Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-03-13
TELL MORE HOW
WORKERS LIVE
IN ROOSEVELT.
important Testimony Taken
Yesterday by Assembly
Committee After Which
1t Adjourns Until Friday.

After hearing important testimony
regarding the living conditions of the
Roosevelt laborers and occurrences
during the recent fertilizer workers
strike from Morris Prince, the special
assembly investigating committee ad-
journed yesterday afternoon until
Friday, March 19, when it is proba-
BILE that the hearing will be conclud-
ed.
When the assembly convened yes
terday afternoon at $3.50 o'clock af-
ter lunch, the witnesses summoned
were Jacob Levenson, merchant;
Alexander Lebowitz, a butcher; and
Morris Prince, an interior decorator.
all of Roosevelt. DR.. Macmillan
Jacoby, the borough health ofiicer,
was recalled as witness.
Levenson, who carries on an extern
sive retail trade with the Roosevelt
laborers, stated that there had been
big decrease in purchases during
the period of the strike, but that the
s1.S0 compromise had somewhat bet
tered conditions. He declared that
as people the Roosevelt laborers
were devout and honest, attending
church every Sunday and making an
endeavor to meet their obligations
with the merchants. He stated that
the moral tone of the neighborhood
was exceptionally good, and that the
charges of gross immortality were un-
true. Levenson said that four
churches had been built at Roosevelt
principally through the efforts of the
laboring class, and he stated that the
schools were well attended.
Take Good Care of Children.
The mothers of Roosevelt. Leven-
son declared, took care of the chill
dren the best they knew how and he
said that ignorance of sanitary liv-
ing was in a large measure respon-
sible for the crowded and unclean
conditions of the homes.
Alexander Lebowitz, butcher,
said that during the strike major
ity of the laborers existed chiefly on
| a daily purchase OF quarter-pound
of bologna, which cost only four
cents, He said that since the men
had been given $50 the consump-
tion OF meat had Increased, the aver.
age being pound of beef each day
DR.. Maximilian Jaeoby took the
l
before the commission to correct
what was evidently a mistaken Inn"
preston as to the purport of his tes-
timony given at the first sitting OF
| the assemblymen.
The physician said that tuberculo-
sis and malaria was not prevalent
among the fertilizer workers. but
that the conditions under which they
worked were conducive of spreading
| these diseases. He said that cases OF
diphtheria were also infrequent and
| that the health department took rigid
precautions to prevent their spread.
requiring two negative cultures be-
fore the patients are discharged. DR..
Jacoby also modified his testimony
| regarding the conditions of immoral
! ity in Roosevelt. stating that the con-
| itiOns there were no worse than In
| Newark or Elizabeth. He declared
| that the health authorities were soon
! to begin an educational campaign de-
signed to better conditions of the
people.
Urged Peace During Strike.
Morris Prince declared himself to
/ be we'll acquainted with the living
and said that during the strike he
had counselled the strikers to main
tain peace. He said that on the
morning of January 19, when the ia
tai shooting affray took place, he left
the Chrome station on the sos train
and he said that number of depu-
ties armed with clubs and pick ham
die got on at the Liebig's plant. pre-
sumably bound for the Williams and
Clark plant, where the shooting had
taken place a few minutes previous.
He said he recognized the deputies
by thier badges, and declared that
one of them said, Give it to 'em as
soon as we get off," Prince said,
however, that these deputies mani
tested no dirorder when they left the
train at the Williams and Clark sta
tion. He described the aftermath of
the shooting, stating that he saw the
laborers carrying their wounded
companions up the road toward Oh
lofts barber shop. The deputies
from the Liebig plant had evidently
been switched down to the Williams
and Clark factory in anticipation of
further trouble with the strikers.
Before adjournment, Joseph E.
Stricken, counsel for the twenty-five
indicted deputies, told the assem- bly,
men that the trial of his clients
would probably begin March 20.
Hn orI rnnlTlnu lJrnr