The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-08
OPERATIVES HAVE
MILLIONS IN BANK
Yet So Poor They Have to
Use Molasses on Bread
Instead of Butter
PALATABLE WATER is
AMONG THE LUXURIES
Minister Causes Some Merri-
ment With His Descrip-
ton of Food Eaten
by the Workers

WASHINGTON, d. c., March .
City officials of Lawrence. Mass, to-
day continued their denials before
the Rules Committee of police bru-
tality and gave testimony to refute
the charges of the strikers that the
employees of the mills are poverty
stricken.
Postmaster Louis c. Cox present
ed statistics TO show there Is on de-
posit in the savings institutions of
Lawrence a total of $21, 100000, an
average of s245 per capita. He said
the majority of the depositors are
foreign mill workers
I'm addition" he said, the post
office during the last five years has
sent 100000 to Europe. and on four
streets. which I can name, Syrians.
Italians and other foreign workers
own property assessed at $4,000.
There are, Of course. some cases OF
poverty"
Similar testimony was given by
Robert j. Mccartney. Lawrence
merchant. who said the mill workers
on an average are weif-dfessed and
frugal people. He denied the tales
of lawlessness. and declared IL 1t had
not been for the strike leaders the
trouble would have been adjusted
long ago.
City Solicitor Daniel Murphy ear
lier in the day put in evidence a tele-
gram from Samuel c. Logan. assist
ant city marshal. for the purpose OF
showing that two Italian boys sent
to New York two weeks ago we're
not we'll treated. ran away from their
keepers and finally were returned to
Lawrence.
Says Average Wage 50.
Representatives of the wooden mills
took the stand late in the afternoon
and testified as to the wages paid OPP
eratives and the technical details of
mill management.
c. II. Kitehin. of the Washington
| mill at Lawrence. said the average
wage in that mill was about 50 a
| week. Frank Sherman, cashier for
the Wood mill. testified along similar
lines. and described the acts of vio-
lence in the mill when the strike be-
gan. He acknowledged that many
employees received IS a week for fifty
six hours work, while others received
higher pay.
also placed the wage average at 50
for men, women and children.
William s. Whitney. supervising en-
gineer for the American Wooden Com
pany, denied he had "sIs.eded up the
machines to make the operatives work
faster" Edward NJ. Cross, manufac-
turing secretary OF the American
Wooden Company, presented statistics
as to the number of employees and
the wages of all four mills OF the
company at Lawrence.
For the first time since the COM
mittee began Its hearings on the con-
ditions in Lawrence a semi humor-
Gus flavor was given the investigation
today. And the testimony of a min
lister furnished the momentary merri-
ment.
Minister Tells Of Molasses.
The Rev. Clark Carter. city mission
airy OF the Massachusetts, mill town,
was describing the incidents of the
strike, the aid rendered to dependents
by the charitable organizations and
the street parades, which Mr.. Carter
characterized as "mobs' instead OF
parades, when Representative Foster
turned abruptly to the subject OF but
ter and molasses.
1T has been testified hero that these
striking people have to put molasses
on bread because their wages are not
sufficient to purchase butter. How
about that
There is a great deal of molasses
eaten : The- children seem tot prefer
it TO any other substitute for butter"
said the minister. I'm one of the
schools. where we have the penny
lunch. they used the peanut butter
once, but the children liked molasses
better.
These twelve cent loaves OF bread
testified about" said the Rev Mr..
Carter. are great big things. big
enough and hard enough. almost, Is
knock a horse down. II you 90 into
the tene1ntn houses. where rooms are
sub-rented. you will find that every
occupant has his loaf of bread and
he has put q mark on it. That's
his loaf and no one else Is supposed
to touch 1t.
The people don't seem to know
CONTINUED on Fifth page.)