Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-01-27

tons. Many pages are devoted to liv-
ing conditions among the steel work
ers.
Forty-one per cent of all deaths in
Youngstown in 1913,'' says the report,
were OF infants under years OF age.
according to the United States Census
figures. General Secretary Hanson vi
the Charity Organization Society OF
that the infant mortality rate for
Youngstown is abnormally high, being
half again as great as the average
rate for the United States.
Living Conditions.
"A government investigation pub
lished in 1910, showed that s70.8 per
cent of nthe steel workers at Youngs-
town were of foreign borth. In $50
typical families investigated by the
government, the heads of families
earned less than $4O0 per year; and
IA per cent earned less than $500 per
year. In the year covered by the in
vestigators only 48 per cent worked
nine months OF over. Sixty-five per
Ecent Of the families kept boarders,
and an average of 3.34 persons occu-
pied each sleeping room. +,
''SlnCe 1910 wages nave advanced
about II per cent, Wliie, according "
the United STATES Bureau OF LABOR
STATISTICS, the COST o. lvlng mas gone
up signify more Inan IL per cent. IL
is belleved a conservative statement
InaL at least Oh per cent OIL the 1oungs-
town steel WORKERS earned less tnan
$oUUs during the year 1915, lnclu0ang
all bonuses, yet 500 is the lowest
wage that will maintain a decent
standard OF living. ~...gr
J. M. Hanson, general secretary for
the Charity Organization Society, is
quoted to the effect that during near
" half the time during the past eight
years the mills have given employ
ment to WorMmen for only three. or
i've days each week.
ITO save their families from star
! Yation," says the report, the en-
ployes during these periods have beg
ged for the privilege OF obtaining even
this much employment, besleging the
gates of the company morning ant
evening and pleading with company
agents to save their families from
restitution.
CHARITY"
.At the Youngstown Sheet and Tube
Company's plant, which, for more than
eight years has earned dividends O.
8 per cent ON it's capital stock, ana
since July, 1918, has paid dividends
of 10 per cent, on baSis OF $4,000
900 of common stock, the privilege o.
working three days week during
these years of slack operation was
doled out as charity might be aftel
investigation had shown that the
mans family was in need. To supple
ment the boon thus granted, baskets
1 Of food were distributed to the mosl
needy, and the cost of the food was
later deducted from the husbands OF
fathers wages. The Company also
donated 81 1000 a year to the Charity
Organization Society. The Republic
Iron and Steel Company gave $500 as
| its annual contribution. The manage
ment of the Carnegie Steel Company,
a member of the United States Steel
/ Corporation, refused to give anything
The authority Tor the foregoing state
Inents is General Secretary Hanson
Of the Charity Organization Society.
| During all these years the men
| lived IN squalid, crowded rooms. Over
crowding and poor diet aided the rap
| id spread of trachoma, a disease a.
ways associated with dire poverty.
The epidemic became SO threatening
| that the Youngstown Sheet and Tube.
Company became alarmed lest 1t
would close its plant, and spent thols
sands of dollars to check the disease
and restore the human parts Of It's,
equipment to efficiency.
Living Conditions Wretched. i.
Mot only are the homes of the
workers overcrowded, but they are.
surrounded by piles of exposed gar
bage, and open privies stand near
the doors. Indescribably filthy are
the yards, streets and alleys adjoin-
ing them, in which the children of
the workers play General Secretary
Hanson of the Charity Organization
Society told the writer that the ad-
m1nistration of the health laws has
been VIGOROUSLY lax for at least eight
years, being in the hands, he said, of
a health officer whom he regarded as
incompetent and who appointed ignor-
ant and unframed men as inspectors. |
MY Investigation showed that a law
prohibiting the exposure of garbage
was wantonly and generally disre-I
garded Within few blocks of the bust. {
ness center Of Youngstown.
I'm East Youngstown there are 5000 |
inhabitants and but $50 voters. The
city administration is controlled by |
the liquor interests, represented by 22l
saloons. There is not a church n +
East youngstown, according to my ob@l
servatlon and the word of Mr.. Hanson.
Inc conscience OF the community at
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