The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-06-21
MANY WOMEN Toll
IN SYRACUSE DRESSED
IN SAME GARB AS MEN
Run Drill Presses and Lathes
For Less Pay Than Workers
of Other Sex
BUILDING CODE is OLD
Unsanitary Conditions in Anti
quated Factory Breeds Con-
sumption, Says Investigator
BUILDING CODE is OLD

done up under caps SO tightly that one
has to look twice to determine their
sex, work In the machine shops OF
Syracuse running drill presses, lathes
and doing other light wori. They get
less for their labor than men and
work the same hours-from Z o'clock
in the morning until o'clock In the
afternoon, says a stan correspondent
OF the New York World
The State Factory investigating
Committee was greatly interested
when told at its session here about
these women, and on its next visit
will; inspect the shops and see the wo-
men at work They want to know
particularly concerning sanitary con.
ditions. which have been reported as
bad, both in the shops and in the
automobile and typewriter works.
The commission will find the ma
chine shops in better shape than the
garment factories and that the women
are contented with their lot. They do
not mind wearing overalls and are as
much interested in lathe work and
running drill presses as they would be
. In sewing. They are not required TO
. lift weights or use their muscles 10
any extent. They take pride in the
fact that they are skilled mechanics
and want nothing more than a clean
place in which 70 labor.
Most Unsanitary shop There.
That the Syracuse factories as a
rule are unsanitary is proved by the
. fact that 20 per cent of the 500 reg
/ istered consumptives in the city work
in them. Dr. George NJ. Price, direct
or OF investigation for the commits
sion. says he has inspected factories
for twenty-six years and that the
worst he has ever found is located
here. 1t is not only filthy, but IL is a
Ere trap Strangely enough, and per-
laps, fortunately, the best type of
building in Rochester is coffin fac
.ory. In event OF serious fire its
| .rUduct will be badly needed.
Because Of the same conflict OF au-
thority between city and state OFF,
cials, which is felt through the state,
little or nothing has been done TO
remedy conditions. Except in the
tnodel factories there are no sprinkler
systems. fire Arms or suitable fire es-
eapes. Cuspidors are rare, with the
usual result. and the retiring rooms,
where there are any. are germ laden.
No attempt seems TO be made TO clear
away litter or do any work OF a
hygienic nature.
A factory 10 which the commission
paid particular attention is located on
South Salina-st. Garments are made
In II by 100 employees, so of whom
are women and children. The chill
dren are understood, undernourished
and pale Their hours are long, their
pay poor; and some live so far away
that IL takes them an hour TO walk
To work and the same length of time
TO get back Thirty minutes at noon
is allowed for rest and luncheon.
Workrooms Are Dark.
The concern occupies three upper
stories OF a six-story building The
rooms are divided by wooden parti-
tons and are reached by wooden
stairs. narrow and dilapidated. There
are FIRE escapes. but according TO DR..
Price, one would need TO be an aero
bat In training 10 descend them. In
fact, in winter one would have to
climb over hot radiators to reach
them. The operating Is done on the
sixth floor, the cutting on the fifth
and the directing from Offices on the
fourth The rooms are so dark that
artificial light Is needed within five
feet of the windows.
When the commission took testi-
nony on this factory It was shown
that, In direct violation OF law, the
outer exit doors were locked at 8
o'clock each morning in order to force
those late TO their work to pass
through the office, where their names
we're taken that they might be fined.
The World representative learns that
this custom no longer prevails and
that an effort has been made to treat
the employees more like human be-
ings. The concern Is also using more
care as to the ages OF the children II
hires, il having been brought out that
20 per cent OF the girls looked, at
least, to be under fourteen years OF
age.
Children Got $3.50 Week.
One of the child witnesses was a
eiIl 4 feet 6 inches tall weighing IS
pounds. and another girl feet 10
inches tall weighing "a pounds. Both
we're sickly. They received about
s35O n week for piece work The
proprietor said he couldn't pay them
more as the pants they worked on
sold for only 1925 pair and that II
cost 81 60 to make dozen pairs after
. ne nAu,. bought lhS NioNh NhN u
mings.
An eighty-three-pound boy told how
. nc made 20 cents a week extra mop
ping out the factory and cleaning up
the retiring rooms every Saturday
afternoon. This, added 10 the $3.50
weekly wage, he gave TO his mother,
who mopped out stores at night and
did not return until after IL O'clock.
He didn't see anything of her except
on SUNDAY. as she had TO sleep late
in the morning. small sister pre-
pared his supper. He had five sisters
and a brother but none OF them work.
ed. presumably because they were too
young The lads father worked for a
butcher and on what the three Of
them made the family eked out a liy'
ing.
This factory is described because
the description pretty closely FITS
many others. Some are better; few
worse The rule Of small wages and
long hours is universal. To meet com.
petition the owners get all they can
out of their help and force them to
speed" from morning until night.
THE inspection is about on "A par with
up-state cities. II is a farce. The
inspector gets around once in six
months or a year and in some mys.
$780,. -, hts coming is known be-