New-York tribune., 1912-03-05
STRIKE CHILDREN CRY
OUT AGAINST BRUTALITY
"HurIed Like Bundles of Rags" "
Little Lawrence Workers Tell
House Committee.
LONG HOURS AND LOW PAY
Weaver Declares Soldiers Were
More Brutal than Russian
Cossacks - Domestic
Tragedies Related.
From The Tribune Bureau, !


from The Tribune Bureau,l
Washington. March with striking
adults and children relating stories of al
legged crueties practised by the civil and
military authorities Of Massachusetts. the
Rules Committee Of the House continued
to-day its inquiry into the industrial
troubles in the textile mills of Lawrence.
Several hundred curious and sympathetic
persons again -thronged the committee
room. long rows of spectators standing for
hours behind ''the children OF the strike
who occupied seats Immediately in front
Of the committee.
The Rules Committee Is using the room
formerly occupied by the steel investigat-
ing committee, which examined a dozen
or more millonaircs. No master OF
finance. however. drew the audiences
which have listened 30 the strikers. who
are tesufying not Of millions but of wages
of from a TO Si1 a week.
Samuel Gompers president Of the
American Federation OF Labor added his
voice to-day TO those who arc urging Con-
gress TO order federal investigation OF
the conditions i'm the Massachusetts mill
town in so far as they relate to the refusal
Of the authorities TO permit the Sen1ing
Of the strikers children to other states,
where they could be cared Tor during the
continuance Of the strike. Representative
Victor Berger was also before the commit
tee.
Samuel Lipson. a $40 a week weaver, was
again on the stand and With dramatic
gesture and in broken English he descrioed
the action of the soldiery las more brutal
than any ever attempted by the Cossacks
OF Russia No Russian Cossack would
dare touch child" he half shouted during
his narrative.
Appeal TO Foreign Ambassadors.
when we tried TO get the children To the
train" Lipsom continued the police
pushed the women and children with clubs.
Things were so terrible that we decided to
appeal 70 our ambassadors at Washington
for protection. We decided n find out IL
Lawrence was in Massachusetts, and If
Massachusetts was in ihe United States
Then most of YOU ARE foreigners, and
YOU decided 10 appeal TO a foreign govern
Ynent rather than 10 the United States for
protection" asked Representative Hard
wick.
IF necessary. Conditions were awful.
,The soldiers beat the children. l have seen
them knock down children on the streets
Representative Hardwick asked Lipsom
To give names. He said Syrian boy had
been stabbed.
rs that boy here?"
Hes stabbed-doue 10 death. lie was
running away when the soldier stabbed
him"
Are you citizen of the United States"
Il had my first papers, but never had
money enough 10 take out second papers.
instead OF paying 81 for papers ] had 10
buy shoes for my little ones"
Just before adjournment the committee
Put on the witness stand several OF the
child strikers. girls and boys, who falter-
ingiy told of the parade Of the soldiers, the
riots and the, domestic tragedies they have
Witnessed,
DO you smoke cigarettes" Chairman
Henry asked of A dhninutive lad who said
he worked for $3 80 or - d week.
Il did onct, hut / had 10 cut EN- out"
said the striking youngster.
After the hearing was over, however. the
reformed cigarette smoker spied a cigarette
hox on a nearby table and grabbed it eager
~. lie shook il. and walked away in dis
Eusted fashion when he found il was empty
The children told Of working long hours
for low wages, how they had TO pay the
american Wooden Company five cents a
week for drinking water. which they de-
scribed as canal water Some OF them
told OF seeing women beaten by police and
children knocked down and hurled into
wagons like bundles OF rags in Lawrence
q week ago Saturday.
Samuel Golden. sixteen years old. tcsti-
fed he received 81 g. for three days work
and never made moro than s. 10 in a week
He said children paid five cents a week
for drinking water whether they drank it
or not. and were "docked" an hours pay
II they were late. His father never made
more than 50 a week. he said.
did you see any women clubbed?'
y saw one policeman grab woman by
the throat and hit her with club"
Charles Vasiersky, fifteen years old. said
he went TO school until he was fourteen
and then vent to work.
q would have kept on school but VIC
didn't have enough to eat" said he.
DO you ever go hngry?'
".somsumes: we never have any butter"
August Wsnte. a French boy. fifteen
years old. said he paid 10 cents a week for
canal water TOR drinking purposes. Nante
said he got 3 cents a week for spending
money out of his wages.
John Bolderer fifteen, Lithuanian. said
he got s. 10 a week. and so did his father
did you like things better in the old
country" asked Representative Jenroot.
Not much better / think would rather
he there, but I wouldn't want TO so alone
Ny father spent lcts 'of money TO come
over here"
Would you like to go 10 school,"
Yes, but | have 10 work. and it's hard
We can't live on bread and water all tho
time"
Live On Water at Times.
How often do you have only waterF
sometimes for two days at a time"
How often do you have ''nest?'
Once week.
Not oftener?"
No; we have bread ana molssses, and
sometimes beans
Victoria Weimaryzk, fourteen, said she