Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-02-20
Labor Condition Bad
THE ISLAND OF PORTO RICO A
LIVING GRAVEYARD"
American Federation of Labor Repre-
sentatives Investigate Working
Conditions and Complain
To Acting Governor

San Juan, Porto Rico-This island
is "a living graveyard" for it's work.
ers and some employers and legis-
lators are more cruel than the South
Seas pirates of by-gone days, are two
of the indictments of Porto Rico con-
ditions that are enumerated in let
ter to the acting governor of Porto
Rico by Andrew McAndrew and Peter
J. Brady, representing the American
Federation of Labor. The former is
president of the International Tobac-
co Workers union and the latter is
member of the New York Photo En-
gravers' union. They were appointed
by President Gompers, on authority
of the A. F. of L. convention to in
vestigate working conditions in this
island, as a result of appeals by Porto
Rico trade unionists.
The letter sizzles with charges of
wanton neglect and cruelty of en-
ployers and the acting president is
for meeting of sugar planters that
a conference may be arranged with
the Porto Rico trade union movement
for the purpose of improving condi-
tions.
SIN our visits to various parts of
Porto Rico," the letter states, "we
found wages as low as so cents for
IL hours work, and in some rare in
stances as high as $1.50-but only
where the best and strongest men
could be secured. The rate of pay for
women for the same number of hours
is from 80 to go cents and children
get from 10 cents up. Many of these
children are far below the legal age
for employment. But the necessities
of living being so high, it is impos-
sible for these unfortunate people to
live as human beings should.
"The conditions of the people are
so bad that to save them from con-
tinuaunce of this living death the gov
ernment should take charge of the
situation in the strongest possible
manner"
The trade unionists declare that
wages should be increased to $3.50
for an eight-hour day for men and
$1.25 for women and boys.
"The sugar profits are enormous"
it is stated. "The continuation of
this starving condition of the people
of Porto Rico should not continue a
moment longer. The very men who
sit in the Porto Rican legislature are
the worst profteers and most heart
less.
zone of them, when his people re-
fused to work any longer for the
meagre wage which his inhuman
charity permitted to give them, un-
lawfully denied them not only the
use of the public highways, but also
the drinking water from the streams.
He has placed wire fences around the
water and stationed men with rifles
to shoot the poor starving and thirsty
people who want only a drink of
water which God provided for all.
"The West Indies and Porto Rico
may be protected by the United
States government from attacks from
pirates like Teach and others, but
they are suffering far more by the
hunger and slavery in which they are
kept by the absentee landlords in
Spain, France, Germany, England,
the United States and other countries,
and the speculation in the stocks of
the soulless corporations on the ex-
changes in Wall street, London,
Madrid and elsewhere, and by the
scheming of the members of the Porto
Rican legislature who profit by this
slavery"