New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-15
u. S. Investigators
In Uniform Shops
Discover Insanitary Sweat
shops; Children Working
Amid Various Diseases

Shocking conditions surrounding the
manufacture of United States army and
navy uniforms in sweatshops have been
discovered by the committee appoint
cd by the War Department, The 1rlb-
une was informed yesterday by Sidney
Hillmsn, president of the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers Of America, who
brought the matter 10 the attention Of
the government
Two members of the committee, Cap
tain Walter Kreusi, Of the Quarter
masters Department. and Mrs. Flor
ence Kelley, general secretary Of the
National Consumers League, will re-
turn from Washington to-day and in
all probability make public the report
of the committees findings. Louis (.
KRISTEN, of Boston, is chairman Of the
committee.
Disease Rampant in Shops
"All the horrors of the old sweat
shop evils surround the making Of
army uniforms said Mr.. Hillman.
Children and those afflicted with
tuberculosis and other contagious and
Infectious diseases are employed by the
sweatshop exploiters. In one case, |
have been informed, IN an apartment in
an East Side tenement where these
army uniforms have been made
placard nailed on the door by the
Department of Health informed all
who cared to read that an inmate OF
that apartment was stricken with
diphtheria. And in another little
girl Of eight, when her tired little
hands did not work fast enough. was
speeded up by a rod welded by wom
an | was informed was her mother
Mr.. Hillman gave the names and ad-
dresses of several sweatshops and fac
tories in New York City, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania where all the laws
designed TO prevent abuses Of workers
and to safeguard women and children
were being openly violated.
81 saw in one place, until recently
garage. fourteen females employed"
said Mr.. Hillman. Ten of. these were
girls-one a mere child Of twelve. And
this poor little tot was engaged in
work known as cleaning the cloth
This consists OF picking off threads
and other foreign substances. Of
course, the unfortunate child could not
do the work properly.
And the same disregard for air and
sanitation that had been observed by
the garage owners for the automobiles
stabbed in the place were carried out
by the sweatshop owner. But this
swcatshop owner was employing nom
union help-it goes without saying
that unions would not tolerate the en-
ployment of child Of twelve, even If
n factory inspector winked at the prac-
tice-and making at least 400 per cent
more profit than if he employed union
labor"
Sweeping Changes Expected
Il is expected that the report of the
Federal committee will recommend
sweeping changes 10 remedy the evils
complained of. Many believe that rec
concentrations made TO the War De-
partment by the Mayors Committee on
National Defence will be adopted.
The committee. of which 7. l.. Chad
bourne, jr., is chairman. wrote TO the
War Department that the sweatshops,
employing non-union labor, were "vio-
lating all standards" while, he point
ed out, competent union labor was idle
The recommendation made by the
Mayors committee provide that all
contracts for army and navy uniforms
be abrogated where fair wages were
not paid and where the labor laws were
not being complied with.