The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-02

any statements from the cheaper class of labor; the statements will l indicate, they are from the most skill | ed and highest paid in the cigar in
 dustry, but they are submitted to sub stantiate the contents of my report The cigar factories now in Detroit who are members of this Combine,
 employ practically all female labor, with the exception of the foreman, and to the best of my knowledge and close observation, T should say that they are from 13 to 21 years of age. | The following is Q, list showing l names of manufacturers in Detroit and the number of females employed: l San Telmo Cigar Mfg. Go. ...- I, ,213 Lilies cigar 70. ...'. 6Io l Wayne Cigar Co. ............ 615 American Cigar Go. ........ 461
 Hemmeter Cigar Go. ...... 3S7
 Alex. Gordon ........ 196| William Tegge Go. 183I Superia Cigar Go. .......... 182| Banner Cigar Go. .......... 113 ILagora-Fee Co. ..... no
 T am citing here a report from the Truant Officer of Detroit, which was published in the Detrot News-Tribune Sunday, Sept. ', 1913:
 Making at most s2 cents a week for eight hours of work, little Frances Angleweiz, enploye of the San Tel
 mo Cigar factory, has excited much l sympathy by her appeal to the county 1 truant officer for working papers that l will allow her to work instead of go- ing to school this fall.
 | There are eight small children at l the little home at 73 Andrus avenue, Hamtranck, and the father, a day 1a- borer, has worked hard to keep them
 fed and clothed. The mite that the 14-year-old girl has been able to earn,
 although it totals only $4.5O for the 1 whole summer, has helped a little in
 the struggle, and she wants to con ltinue. Summer working papers were given her at the end of the school
 year, and she went to work in the cigar factory. She and other mex
 perienced girls were given IS cents a | hundred for rolling cigars.
 ''The officer refused the papers to allow her to go back to the factory, but he is endeavoring to find work
 for her in some family. He says he will report the case to- Labor Com missioner Cunningham at once" The Governor of the state of Michi-
 gan, in October, 1913, appointed Miss Anne Huber. Miss Margaret Adams. Miss Luella M. Burton and Mrs. Marion Comfort a comrnission on to | look into the conditions of women in labor work in Detroit industries. This commission held meeting inNDetroit, 1 February IS, 1914, at which meeting 1 MT. Albert E. Bunting, of the Superia l Manufacturinf Go. of Detroit, repre- 1 senting the cigar manufacturers of the city, appeared before the commits 1 sion. Here are some of the points brought out by him:
 Girls who have gone wrong were l the biggest wage earners in my shop" There is no connection between low wage and vice. but there is bet tween high wage and vice"
 There are girls in my factory earn 1 ing $15 a week who pay more for l hats than my wife,
 -It costs from $6o to s15O to turn out experienced cigarnakers.''
 Conditions of employment became 1 so apparent to those who wished to l elevate the social and moral condi- | tions of Detroit, that the Superintend- l ent of Schools, Prof. Charles E. Chadsey, and the members of the va 1 rious Civic Clubs and other clubs in connection with the Federation of of increasing the age limit from IA to 16 years, and have really initiated a movement and prepared a bill, so- iciting the State Representatives and Senators to father it in the sessions of
 the State Legislature. When the Combine heard of this proposed l 1 measure, they called a special meet 1 ing to devise ways and means to pre- vent the passage of it. A portion of their proceedings was published in 1 their organ, t"The Tobacco World 1 in the issue of December 15, 1914 | part of, which I quote: "A very important matter has just been called to the attention of the cigar manufacturers. It is a proposed l amendment to the State Labor Law whieh is to be presented at the com ing session of the next Legislature, l winch will require that no factory can employ a girl under 16 years of age,
 and girls up to that age must fattend 1 school Thousands of girls are em-
 p1oyed in Michigan factories under
 that age, and many in the cigar fac tories They are not the class of girls 1 with wealthy. parents, but rather of 1 the poor families where financial aid
 is a necessity It is estimated that I more than a half million dollars in l wages will be lost to the poor families
 if this new amendment is passed Ci- i gar manufacturers and those who I employ young girls are getting busy
 and hope to have this amendment l defeated They intend to prepare
 arguments showing that such an
 amendment. would be Q menace to the community rather than a, help; that it would not only take financial aid
 away from families who need it, but I would also put a, big obstacle fin the | way of many manufacturers who l would find it difficult to put grown I people in the places vacated by these young girls. A number of women's
 clubs have already sanctioned the 1 new amendment, although they did so without giving tthe manufacturers
 side the least consideration ! So active have been the efforts of | the cigar manufacturers that it is
 doubtful whether the bill will be re- ported out of the committee.
 I have cited this just to show how
 anxious the cigar manufacturers have
 Tseen to keep child labor in their fac
 tories. They claim that they have not
 violated the state factory laws in em- ployment of children under age but
 we find in the police court records ! where thoV have been fined i offense.
 Last night in connection with Mr.
 J. J. Shea, national organizer of the
 painters, I stood on the corners of
 State and Park avenue, opposte the | American Cigar Co.'s factory No 9O2 and watched the ernnIoYes as thev