The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1914-08-08
Menace a "Sweat Shop"
Says the Catholic Press
Lies of Disgruntled Typographical Tourist FOisted
On Labor Press at Par and Used by the CathO-
lie Press as Means to Discredt The Menace
With the Friends and Forces of Union Labor

Disgruntled and vindictive because be
WAS discharged from the composing
room ~ THE Menace several months
ago for incompetency. the good Of the
service and the bettermcnt of the com
munity in general. one c. l.. Charles
leuis) Phifcr, failing in several recent
attempts 20 grt back on the Job he
formerly held, has handed the Spring.
held, No, Ldborcr a mess Of scurrilous
lies and hogNash in which THE MN
ACE j. held up A. "scab" printing Of.
Gee, Sweat shop" and ornamented
with various other epithets equally A.
silly, absurd and untrue.
Several readers of this diatrihe 81
falschood and calumny at first confused
Phifer, the "printer," with Charles
Lincoln Phifer, associate editor Of TIE
appeal 20 Reason, but q statement from
tho latter, published in q recent issue
Of THE MENACE, draws the distinction
between the men and will set the friends
Of the latter right insofar as he is
concerned.
Phifcr, the "printer," "proacher, {"
voluble liar and all round failure is too
insignificant 10 answer, and We attribute
the Springfield Ldborer's blunder TO IL.
norance and lack Of knowledge OF
Phifer's character rather than 10 a dis.
position 10 knock" THE MENAcE, but
Father" Noll Cor Non), editor Of Our
Sunddp Tisitor, as we'll Rs various other
Romish papers throughout the country,
can be aroused Of nothing short of die
honesty in reproducing this story for
the very good reason that most Of them
know that the article Is false throughout
and is without even the foundation OF
fact. lt is these that we wish 70 an
swer
IGNORANCE OR MALICE
The first half Of the Phifer article
deserves no mention for the reason that
the writer has either maliciously lied in
every line and every paragraph, or else
he is 90 voefully ignorant Of the per-
sonnel Of the staff that he Is unable 20
give names and dates correctly or sven
designate correctly the former resi-.
dences Of the people he mentions or cor.
rectly state the positions they have pre-
viously held.
The only charges he makes against
THE MENACE in which new subscribers
20 the paper, who may not happen 20
know the facts, might be interested are
those that refer 90 THE MENACE as a
sweat shop" and in which il is stated
that about seventy-ive girls are en-
ployed in "the front office" and that
their wages do not exceed from two 20
five dollars per week.
THE FACTS IN THE CASE
II the charges Of the Catholic press,
founded on the falsehoods Of this ig-
norant tool Of Rome, that the girls and
young women employed in this establish
ment were overworked and underpaid,
we're really true, the readers Of THE
MENACE would have Just complaint. In
fact II they were true we would have
heen in the clutches Of the law long be.
fore this, even il we had not been put
out Of business by the strike method, or
/ the general condemnation and rebuke
Of the community in which we do bust.
ness.
The trouble with too many people is
that they gulp down the slush handed
them by whoever may happen TO be do
ing the handing, he IL an irresponsible
tramp or a Catholic paper, without
making an investigation Of the facts.
and the facts about TIE MENACE can
be had by any one who would take the
pains 10 write the mayor, postmaster,
or any other business citizen Of Aurora
We venture the assertion that there
is not a Roman Catholic In Aurora but
who would brand the Phifer story a. q
falsehood II he were eornered for the
facts in the case.
MORE ABOUT THE WAGES.
The first shot that hits wide the mark
in the Phifer-double-distille Catholic
lie Is the statement that we only paw
/ from two TO i've dollars a week 70 girls
in tho "front once" who use type
writers and do other clerical work, and
that there are only three or four girls
receiving over FIVE dollars per week, and
that in our mailing and book depart.
ments We are only paying from three 20
three and q half dollars . week 70 girls
doing that class of work.
Each and every one Of the above
statements can be proven unqualified
falsehoods by any one who cares 10 in
vestigate conditions at this end Of the
line, BY either quiEzing the employees, sx.
aiming the weekly payroll or LOOKING
up the sworn statement made By this
Office 20 the state labor Bureau and
now on file at jefferson City.
We do not now have, and have not
had for over q year, anywhere in our
institution, q single girl, no matter how
unskilled or incompetent, who draws
less than i've dollars . week. We do
not employ person in any department
unless we consider them worthy Of AZ
least that anount and IN eka.l;-,. -.