New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-24
HARVESTER TRUST MONEY.

1--WE believe in a living wage Colo
mel Roosevelt told the convention at
which he was nominated, in making
his declaration Of faith Yet IN
mill belonging to the company OF the
chairman of his party's executive com
mittee and its chief financial supporter
it is only by working very hard for
ten hours q day that worker can
earn as much as IS a week. And wives
with children have to work nights in
order to supplement their husbands
earnings.
Hours are excessive if they fail 10
afford the worker sufficient time to
"recuperate and return to his work
thoroughly refreshed" asserted the
colonel. The workers in Mr. PerkinSs
good trusts" mill have to put In ten
hours day and night. As for oppor-
tunity for recuperation. here Is the tes-
timony Of Mary Prcvl. one Of the An
burn mills operatives, before the
state Factory Investigating Commit
tee:
Q-Do YOU eat your lunch in the
lunch room or do YOU take 1t Just
where you are? A.-Go home TO lunch.
O.-How can you go home and back
I'm fifteen minutes? Al live only five
minutes am home.
Q.-How long does 1t take you to eat2
Alive minutes.
This woman had FIVE minutes in
which to eat her luncheon. Five to
fifteen minutes for the midday meal
was the custom In the mill, although
the state law requires that minimum
time of half an hour be given for the
purpose
1--WE hold that night work for women
"and children IS abnormal and should
"be prohibited. Yet night work went
on IN this factory, some Of whose prof
its flow into the treasury Of Colonel
Roosevelt's party. and'for longer hours
than the state law permits. And on
this subject Of hours the colonel said:
eve hold that the employment Of
women over forty-eight hours per
week is abnormal and should be pro
"hiblted." Yet In this mill Of his execu-
tive chairman's women told the state
investigators that they worked sixty
four and one-half hours week.
safety conditions are abnormal"
asserted the colonel in bis declaration
Of faith" when through unguarded
machinery. poiSonS, electrical voltage
cor otherwise workers are subjected
"to unnecessary hazards Of life or
limb" Yet in this factory Of leader
of the party making pretensions to
great concern for the welfare Of the
worker. especially Of the woman work
or. the air Of the workroom was full
Of dust, because Of the failure to pro-
vide the eXhauetS required by law: the
workroom was badly lighted and i'll
ventilated; the women workers. again
in defiance of law. were not permitted
to sit down while at work; and they
were compelled to handle packages OF
material weighing from 10 TO 1850
pounds naided.
Why should the colonel he at such
pains TO produce letters to the effect
that he refused to allow the accept
ance Of Standard Oil money in the
campaign Of 1904? Is Standard Oil
money one whit worse than Harvester
trust money. gained by Il species OF
Industrial slavery in its binder Irvine
mills? How can the colonel square his
professions of passionate devotion to
the cause of social Justice with accept
ance Of money obtained through the
exploitation of those poor girl and
and doubtless in the other mills of the
trust? The conversion" Of Perkins to
the cause of industrial welfare doSS