The Washington herald., 1912-03-05
WAGE TRAGEDY
TOLD BY CHILD
Fathersof Lawrence Received
Less Pay Than Children,
Says Sam Goldberg.
OUTRAGES. DESCRIBED
Witnesses Tell of Beating of
Women to Committee on Rules.
Youngsters Long for School.
OUTRAGEs. DESCRIBED

Mixed with the Vile OF the Lawrence
outrages, where women and children
were beaten and dragged through the
streets. the House Committee on Rules
heard a new story Of tragedy from the
lips of the children yesterday. II was
epitomized In the sentence OF fourteen
yesr-oId Sammy Goldberg:
My fader earns s. week. ! was
eittin' $50 when the strike came on. ]
wish my fader could make SO SO could
go to school"
The little children OF the Lawrence
strike first told the Rules Committee of
the House Of their work in the mills Of
the American Woolen Co., at Law
renee. A few moments later the So
ciaIist representatives who tried to take
the Lawrence children away from the
scene OF the strike described the en-
counter at Lawrence station when. they
charged, policemen and militamen club
bed women and children.
Likens Police 10 Cossacl<s.
The children OF the strike took the
stand after samuel Lipson, q member
Of the strike committee. in excited tones
had said that the behavior Of the Law
renee police and the militia equaled that
of any Cossacks he had ever seen in
his experiences in Russia, and after
Samuel Gompers. president Of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor. had condemned
the Industrial Workers Of the World,
which is conducting the strike.
Little sixteen-year-old Victoria Wen
narysk told the committee OF the work
she did in the mills. She was the third
oldest of a Polish family OF eight in
Lawrence.
Are you one of the strikers?' asked
Representative Henry, when Victoria
shook out the folds OF her little gingham
dress and settled herself difiidently be-
fore the committee.
The little girl braced herself. grasped
the arms of the big witness chair and
in her piping voice said:
Yes, l am"
Did YOU see any of these outrases
these riots in the course Of the strike?"
Yes. i saw them, but sort Of forget
how it was. 1 saw the police chasing
womans. These womans were telling
other womans who were working not to
work. The police were chasing them all
around. They were all falling over.
Some of them were hurt. That was
when the strike first began
why did you go out on striker" asked
Representative Hardwick, of Georgia
Il didn't want to get hurt" responded
the girl. with a queer smile.
bO SCI GhOh8a " NaN- ooANu AtAAs
Hardwick.
Family All at work.
when we were all working, all of my
brothers and sisters and my father and
mother and me, / did
Were you satisfied to keep on work.
mgr
II was working piecework, and they
didn't give me the right to pay. When
first went to work I got IS a week. but
when / knew the work better ! only got
81 and 81, and sometimes s."
Victoria said she went to work in the
woolen mills when she was fourteen years
old
Did you hear any talk around home
about your going TO work before you
went to work." asked Representative
Campbell, OF Kansas.
Mother said when I was going to
school that would have to go to work
Us soon as I was fourteen, because We
couldn't earn enough to live on.
How long after you were fourteen
did you wait before going to work?"
asked Mr.. Campbell.
The little girl thought a moment, mean
time twisting the folded handkerchief she
carried nervously, and answered:
Il was fourteen on Wednesday. and
didn't 60 to work until Monday" she
said.
Victoria said. discussing the menu in
the homes of the Lawrence mill workers,
that her family could aoffrd to have meat
only on Sundays.
Pearl shinberg and CamelIa TeolI
told stories very similar to that OF Vic
toria. Camella, when she went to work
two years ago, through her inexperi-
ence had her hair caught in a spinning
machine and was almost scalped. She
was back at the mill at work. however.
Before the girls related their expert
ences. the boys OF the strikers delega-
tion took the stand.
Father Gets Less Than Son.
Sammy Goldberg. fourteen, was the
first of the children to appear. He was
doffer boy, he said, the Oldest OF a
family of five, and his highest salary
was $40 a week, which fas 10 cents a
week more than his father earned.
When we are FIVE or ten minutes
late they take of an hours pay" re-
marked Sammy, with a smile, I'VE pay
) cents a week for water They say
it's spring water, but II amt"
Sammy told of seeing q woman
dubbed by a policeman In Lawrence,
and of seeing a girl dragged bleeding
from q crowd that had clsshed with the
militia.
Charley Vasiersky took the stand. He
said he got as far as the seventh grade
in school and liked to go to school,
why did you leave to go 20 work,
Charley?" asked Representative Len
root.
The little fellow hesitated, his un-
derlip curled. and he said:
We'll. we had TO have bread, and 1t
was hard to get It,"
you go hungry sometimes, do your
mo; not all the time, but when / 20
home from the mill there amt much 20
eat"
You boys have pretty good times up
there in Lawrence?"
The boys face lighted up, He leaned
forward eagerly to reply:
"Oh, yes; we play tag and ball In the
streets after We get out of the mill"
Charlie said he used to smoke, but that
he had ''cut II out"
do you like to read7''
Yes; 1 used to like II when went to