New-York tribune., 1912-01-26
Consumers League Hears Story
of Twenty-Five Years.
SARAH SMITH LOOKS PART
Long Hours, Poor Pay and I'm
sanitary Conditions Leave Mark
and Inspire Resolutions.

sarah Smith. laundry striker, held the
centre Of the stage at the twenty-first an
nual meeting Of the Consumers League Of
the City of New York, held yesterday
afternoon al the Ethical Culture meeting
house. 64th street and Central Park West
Sarah. by the way has been working
longer than the Consumers League. has
been meeting, for she told the audience
that she came to them as "a laundry work
er for the last twenty-five years"
She looked IT, An effective example or
the results of long hours, poor pay and un-
sanitary surroundings was Sarah, droop-
ing of figure. pale of face, with two hol-
lows in her cheeks looking as if she had
not eaten since the strike began.
Sarah was shy a. first. and did not know
where to stand, and it took some engineer
ing on the part of Mrs. Frederick Nathan,
the league president, to get her started.
But once started she told the monotonouS
story Of the laundry workers life plainly
enough
This is the way we worked" she said.
"On Monday we began at 1 o'clock, and we
worked until ] o'clock that night. Some
times the boss gave us supper money and
sometimes not. II was oftener not. Then
Tuesday we began at 80 o'clock in the
morning There was just time to tumble
into bed and out again That day we
worked until o'clock at night. 1t was
the same on Wednesday. but THURSDAY
maybe, we would get a rest. Thursday,
maybe, VIC could stop at 1880 o'clock at
night Friday we'd generally have an
hours rest in the morning. Friday wed
begin at s O'Clock, and we'd stop at In
the evening. Saturday was a real easy
day, and we'd get off at o'clock in the
afternoon"
An arithmetical member of the league
figured up Sarahs time and found that
she worked from seventy-five to eighty
hours week.
I'VE formed a Union at last" Sarah said,
"and we're striking for shorter day and
better conditions. God knows we've en-
durcd it quite a long while. We want
hfty-tour- hour week And we want bet
tor pay. The pieceworkers--it's them that
work the long hours-can't make more than
from $12 to SIC a week, working all the
long time l told about. And most weeks
50 CT 81 Is taken out Of their wages for
overcountng."
Somebody asked what "overCounting'
was but Sarah said she didn't know. They
never had been able 70 find out-only the
boss took that money out Of their wages.
Then Sarah sat down, and the league
passed the following resolutions unani-
mousy:
Whereas, the Consumers League has for
some time known and recognized that the
conditions in many public laundries were
unfavorable to the workers and the con-
snncrS alike, because of poor sanitation
and irregular and very long hours.
Be IL therefore resolved, that the con-
sumers' League indorses the movement OF
the laundry workers to secure a ten-hour
day and sanitary conditions.
And be II further resolved. that the con-
sumeTs League calls upon the member
ship and upon housewives generally 10
pauonize those laundries which maintain
p high standard Of sanitation, good wages
and short hours.
And the members of the league" said
Mrs. Nathan. speaking to the resolution.
must make 1t their business TO find out
the conditions in the laundries they pat
ronize."
Mrs. Nathan in her presidents report
expressed herself as bitterly disappointed
in the Legislature last winter 1--WE hoped
SO much from the new Legislature" she
observed, and II wasn't any better than
the old one-not bit All our hard work
the last year resulted in none of the great
public reforms We wanted to carry through.
But our league is q tocsin TO awake the
public conscience, and some day we shall
succeed"
Mrs. Nathan said they would like TO he
able to present a white list of laundries. -
but they had not been able TO find single
laundry worthy Of being placed on the
white list
The league passed resolutions calling
upon the Senate and Assembly Ito enact
into law at the present session bill which
shall limit the hours which women may
work to ffty-four IN any one week. or nine
hours a day"
Henry Moskowitz attacked Governor Dix
for what he called his "pusillanimity'' in
failing 10 back the effort to make the
place Of factory inspector a civil service
one, The Governor" ne observed, has
no more backbone than a chocolate cellar"