The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-07
Secretary Of Associated Charities and Visiting Nurse
Tell of Their Work and Assistance Accorded by
c. & H. and Other Companies Strikers Can
Barely Exist on Union Benefits.

Miss Clarice Jones. secretary Of the
Associated Charities of Calumet and
Miss Henrietta Honenbecker visiting
nurse for the Houghton County Tuber
cnlosis society, this morning furnished
Governor Ferris with information
touching upon living conditions among
miners throughout the district
Their reports We're voluminous and
concerned various sociological prob
lens
The Governor asked Miss Jones OF
conditions previous 10 and following the
calling of the strike She replied that
lew applications had been received
previous 10 one or two months ago She
explained that none OF the strikers
now applying for aid had asked assist
ance before the strike In regard 10
strike benefits she stated that the
strikers could barely exist on the Fed
GRAFTON payments
Last night, she said, she applied to
William Rickard, president Of the
Calumet local for assistance for the
strikers, she having received so many
applications for aid that she was un-
able To supply all the wants of the
strikers.
Mr. Rickard told her the Federation
will take care of its poor" and asked
her TO furnish him with all the names
of strikers desiring aid.
Miss Jones referred 10 the eff
forts of the Calumet q Hecla Mining
company 10 relieve the poor, She said
General Manager James MacNaughton
has asked her frequently for the names
Of all INDECENT people in the district,
and has always impressed upon her
the fact that the company will assist
in relieving the poor. The rule Of the
mining company, she said, was that no
one residing on its property should be
cold or hungry.
Again referring To the benevolence Of
the mining companies Mss Jones told
Of The Calumet & Hecla furnishing
strike sympathizers with fuel after
this request had been refused by the
county poor commissioner.
The governor referred to the Italian
Hall disaster, with especial inquiry
into the refusal of the sufferers to
accept aid.
THE citizens met with poor sue
cess" she said. These people refused
relief from women acting for the citi-
zens."
Miss Jones mentioned the name of
Mrs Charles Wickstrom. Mrs. H. {.
Guck and Mrs. John Been, particularly
because their offers had frequently
been refused. Miss Jones explained
that this aid had been refused because
some OF the afflicted were afraid to ac.
cept IT,
Miss Jones said that her offers 10
aid had not been rejected. that she al
WAYS had been received kindly and
that the source Of the bureaus funds
was never questioned
She called attention u the case Of
q striker whose family she visited in
September. 4 boy Of the family Jt that
time was in need Of clothing and tho
father whose income was only seven
dollars week i'm strike benefits had
been unable to furnish his family with
the necessities. The head ui this
family Joined the union because of
threats made against himself and fam
ily
The governor inquired as to the
character Of the homes before and
since the strike Miss Jones replied
that while the homes generally were
in good condition the living habits of
many made their homes unpleasant
Work OF Visiting Nurse.
Miss HonenheCker told of her work
as visiting nurse. She said that dur
Ing the past year she had investigated
100 eases. of which ~
are now IN the county sanitarium she
referred To several cases of tuberculo-
sis i'm the families of tho strikers. she
told Of the case Of a patient whose
father and brother were miners They
remained on strike untu poverty over
came them. The father returned 10
work and the brother joined the union
Miss Honenbecker recalled the ease
of miner whose wife had died pre-
Vious Go the strike and who, himself
was victim of the disease at about
the time the strike was called. Three
small children were left. one Of these
a girl, VINO was taken to the home of
Mrs. Annie Clemenc who conducts a
boarding house. The girl. Miss Hof-
fenhecker said. refused To remain in
the Clemenc home because boarders
were unkind TO her and she said she
preferred TO 20 to the state school at
Adrian rather than 70 stay there.
Miss Roffenbecker referred to the
mining companies in the case OF three
consumptive patients. whose fare TO
Europe the companies paid She also
told the governor that inherculosis IS