The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-20

a wrong idea to assume they consti-
 tute the entire clientele.
 The labOring man is usually a mem-
 Der of some union and union men as
 rule are not giving to patronizing
 this sort of labor. To be sure there
 are many union men who do not
 abide strictly by any course of conduct
 that would hurt their pockets, but
 these are the exception rather than the
 rule. Hundreds of men do not be-
 long to unions and a proportion Of
 these must be the patrons of the Chi
 nese laundries, particularly the num-
 bers who come from other places to
 work in some industry and do not care to bring their families until they
 are sure the position is going to be
 permanent or who have no families to bring.
 But there is patronage for the Chi nese laundry from sources which are not credited with being willing to util
 ize it. Hundreds of clerks in banks, offices, insurance and other work, and men who have established businesses, are regular customers. Even profes- sional men who would naturally be supposed to favor the men whom they know in church, club and business re- ,ations, give their dollars and cents. to these distinctly unassimilated concerns. Even clergymen have been seen to come and go from their portals.
 Apart from other considerations, there enters one which should be not ed in these days of germ faddists. This is the possibility of getting skin diseases from wearing the linen that comes from these workers hands. It may he said to offset this fear that there are no records of bases, but it may as quickly be asked, how could thesc records be obtained when there are no statistics showing how many and -Wl,o patronize the Chinese laun- dries" Few of the Chinese laundry men have discarded their practice of imparting glassy shine to the collars they turn out. When the collar wilts through -the natural warmth or per- spiration of the neck, the open pores of the skin cannot help absorbing some of this finish or whatever is on the collar. Even in cases of men who are not actually performing manual Ia Dor there cannot help being a natural warmth that absorbs whatever is near the skin of the neck or the skin of the arms where the cuffs exert more or less pressure. It is just possible that some of the curious non-western types of skin diseases which we are coming to find in this country may have their origin from these laundries.
 Some may regard this chapter as 8 conjured up phantom. It is not so meant nor is it written with any pur- pose to furnish sensation. Nothing but the feeling that the subject de- served attention from sanitary, eco- homie and moral standpoint would have allowed tis being considered. Much more detail might be given.
 From the economic standpoint the immense revenue that these institu- tions make with the correspondingly small return that comes to city or state, while their competitors are com pelled, whether they wish to or not, to spend for the good of the community and for both city and State in the pay ment of water. rent, taxes, etc., seem to indicate there ought to be some way of equalizing conditions. If a non- citizen has a right to certain immuni- ties in making his living in this coun- try, it. does not appear logical to think that the citizen who is supporting city, state and nation ought to have few guarantees in return for what he. is paying.
 From the sanitary standpoint it is hard to see why these places should not have the same inspection and be subject to the same requirements as tn white laundries. Many of them employ labor and should come under | the rules governing other employers, | as to hours and sanitation. They l might be brought under the jurisdic- |! ton of local boards of health. Every 1 city of any progress has a board of health. This body is supposed to do things. It generally has no equipment as to funds, men and pow CTS and has always a herculean task on one side of trying to bring about correct abuses and fight pop 1lar obstinacy and prejudices, while on the other side it is battling with the powers that be to have sufficient ap- for it's work. The work of } board of health to be effective has to go on all the time, but it is only 1 in times of sudden trouble or epidem- ic that its critics are willing to give it | full power.