The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-08
SENATE REPORT ON
LAWRENCE STRIKE
Neil Declares 1t Amounted
to Social Revolution"
HORRIBLE CONDITIONS
Report Shows Highest Wages of the
Operatives About $12 a Week.
Children EARNED Out"
Nearly All Millworkers.


x,voat,. r,,t..7 lc,o,,.,, That +na
"asniiis 'oii' 'uis -. -,
Lawrence strike winch began las. jan
uary and lasted until March, which was
the subject of a hearing before the House
committee on rules. and which attracted
the attention az the country from one end
to another amounted to social revolu-
ton" is the opinion expressed by COM
missioner of Labor Charles p Neill In a
renort m the senate In pursuance of a.
r...,.,.,a.. ,,s..aa,,a., -, ,.,..,., 49,. ~,
49, $50 -,
senator folnuexter OF Washihs.on.
report was oroereo printed saturaay. wv
ing 10 the 1aet that IL Is unusually Voiun,-
ihcus anu expensive W PRINT ohis ehoueh
COPIES ior the use oi tue SENATE uo@u
men. rooin was oloereo. Inc fepoie 70
based on investigation fhaoe py tne puleau
Vi ldpor AT the uirectioh oi the oeci elhiS
ol ooihfheice anu Laoor.
WINE commissioner Mem makes ne"
comments on the SITUATION "hlch leo ~
the strike IN the minis owned anu operaeeo
py the ohlten WOOL company lhe iaets
ne discioses ieaVe no ooupt as 10 .he
horror OF conaltiohs IN lawrence. Inc 70.
port SHOWS that the 4ighest wages PAM
the ordinary operatives Wnen the Iiliiis
run at 1uil tlme seidom go over slz
Week. whlie one iamiiy Oh a Iatner, notner
ana three chlidren We're iorceo TO nVs
on the 1ather earnings alone, winch
were 20. ~ week: Inc average wages are
sim aoi Wen iS,e IL lSii we" sS ne .a
family Tho fp11res given bv Commits
sIoner NeIlI are based on a study of the
nav rolls of 81 e9o oneratives
Children 'Farmed Out
The facts he disclose tell their own
story of how mothers have to farm their
children out during the day in order that
husband and wife may earn enough to
keep the family in the bare necessities of
life. The children usually start to work
at IA years of age. OF the employees
studied So. per cent were males and "A.
per cent females, showing the high per-
centage of women.
After describing the demands of the op-
eratives which were that they were to
receive the same paw for the "a hour week
going into effect on January under the
Massachusetts law that they had received
for the be hour week. the report con-
tinues:
mo adeasate conception of the meaning
and permanent social conseuuences of the
doctrines promulgated during the period
of bitter struggle can be had without some
comnrehension Of the snirit and senttn,ent
that animated the leaders and part of
the strikers. The circulars and nosters
widnlN distributed during the etrika ir1j-
cafe the snirit thai Law behind the str,,g-
Gle
Iru.l;ti.I T.Lo Ir.I
i
Most OF the strikers, the report points
out were on-Ensllsh speaking, VINO nave
peen without any method with dealing
with thelr employers Inc unskilled Ia
Dorers were unorganlzed ana mad no way
TO voice their protests
II natnrally foiowed, writes eommisr
sIoner NELL that when they broke out
IN hsstily Planned ana more or less VIC
lent protest AGAINST reduction or their
wages they We're ready TO follow the lead
ershlp that gave them enicient direction
ana furnished them financial resources
TOT the struggle.
COMMISSIONER Neiii ana MS assistants
lound that one nalf OF the population
OF Lawrence, az years old and over,
were employed IN the mills, or depend
emf upon tnem. Lawrence mas popu-
latioh Oh so,ess ana there are $4,000
persons uepenueht upon the mills. The
alilea crafts among the English speak
ing operatives nad a total OF only
zooo members wneh the strike broke
ou.' WINE ,ne ihoustrial workers or
me WORM nad a pald-up list OF 300
meihpers. mus tnere were less than
oVVV union operatives IN Lawrence
Utilizing the report says:
Inc dctual ecohoHilc eonultlon OF
tne iailll'es Oh tne WORKERS OF the tex
we hliiis VI A.aWrence cannon easily De
pictured py mere statement Oh IN
uusti IA ear ring II rs OBVIOUS from
'"e hsuies .nat me iuii earnings OF
IA - iun,oei VI auui' efhpioyes are
ontitean ihauep"a.e 10 maintain ram
llA, nus the run time earnings OF
40 elhpi"yes' OF aooue ohe-tnlrd COW
ered III 'his ihhes,isa.ion are Tess tnah
~ Weeh VI me ITO earning less
tnah - week, ozs4 were over Is years
ola ana 90 per cent OF the 1924 were
pecuilar 10 Lawrence. Inc wages OF
we eeNeite Woihei IN ina, CITY are not
lower tnah IN most otner teNtiie towns.
me pam faot IL rnat the textile IN
dustry' SO Iar earnings are con-
cefhed is III large part FAMILY In
dustry.
IT gives employment to men, women
and chlldreh. Inc normal FAMILY OF
hVe unless the 1ather is employed in
one OF the comparatively rev better
paying occupations, Is compelled by
necessity 10 supply two wage earners
in order to secure the necessities of
life.
From study of the table showing
earnings II Is very appare that in
many occupations that II the father of
the family has not at, least one child
old enough to work II becomes neces-
sary for the wife TO enter the mill to
supplement the earnings of the hus-
band in order to maintain the family.
Where, as is often the case, the faith
err. the mother, and three or more sons
and daughters are at work and con