can scarcely hold their
heads up so heavy are sleep and ex-
haustion upon them. This exposure
takes on a national character from
the fact that organized women all over
the country are pledged to use all in
fiuence for national child welfare.
Only recently graduated from Vas
sar, where she received the degree of
bachelor of arts, Miss Chamberlain.
the daughter of wealthy parents, re-
siding In Hudson, Mass, decided to
forego the gayeties and more frivolous
thirgs of life which might have been
hers up in the little city nea the New
Hampshire line. Her interest in the
welfare of her fellow human beings
has been aroused by her studies in
sociology at Vassar.
Miss Chamberlain went to work for
the New York state factory investigat-
ing commission early in July and con-
tinued in its employ until her work
was deemed completed early In Sep
TENDER.
Positive that the most interesting
revelations were not to be obtained
by inspectors in the ordinary fashion,
DIR. George M. Price, director of inves-
tigation, assigned Miss Chamberlain to
seek employment in various canning
factories and learn facts and condi-
lions first hand.
Disguised as Working Girl.
Putting aside her tailor made suit,
lingerie waists, silk stockings, well
made boots and the other features of
dress so dear to the woman who can
afford them and who has been accus-
toned to them since childhood, Miss
Chamberlain donned a simple calico
dress, shoes that cost her 50, with 9th
err garments in keeping, and went up
state in search of work.
On the stand before the investigating
commission at Albany she told Of first
going to Holly, N. Y, where she obtain
ed employment in a cannery as a sorter
at 10 cents an hour. She was laid of
after a few days work and sought en-
ployment in vain at Hamburg and
Eden Center. At South Dayton she
was employed for a day and a half as
a laborer, doing hand labelling. For
this she received 10 cents an hour at
the start, later being paid by the piece.
After South Dayton she tried Silver
Greek, Farnham and Fredonia, but
without success. At Albion she obtain
ed employment. She remained in this
position two weeks.
Miss Chamberlain kept a diary show
ing the time records Of three women
and children. She said that for sort
ing peas she got s cents an hour.
Woman G.. is my own record and
absolutely correct" said Miss Chamber
lain.
aug. 10, 3 hours; Aug. IA; 10 hours;
Aug. Is, S15 hours; Aug. 16, Az hours;
Aug. II, IA hours; Aug. IS, Sunday;
Aug. 10, no hours: Aug. 20, 49,. hours;
Aug. 81, 1919 hours; Aug. %, 10 hours;
Aug. %, 10 hours; Aug. "a, II hours;
Aug. Is, Sunday; Aug. 26, SA hours;
Aug. 81, 10 hours.
"As to the children, one was Flor
ence Laney, aged eleven years. She
gave her age as fourteen years, but /
heard from teachers In the town of
Albion and from her many friends and
companions hat she was only eleven
years old. She was employed regular
ly as a factory worker.
"She set up the cans When the
cans came down from above through
the hole In the ceiling she took those
cans and carried them over to the
filters during the bean season. / don't
know what she did during the pea sea-
son. l was there in the bean season.
Child Worked Sixteen Hours.
"Ten-year-old Milly Tacout went to
work at 4:30 in the morning, and she
stopped at 9:30 p. III. Aug. 81 she
shipping, 7:30 a. IN. until II m. snip
ping, 1890 p. m. until 8 p. m. shipping;
total, twelve and a half hours. Aug.
20 she worked from 4 o'clock in the
morning until 100 shipping, from 8
o'clock until 1870 shipping, / o'clock
until 6 shipping. $50 until 10 shipping;
total, sixteen and a half hours. Aug.
n she worked from 9 o'clock In the
morning until 1880 shipping. from
11:30 a. m. until 6 D. m. shipping, from
$50 p. IN. until 10 p. m. shipping; total,
fourteen and a half hours"
Miss Chamberlain read from her dia-
~. "These Impressions" she said,
'are very scattered and just AZ things
struck me each day.
X boarded in Albion with a woman
whose name l got from some young