The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-12
TELLS Of FILTH IN
CANNING CAMPS
DAUGHTER OF POET JOHN BOYLE
o'REILLY GOES BEFORE COM
MITTEE.
ASKS FOR INQUIRY
INTRODUCES BOY OF EIGHT WHO,
SHE DECLARES, HAS WORKED
Ten HOURS FoR TWENTY
CENTS.

WASHINGTON Jan. 1l.-Painttng
a picture of poverty restitution and
filth in the great New York canning
camps, Miss Mary Boyle o'Reilly,
daughter Of John Boyle O'ReilIy. con-
vInceG the house rules committee
today that there should be remedial
legislation although members of the
committee could not see their way
clear to enact general legislation.
states rights and local legislation
seek to govern employment OF wom-
en- and children, and to limit the
hours of men,
Congressman Allen. OF Ohio. who
conducted the preliminary inquiry be-
fore the rules committee. introduced
Miss O'Reilly. and explained his rea-
sons for a special investigation COM
mtttee OF five members OF the house
to ascertain whether there exists un.
sanitary evTfeai tttt34tzTfs tn earning
adjustments.
The resolution recites that there
are charges that fruits and vegeta-
bIes are canned amid "tIthY condi-
tions by workers who are diseased and
who live and work In an environment
that makes cleanliness and health i'm
possible, and that women and chill
dren of tender years are employed
for long hours, and for inadequate
pay
Two Cents An Hour.
Diseased workers, bad housing con-
ditions, lack of sanitation, and neg
lect of ordinary sanitary precautions
in the preparation OF canned pro-
duets were charged by Miss 0'Reslly
She said that all Of the children in
the camps over the age OF ter were
employed in the factories. She in
81. al ns
eight years old. who she said worked
zen hours a day for twenty cents She
told of scores of families lodged In
great shacks built without sanitary
arrangements, without water, and
without accommodations for cooking
the food Of the workers. In one In
stance she said she found six chill
dren under eleven years old keeping
house in the cellar OF a shack while
the remainder Of the two families to
which they belonged. were at work
in the camps.
The factories and shacls, occupied
by tho workers, Miss O'Reilly said
were over run with rats bugs and
flies. and every sort OF verminI. The
mothers are often afraid to leave their
children in the shacks while they are
at work" she said, because of the
rats"
The labor IN the camp MISS u Eeit~
Iy said. was largely recent immi-
grants" Poles and Italians,
Totiers of Children.
The tendency to charge rent for
the miserable shacks in which these
people live. is TO make workers of the
children" said Miss O'Reilly. The
children go 10 work from June 70 De-
GENDER, the superintendent of schools
of Buffalo told me and they came back
70 school dull and sickly. In the mean
time. under New YORK law, they are
truants. l know that one boy, aged
fourteen years. worked lis hours a
week in canning house, The New
York law limits work hours for chill
dren. finder sixteer years to 81 hours
a week
This case. know" said Miss
oReilly. "A boy, OH. he couldn't
have been moro than twelve years of
age, after working all week in a can
ming establishment at Buffalo. was
called by his mother on Sunday TO
CO. church.
mo. mother" he said. cut II out
There amt no God"
Pay of Berry Pickers.
Miss O'Rellly said that berry pick