New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-13
URGES MORE EMOTION
Miss Barnum Declares 1t Would
Aid Working Girls.
DEGREES INVESTIGATIONS
Organizer of Garment Makers
Strike Says Wage System
Must Be Changed.

What is needed I'm thi- country is more
emotion and less Investigation. according
~ what Miss Gertrude Rarnum general
organizer OF the International Women ,
Garment Makers Union. told an audience
~ ~" Labor Temple last night There
wasn't any use Of investigating TO IND
out whether girls could live boa this city
on s. a week. she said. Every one knew
they could not. The thing to do was to
change conditions 80 that they wouldn
have TO-, she declared.
Mis- Blrnum pictured the young sir
just merging into maldcuhood, who was
forced 10 go out into IN, world and take
Tor her labor whatever terms the ON
ploycr offered For everything that h'
bought except labor. she declared, th'
employer had To- ask How much is it,
Until labor WAS put ON the same basis
her argument ran. the scIIpulOus en-
ployor would bee eteruaIly and absolutely
az the mercy OF the INSCRIPTIONS en-
rloycr
Of am discussing this matter she r..
marked. without emotion. They are al
WAYS afraid that women are too emo
iiuual But II we had more emotion IN
this land We would have more change
and fewer Investigations. What II tho
use of finding out that 50 week is the
lowest wage on which a girl can live in
tnis city, \ girl living on that wage
IS walking a uEhtropc. The slightest sin
may throw her into the depths Of hell
forever
Preceding Miss Barnum on the platform
was Miss Rose Schueiderman, vice-presi-
dent If the Woman's Trade Union League
VINO told Of the conditions which brought
about the strike Of the workers I'm the
white goods industry. one OF her Illus
trations recalled the Newark fire, which
stirred the country little more than a
year ago.
There IS a manufacturer I'm this indus
try" she said, lin whose factory twenty
one girls lost their lives because OF In
sufficient protection against fire. To-day
he is a penitent lie has established wei
fare work in his factory. lie has "A sick
room there lie has lectures for the girls.
He sells them coffee at two and q half
cents q cup, which. believe me. the girls
don't appreciate at all
yet this same man has no scrupc IN
charging his girls IS cents a week for the
thread they use. We don't want his kind
OF bencvolcnce. because It comes out OF
the girls pockets anyway. We want our
girls TO be free TO dance where they
please. not where he wants them 20. We
want them TO choose their own lectures,
10 20 10 their own doctors when they are
sick. We want them to be able to pay
five cents for IA cup of coffee, instead OF
giving him two and half cents
The strike is progressing finely. VIC
have every hope Of sending the girls back
victorious and respected you're
always respected when you have won a
good fight"
Miss Barnum prophcsied that the shirt
waist makers, who struck last year, would
be the next to come out In the presen;
strike. and when they asked for terms
She said they would ask for wage boards
who would slide up the scale OF wages
wear by year until the products OF indus
try were much more evenly distributed
than they were now.