The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-01-27

to prevent deaths from starvation.
In the narrow streets of the tene-
ment district seekers after truth
found these wretched people living In
novels in indescribable squalor.
II could not be otherwise.
Can a man live and provide for a
family on So 10 SO per week. with
his life necessities protected" and
therefore high priced, exactly as his,
product is protected" and high pric-
ed to you? Eggs and butter, lard and
beef. rent and clothes, drugs and cot
fms are just as expensive here as in
New York, Chicago. Minnesota and
California-and for the same reason.
These weavers have long suffered
In patient silence, year by year the
Industrial and social coils have tight
ened about their necks. They are
timid folk and for 10 years have made
no organized defense. Machinery has
come 10 displace them and they have
feared It, Their employers are al
ways pleading poverty and they have
accepted that as true. With great pa
tience they have hoped for better
days
Most OF them are unschooled and
childish in their beliefs. Humanitari-
ans have, however. exposed the condi-
ton Of these people and theirs has
been a political demand that they be
given physical relief Ii was brutal
TO work them TO high speeding ma
chinery in rooms polluted by flying
lint, steam and the smells OF dye and
hot oil. Fffty-six hours were too many
for the underfed and poorly housed
women and children, II not men. SO
the legislature ordered 54-hour
week.
When the law became effective the
mill owners, headed by William Nj.
Wood, president OF the trust and real
author OF the wool tariff schedule *
reduced the weekly wage accordingly.
The average pay Is about IL cents per
hour. I'VE cannot live on % cents
week less" cried the maddened
workers now that the states relief
was used as a club for further oppres-
sion. A few walked from the mills,
after smashing looms and precipitat-
ing riot that called out the militia.
Only LOO were unionists, but In a
few days 10000 were striking and ev-
erv mill closed. Common suffering
banded together. Joe Ettor came and
they followed his lead like sheep.
Living in a beautiful home few
miles from this town is William NJ.
Wood. who knows full well of the
distress Of these people. He sent word
that he would not deal with union
leaders; was sorry that his employees
had so little faith in him; begged
them 10 be sensible" and 80 back to
work; said he was responsible to the
n. Ill n haf do
did not warrant paying as much for
81 hours work as Sc.
Wood is the same political gentle
man who always pleads so eioquently
before congress for protection for
our employees" II was he who thank
ed Taft for appointing tariff board 1t
was his representatives who tried to
sway the editor of Golfers Weekly
with advertising if Golfers would
not support the I.aFollette bill 10 re-
wise schedule X and who sent warn
ing TO the editor of a Boston paper
that was attacking the high tariff
not long ago that he would see to IL
that local advertisers did not patron
lie the paper il the tariff attacks did
not cease.
Dudley NJ Holman, the representa-
tive CT Gov. Foss in the strike strug-
Gle, 1oints TO Wood as the man main
ly responsible for Lawrence condi-
tiors and says:
The amount paid out in dividends
by the American Wooden CO., in 1902,
was 81 100000. In 1911, it was $2,S00,-
0O0. The capital in 1902 was 49,501,-
100 and in 1911, was s600O0,0 600. The
capital increased 20 per cent. Divi-
dends increased 100 per cent"
MLn- is protected. kind reader You
who buy, the weaver who makes. the
retailer who sells or the sleek, soft
voiced, eloquent Mr. Wood, who ban
quets the standpat senators and rep
resentatives in Washington and
thanks Taft for vetoing the LaFollette
bill7