Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-13

u,eienic conditions among the garment
-.rters in this city are even worse than
4. The case in New York. Investigators
a. the United states Public Health Serv-
,ce reported that only two out of every
tuudred workers i'm this trade in Manhat-
,.r are free from defects or disease The
,.rceutage of healthy workers is even less
N this city approximately
co saw the leaders of the garment
vorkers here, for many years In close
touch with their ailings and failings. They
hlame the prevalence OF disease in the
shops here on the insanitary conditions i'm
The shops, just as the Government report
aid In New York.
Samuel II. Schaeffer, general manager
az the women's Ware Manufacturing AS
ISOLATION, an organization composed of
q garment manufa cturers, said, to the
rontrary conditions In the trade were
rowhere so good as in Philadolnhia. that
Ms association had an iron-bound agree
q ment with the Garment Workers Union,
which provided for sanitary shops and
maximum of IS working hours a week.
Within the last month, 10 worke S have
r,aIized how serious their condition is
Nhave quit work and are trying to build
Mn their diseased systems In sanatoriums
and hospitals. This is a relatively small
number, but II every one of the 5000 ope a.
tIyes in this city were to be examined by
physician, it is estimated that a large
perecentage of them would follow the
footsteps of their 10 comrades. The
workers say they have neither the time
nor the money for such a purpose.
tuberculosis among the workers is 10
times higher than the rate in the United
States army; three out OF every four have
defective vision, due to poor lighting in
the shops the investigators urged ade-
quate illumination to remedy this); 1 out
OF every 10 has nervous affections half
Of theIl, or 5000 in this city, have faulty
posture from bending over their work.
These are some of the evils that are rife
IN the trade. And the workers are un-
able to combat them.
'It will do no good to strike for better
hygienic conditions" said one of the men.
'The manufacturers would not grant the
demands and the workers are truly thank
ful when they can make enough to give
their families food and clothes. Some
times the shops are so fearful that our
people can't work in them. A week or so
ago. Is Of the workers left a place at
Sixth and Arch streets. They said they
could not stand the foul air and insani-
tary surroundings any longer"
AVERAGE WAGES IS TO $40.
The trade has two busy seasons-one
In the fall and one in the spring. Both
last about 10 weeks. During the busy
seasons, II the worker keeps on the job
IL hours or more a day and seven days a
week, he can make as high as $40 week
II he is so successful as to do this, 1t
brings his average for the year round to
IS or SO a week.
The fall season IS now in full blast, and
IA A. II
trade. As regards this both the workers
and the Government report agree. The
manufacturers and the workers here once
signed an agreement to limit the working
hours per week to 81, with a maximum of
six hours overtime for every seven days.
To make enough to tide them over the
slack season the worker. keeps at his task.
and the usual total of hours per worker
during the busy season is so to 30 week,
many of the shops running Saturday (the
Sabbath of the Jews) and Sunday. A l5-
hour stretch III close atmosphere, with
Insufficient light, helps the growth of
germs and Injuries eyesight immeasur-
ably, according to the report. This is
what 1t Is doing.
PERSONAL CLEANLINESS A PROB
LEM.
The Government investigators urged I'm
their report the attention of the workers
10 the principles of personal hygiene, and
they said they believed this would mate
RALLY reduce the alarming ratio of disease
that runs rife through the ranks of the
workers. To this the head of the work
ers replied:
Il ask you, in all fairness, how can a
man take bath when he has been work
lng 10 hours or more and needs sleep and
tninks sleep? When he does wake from
ms snort nap of three or four hours, II
right back to work, ofttimes without
breakfast. Ninety per cent. of the work
ere daily start their work without any
oreskiast. He simply cannot stop and
consider whether or not he looks clean
ne has to go back to work and gel
enough money to tide him and his family
over until the trade starts up brisk once
more In the spring. During this ten weeks
.'retch he will be sure TO contract some
eeiect or disease that he didn't have be
ly1e, put he cannot AFFORD to take time
On 70 see the doctor. Then, again, he
esnt spare the so cents or 81"
Habit FORMING A SCHOOL DUTY.
Ihe report also says the time for form.
nt correct habits is not after a worker
entered a given occupation, but
suoulo be an important part of the schoo
n.'Ding OF the young. This. the mer
~ s, not necessary. for those boys and
n going to school never choose tn,
living. "'s@hS VI p'e0aiiou'
me rate OF disease in the trade is highel
L.. IN any other occupation. Tubercu
which Is so rampant, is highly con
,,.tus, ana new operatives cannot Iona
r,'And the proximity TO the scores OF
sed bodies constantly emitting
ans which wax fat on persons free from
w more vicious microbes.