El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-23
.sHINGTON. D. G. Aug

/
one presenting most difficulties as
! public utility. While the majority OF
people insist upon quick service nom
/ a laundry, they are not satisfied tc
/ know that in giving this prompt ser
/ vice there is frequently violation of
/ certain laws regarding the number OF
I hours of work for women, or in'states
/ where as yet no such laws exist. Wo-
men are subjected to such hardshipS
in the laundries that some legal re-
striction seems to be demanded.
The laundry management often IS
blamed for conditions for which the
! public itself IS responsible. 1t is fire.
quently the rush demand of the patron
which calls for the extra hours
Improving Working Conditions.
Last January there was a strike
| among the New York laundry workers
which called particular attention TO
/ existing conditions. For three years or
more philanthropic men and women
have been making investigations look
ing toward the relief of some of the
| hardships. The beginning Of these in
vestigatiOns was made by Miss Garcia
| Woerrishofer under the direction of the
National Consumers league. Miss
| Woerrishofer was a young woman mil
lionaire who became interested in So
Geological work during her college ca
reer. Immediately after her gradua-
ton from Bryn MaWr, she went to
New York and worked for months as
a laundry girl in several different
laundlieS, studying conditions and liV-
ing upon the wages she earned. Her
revelations were startling and were no
doubt largely responsible for the in
creased interest, including the govern
ment Investigations which followed.
A number of years ago there was
law passed in New York prohibiting
women from working at night in that
state. This was declared unconstitu-
tional and an infringement upon per-
7erA. Of he NTaTrr
York court of appeals in 1907, and
since then there has been no prOtec-
tion to prevent overwork for women
In the laundries Of some large hotels,
instances have been given where Wo-
men ironers have worked for 80 hours
at a stretch without any time for sleep
or rest. The Consumers league inves-
| LEGATIONS state that after any large
ball or other entertainment at a great
hotel such exactlonS from women
, laundry workers are frequent in order
that the supply OF fresh table linen
may not fall short.
Few Comforts In Shops.
In many of the outside laundries,
the unsauitary and uncomfortable con-
ditions under which the work is done.
In many of them the air supply is in
sufficient and cases of heat prostra-
testified to her sense of pleasure at
the GOODNESS outside on leaving the
laundry on summer day Later she
found that the thermometer outside
stood 90 degrees in the shade OF
comforts and conveniences. the average
laundry possesses none. Women
would eat their lunches sitting on
piles Of soiled clothing or upon the
floor
The New York branch Of the Con-
sumers' league is now compiling
white list of those laundries which
assure standard working conditions
These consist Of limit of 81 hours
work per week and no day over i
hours long; all overtime paid for; all
machinery guarded: floors drained and
Suttered so that no one shall work on
wet floors; seats adjusted to the ma
chimes; and proper toilet accommoda-
lions.
5000 Small shops In New York
A number of New York shops are now
fulfilling these standards. although Il
is claimed that there are fewer prop
than in any other city in the country IN
proportion to its population. Most OF
the work is done in the cheap. So
called hand shops" which are in re-
atty only agencies which collect the
work for larger establishments There
are about 5000 of these small shops
in New York, all OF which collect work
at a price below that OF the regular
we'll equipped laundry. They must Sc
cure their rent and profit and provide
a profit to the wholesale establishment
doing the work.
The large places where such work
is done have few Of the modern labor
saving appliances for the comfort of
their employees and the sanitary con-
ditions are often as bad as could be
imagined. The hours OF work have
been practically unlimited so that at
the last investigation made before the
New York State Bureau of Mediation
and Arbitration one starcher testified
to having worked 90 hours in five days
to get rush work out.
Women Stop Rush Work.
The abandonment of this rush work
calls for cooperation on the part of
the public and it is something which
the women OF the country can largely
aid in bringing about. Different Wo-
mems organizations are now cooperat-
ing with the laundrymen's associations
in an effort to so plan the work that
there may not be a rush and a conse-
quent strain upon the workers the lat
ter part of the week.
The Housewives league of New York
has issued recommendation to its
members to have certain part OF
their washing ready on Friday OF Sat
urday, in order that the laundry may
be ready to begin work early on Mon
day morning, instead of gathering the
wash on Monday morning and having
the work begin in the afternoon and
continue until late at night as has
been the practice When there are
TWO deliveries week, the driver time
should be saved by giving him the sec
ond lot of clothes when the first is
delivered, instead of requiring an extra
call.
Some Have Half Holidays.
The organizations of laundrymen are
generally in favor of a limited work
ing day as they wish to place their in
dustry upon the same standard as
others, but quite frequently the en-
ployes themselves do not favor it.
One laundry company, operating model
steam laundries in three cities. ar
ranges with its workers to begin work
at 1880 o'clock in the morning and to
continue working until six o'clock up
to Friday. when the bulk of the work
is finished by or 5 o'clock in the at
ternoon- The workers are then dis
missed until Saturday noon, when they
come back to work for two or three
hours to get out the rush work Of the
hotels.
This firm has found that its en-
plOyes prefer working an hour or two
longer for several days and then hav-
ing part of Friday afternoon and the
whole of Saturday morning, than to
work the regular hours the whole six
days. Other laundry managers claim
that this plan is impossible because OF
the irregularity with which the work
The drivers 4 the laundry wagons