Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-22
Health Sunday" Observed
Yesterday in More Than
Fifty Philadelphia Churches.
DR.. W. C. RUCKER SCORES
TEMPLE MONEY CHANGERS
Deplores Labor of Children in Fac
tories-Dr. Wiley on Morality
of Public Health"

| PHILADELPHIA, June 22-'Health
Sunday" was observed in more than
fifty Philadelphia churches yesterday.
when prominent medical men from all
parts of the country addressed con-
gregations on the fundamental prin-
ciples of public health.
| IF as Christians. we believe that
the body of man is the temple of God.
| it is our duty to drive out these money
changers in the temple. who would
transmute the souls and bodies Of men,
women and little children into the coin
! of exchange"
The foregoing was part Of severe
arraignment of the hard-hearted en-
ployers of this and other states be-
fore the wealthy congregation of All
Saints Protestant Episcopal Church
Torresdale. yesterday, by DR.. w. c.
Rucker. assistant surgeon general of
the United States public health serv-
ice.
DR.. Rucker charged that in this state
there are more children under sixteen
years Of age employed In factories
than in any other state in the Union.
Required to Labor All Night.
In glass factories" he said. young
boys are kept at labor all night long:
in the textile factories children work
fifty-eight hours a week, longer time
than most other states permit adult
women to work.
DR.. Rucker drew a vivid picture Of
the condition of workers in all lines of
industry. He asked the brokers, bankers
and business men In his audience If they
ever gave a thought to the struggle OF
the scrub women who toiled about office
buildings to support small children at
home.
- hi- ion h
said. will go to their business tomorrow
morning and will take no thought of the
cleanliness of the halls and rooms of the
building in which their offices are located
But if they will wait until about .
o'clock tomorrow evening they will see
the bent and broken figure of a woman
kneeling on the cold flags of the floor
scrubbing. Recent investigation shows
that these women are for the most part.
widows having dependent children. and
the wage they receive is barely enough
to sustain life"
Workers in Homes.
DIR. Rucker pointed out to the women
of the congregation their responsibility in
the matter of Industrial conditions when
he said: .....
Do the women of this congregation
consider their household servants as
constituting an industrial problem? Do
they endeavor in their homes to remedy
the conditions, which are daily driving
young women out of the security OF
household employment into the soul-en-
dangering conditions of the mill and
factory?
How many of you in your shopping
have ever looked for label upon goods
to see whether the article in question
was produced under sanitary conditions
and at a proper wage?
Have any of the men here present
ever thought that the felt hat which they
curic nitrate poisoning in the body of
some halter, and have any of US stop
ped to inquire whether the suit which
We bought was cheap because 1t was
produced in sweat shop?"
Stained Window an Object Lesson.
Here the speaker pointed dramatically
to one of the stained-glass windows Of
the church and said in a voice vibrating
with emotion:
THE very glass in the windows Of this
church cost in its production the eye
sight of some glass blower. Are we as
Christians willing to pay more for an
article in order that We may be assured
that the producer received his just pro-
portion of the price?
ty line is such that the day is coming
when an industry must pay living wage
or stand condemned, and the church as a
| whole must further social legislation and
| force its administration.
TRY as we will to avoid it. every hu-
man being has certain contract, remote
| though it may be, with every other hu-
man being, and everything which enters
our lives whether it be the form of food
or drink or clothing or housing. trans