The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-29
STARVATION WAGE
PAID TO WORKERS
Long Hours in Mills to Secure
Few Dollars a
Week.
GRIND
CEASELESS
Witnesses Tell of Pitiful Struggle
to Keep Soul and Body
Together.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch)

Especial 70 The Times-Dispatch)
Little Falls. n Y. December 2s.-The
State Board OF Mediation and Arbi-
tration. investigating the cause and
effect of the local textile strike. which
has been in progress two months to-
day. practically completed hearing the
strikers side of the controversy, and
on Monday win listen To the mall
owners and Others interested in the
strike or its settlement. The testi-
mony OF witnesses to-day touched on
The attitude OF the police toward the
strikers and the alleged brutal meth
DDS employed by the regular and spe-
cial police officers in breaking up
massed plckeuns and paradeS by the
strikers. some or the femaie witnesses
testified that they mad been cluDbed
on the heads and breasts by the po-
lice when they hesitated 10 leave the
picket line when ordered 10 do SO.
and had also been subjected 10 other
inhumane treatment.
Annie Kokis. aged twenty-five. tes-
tined that she started 10 work at the
Phoenix Mill for $3.50 n week. Each
week one machine was added 10 her
work and she got a dollar week for
each machine. She had ten machines
to take care of. bat had to give up
one of them. Her wages were 50 j
week, and did not change. sac worked
seven years in the Phoenix mill. Her
family consists of husband and
-year-old child, the latter havins
been sent TO Schenectady. Witness
said her husband worked at the Phoe-
nix mill, but - nov on strike.
Mrs Kokis said the police treated
the strikers like animals She testi-
fled that on October 80 she was stand
ing on the steps at strike headquarters
after the riot at the Phoenix Mill, and
that chief OF Police Long threw hei
down the stairs and flung three other
cirls on top OF her. She understood
the chief was looking FOR some Of the
strike rioters at the time.
Annie Malarik. aged twenty-tour
and married, testified that she worked
four weeks as an inspector at the
Phoenix mill She worked eleven hours
IA day and got s. a week as the high
est pay The last week she made only
81 Her pay in the Phoenix Mills was
"a cents a dozen for inspectine,
taking out threads and sewing but
tons on.
a number OF questions were asked
as TO the nature of the laJor. Wit
ness told about some of the people
living twenty-five in house of seven
~ eight rooms. A bed in each room
and as many as three or four people
In a bed The mills did not own the
houses, she stated
John Remegh testified he had been
employed IN the Gilbert Mill six or
seven years and got $40 a week for
" orking twelve and half hours. i've
nights of each week
John Foloen said that he worked
at the Phoenix Mills for six years al
piecework and earned s. and So a
week eating his lunch without stop
ping his machine. He said he boarded
az a house with fifteen others. and
that there were only five rooms In
ne house. Three men slept In room,
one on a cot and two ira = bed
Adam Kalina said that working
eleven hours day in the Phoenix
Mills he earned IS or So week until
the cut Of the -four-hour law be
came effective He and four others liv
81 in one room about sixteen feet
square. bought their own food and had
the landlady cook It. He said that ~
approached his last boss three times
before ne could get job. and the third
time he spent SI0.50 on the boss in =
saloon before he was told TO come to
work.
Apollo Kalarz said he earned SS9i n
week by working thirteen hours Q
night. He borrowed $40 TO send 10 his
wife and children in Europe. and had
not been able 10 earn enough TO pay
it back lie never took any time Tor
lunch. as he did not want to lessen his
pay.
Joe Sister told the mediators that he
and his family. consisting Of us wife
and two chilrren. lNed in a single room.
fourteen by ten feet lie said ne was
obliged 70 work overtime four nights 4
week quite frequently in order 20 earn
So n week. lie said he was also trying
10 help his mother and sisters in EG-
rope.