The Detroit times., 1912-05-06


missed. We held meeting that even
Ing and In the afternoon TWO prom
inent clergymen called on us anu IN
formed US Mr.. Hatfield would again
receive us. We went 10 him the mex.
morning and told him the hrst thins
In order was the reinstatement OF tne
~ girls dismissed. He said II We wouId
send the girls 10 him separately ne
would deal with them as individuals
but we contended that inasmuch as ne
had dismissed them In BODY ne
should take them back In q BODY.
The strike was called that AFTERNOON
and about 400 girls came out. ABOUT
so men also Joined us, they having
made demand for an increase IN
wages
Among the strikers were a number
OF Holland girls, who spoke Imperfect
English. They were informed 0y their
pastor that unionism was an awtui
sin and II they did not quit the union
at once they would be damned eternal
ly. This same clergyman later al
dressed an open letter to the press
stating this view.
Some OF the girls remained at work.
They were not members OF the union.
could narrate iunumerable IN
stances TO show the conditions or I'M
morality. We have made II separate
affldayits as &c .hat and they are on
file In court. The idea seemed 10 Do
very common among the working girls
OF Kalamazoo that the greatest SIN IL
to tell about these wrongs. did
everything could to let the good peo-
pie OF Kalamazoo know. There are
A. - al "a N
work with their hands and those who
hire the workers. We lack that pro
fessionaI class who could Judge Tins
situation independent OF financial con
siderations. know there are many
people here who sympathize deeply
with the girls, but they are so tied up
with the corporation class that they
would really be going on a serious
a stand with us.
have taken the stand that these
girls should not be sent back to con.
them; where young girls are con
stantly being tempted by pititul re
Enumeration for loyal labor and
chance for more money by overStep.
| ping the bounds or morality. The sit.
uation is disgustingly messy. To some
/ people our being In jail may seerl an
awful thing, but explaining the c',ndi'
tons under which these girls are
forced to work is very much worse.
Decent girls who complained OF being
insulted were discharged.
There were 10 girls on bonez ern.
broidery who earned an average wage
OF 20 cents a day. | am not so much
I as.I xsrtsk 10. - nKsfH
cient wages to live respectfully as am
for those who are getting below that
sum. girl got check for So cents
for working two and half days and
the manager protested paying II by
stating that he had not taken out $l.O5
for thread, as he should have done!
His wife pleaded with him so that he
said In the future he would personally
make up the deficit between a girls
wages and the cost OF her board. That
was confession that the girls did not
earn a living wage.
The whole thing strikes me as an
excellent argument for woman suffrage
In Michigan.
Judge Knappen made an order
against us which II literally construed
would prevent any member Of the
union and any sympathizer from even
walking on the street past the factory.
We were arrested for asking the girls
TO join u.s.. no violence was used. no
epithets.. The company made COM
plant and we were put I'm jail. The
following day Judge Knappen- issued q
statement In the. press In which he
practically said we were guilty-that
Is, before he heard our side OF the
case.
We do not expect to return to work
until the conditions I have outlined
have been remedied.