Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-01-29
COLBY IS PROBING
COMPLAINTS OF
STRIKING TA|LORS
Former State Senator
Asks Employers for
Their Side.
MISS JAYNES ALSO TAKES
UP CAUSE OF WORKERS
Girl Garment Makers Tell Eve
ming Star of Long Hours
and Small Wages.

In an attempt to get at the em-
ployers' side in the garment workers
strike, former state Senator Everett
Colby. Miss Alice Jaynes. secretary
of the Consumers League. and
George Reed, of New York. are today
going the rounds of the city's tailor
ing establishments.
They are, when permitted, going
over the books, to see whether or not
the assertions of the strikers are cor
rect Upon the result of this investi-
CATION and the outcome of yester
days conference viii depend the
future course to be pursued by Mr..
Colby.
Claiming that one of the chief points
of contention between the contractors
and the striking garment workers
was the sanitary clause in the pro-
posed agreement, a committee of
strikers headed by the Rev. Bismark
J. Coltorti and J. A. Cozzolino, presi-
dent of the Essex Trades Council.
visited the Evening Star office today.
According to the statements of two
young women who were employed in
factories which manufacture for
prominent New York clothers, their
weekly compensation averaged from
SO to S. in one instance, and In the
other IS q week. In order to earn
this amount, however, it was neces-
sary for them to work in the factories
from o'clock in the morning until s
o'clock at night. They were even re-
quired to carry piece-work to their
homes to be done at night and on
Sundays
This, the callers said, the union OBJ
jects to for two reasons. First, be-
cause the volume of work is too great
for the compensation received, and
secondly, on account of the unsanitary
condition of the average working
mans home.
It was pointed out that where a
| father was only able to eke out
meagre living for his wife and chill
dren. and the wife is compelled to
remain at home to care for the chill
dren 1t was impossible to keep the
homes in sanitary condition.
For this class of home work the
average compensation amounts to Az
cents an hour, and it was cited that
while a girl was working on a gar
ment she might be nursing a sick in
fant afflicted with some contagious
disease. 1t was to maintain this cheap
form of labor, it was alleged, that
the bosses opposed the sanitary
clause.
A male striker from one of the
largest factories in the city, one
which boasts that it pays it's en-
ployees higher wages than any of its
competitors, stated that conditions
among the female employees were the
same as in other factories, but their
wages, including home work at night
and on Sundays, averaged about So
a week He further said that men
working on high class of garments
from o'clock in the morning until
4 o'clock at night, including half of
Sunday, earned from SIT to $1S
week.
Denial that any of their employees
had ever been compelled to work
evenings or Sundays was made today
by the firm of Linsky & Kleinwaks,
tailors at ia Newton street. Klein
walks appeared in person at the store
of the Hilton Company, for which the
firm does work, to protest against
what he called the unjust accusations
of the strikers. He asserted that an
examination of his books would show
that his workers were not underpaid
in proportion to the time spent by
them at work.
He said he was also of the opinion
that his own men would never have
walked out had the agitators let them
alone. Representatives from several
other firms were also present and an
nounced that their books were open
for inspection at any time. Among
these are the firms of Levy &
Schartoff, 2s7-2S9 Fifteenth avenue:
H. Ball, 300 Fairmount avenue, and
I. Berger S03 South Sixth street.
Joseph Heisler admitted that work
was done at home by his employees |
but said this was the result of their |
desire to make more money He de- |
clared they had never been compelled |
to work at home.