New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-29
No Sweatshop Uniform.
Child Labor Committee IL.
Stringent Contract Provi,;on. =
To the Editor Of The Tribun.

10 the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Permit me to commend vou,
editorial on Monday entitled "No s,..,av
Uniforms" In view of the rees,,
spread Of this Objectionable practie. |, ~
city it is enheartening 20 have me,ron,,''S
daily of your prominence sound . 80
warning against what your editorial ~
very properly calls zone of the wor,, t.
Of modern slavery"
Since early July the New York chua,.,
Committee has been quietly investi,,v,.
phase of the evil not touched upon !,
edi.orial-the sending Of uniform, IVY
thousand into tenement houses "a
ished by the women and children VII. ~
in these crowded quarters. Som. :. ="
conditions uncovered in this unots,;., '"
CURRY are so serious as to justify fun. -
recent action of Secretary Baker in ,o,. 20
ing the new Board Of Control for nv
Standards "t
Excessively long hours, overcrowd.d :,
and poor pay in connection with coy,,,-w
rush orders for uniforms are co,G.a'"
every one concerned with the welfar. =, W.
tory workers must deplore. |"
Tenement house work involve, a, a..
tional evil. Not only is the health ara ~,
fare OF the worker impaired, but N. ,,.n'
heslth-in this case, the health Of an, ~
der boys--is endangered ""
Our investigators have repeated,v
United States army overcoats or pant, nil
on filthy floors OF tenement kitchens o, ~
rooms. Dirty. sometimes naked babi., -
using piles of these uniforms as temro,."
bed. In other cases leavings Of sr...I
crumbs and other vctuals were tumblsS ~
out concern over fine coats. son.,;u. !.
high grade material used for ofsc.r, ~
forms. Many Of the children in clo.s -.
tact with these uniforms had their f.r., n
broken out with disgusting skin di,.,..
OF contagious character, while dog, 80.
and vermin were not uncommonly obssr.S.
closest proximity to the clothing in,,,l.i
for our soldier boys.
Tenement work on uniforms 10 no, ca.
fined to a few isolated houses. In 49,
after street in lower Manhattan and IN -
sections of BrooklyL scores OF .sn.u...
jewellers were discovered working AZ &C.,.
ish pace finishing coats or pants for u,,.
Sam. That these uniforms are permitted ;.
be made in part under such reyoltin, .,,.
ditions is bad enough, but adding insnl, ).
injury is the starvation wage received Fra,
five to twelve cents for work which 4, 4,
factory pays twenty 70 thirty cents wa, u.
common price paid for each overcoat fnl,,.I
Officers coats usually brought slightly hiy.,,
pay because Of the extra work involved
The work on army overcoat. wa. ,v.,,
Nph al OF H. 81
many OF them sickly, some evidently 500, |,
become mothers and others with all 4,
symptoms OF tuberculosis Work on Ia.
overcoats is extremely exhausting; il i,r
heavy, in the words Of one frai woman ',La
it pulls the arms out of me-"
In most OF the tenements visited I'M,
children sometimes as young as seven or .fb,
years of age were working with the grovr.
ups on the uniforms Long hours general,
prevail. In one home visited YESTERDAY IA,
woman got up at o'clock and worried
hard most of the time, until nearly midnight
in order to earn the small pittanee which
the work paid her.
On behalf of the New York Child Labor
Committee | desire to express our approval
of the recognition by the government Of the
need Of taking immediate steps to abolish
the making of uniforms in factory sweat.
shops and in unsanitary and dirty tsnemenu
The task before the new Board Of Control Of
Labor Standards is no easy one, but With the
cooperation Of public spirited citizens, high.
minded manufacturers and the workers
themselves immense good may be accom-.
plished. II is earnestly to be hoped ,hs.
one of the first acts of the board will be 10
enforce provisions in existing contracts, Il
any are found which are sufficient, and i
not TO draw new contracts containing fully
adequate provisions, with proper penalties
when violated, against manufacturers sending
work out to be finished in tenements.
GEORGE A. HALL,
Secretary New York Child Labor Committee
New York, Aug. 2S, 1917.