The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-07-19

specifications or Section z Of the
Washingto Notwithstanding road IN
Mansfield Township, Warren county.
a township aid job, the estimated cost
Of which is S15,943. Similar approval
was given to plans and specifications
for Section 2 of the Mine Mount road.
in Bernards Township. the estimated
cost being $1S,333.
Amboy Bridge War Memorial
In response to a communication
from j. Logan Clevenger, General
Hugh L. Scott and Major Sloan were
designated to take up the question Of
making the new Amboy bridge a me-
mortal to those who served in the
World War. The suggestion of Mr..
Clevenger is that the legislature pc
asked to appropriate sufficient 0
for memorial features, the commits
sion having decided that it is not au-
thorized to expend highway funds for
that purpose.
Commissioner Percy H. Stewart sub
mitted a report of the meeting at New
Brunswick last Friday, at which Wig
orous objection was made in behalf of
the State College for Women to locat-
ing an additional bridge across the
Raritan adjacent to the college
grounds. The alternative plan sug-
gested, but not favored by the city
authorities, contemplates a bridge
nearly a mile and a half further down
the river. There will be further con-
ferences on the subject.
Weather Harms Jersey Crops
Reports received by the State De-
partment Of Agriculture Indicate that
the potato crop in New Jersey has
been nearly cut in half by the pro-
longed drought in June. The depart
ment offers little hope that material
improvement can be expected in the
potato crop, though the condition of
some crops has been improved mate
rally by more or less general rains.
Reports from correspondents through
out the state are in process of COM
pilation by Fl. B. Weiss, chief of the
bureau of statistical information of
the department. These Indicate that
the weather during June was unusual
ly severe on almost all crops. Lack of
rain, together with hot, dry winds,
prevailed during almost the entire
month. AS a result pastures and hay
dried up, and in many sections only a
half crop has been cut.
Corn d~eteriorated somewhat on poor
lands, but is still a fair prospect. The
oat crop Is short and shows the result
of lack of moisture. Nearly all truck
crops look poor, and in the southern
counties sand storms, did much dam
age to sweet potatoes. Other low
growing vegetables and recent plant
ings of late tomatoes suffered similar
ly. Tomatoes generally have not made
a good growth, and the outlook is dis
couraging for the large canning indus
tries in the southern part of the state.
Fruit suffered less than other crops.
A good crop of peaches is expected in
spite of the June drop. Apple and
pear prospects look poorer than a
month ago, due to a heavy June drop
and the dry weather, which slowed
the growth of the fruit.
Evils of Sweat Shops
Court action against one Newark
manufacturer for farming out work to
be done in homes o licensed by the
State Department of Labor was begun,
according to Deputy Commissioner of
Labor Charles H. Weeks. The action
is the result of recent investigation by
the department of Sweat shop" con-
ditions here, the deputy said. Papers
in the case were fled with Attorney
General McCran.
1t is charged that this manufacturer
ignored pot only the factory and child
labor laws, but ignored repeated warn
ings from the department t % desist
from the practice.
In March, 1917, the state legislature
passed what is known as the Sweat
Shop law" designed to prevent abuses
arising from forcing women and chill
dren to do factory work in their
homes. The law was passed for the
benefit Of the workers, but it also was
designed to protect the public against
articles manufactured by persons suf-
fering from disease.
A survey made recently by the La
Dor Department shows that the law
has been %iagrantly violated in thou
sands of homes throughout the state.
Women's underwear, children's cloth
ing, powder puffs and other articles
are being manufactured in filthy sur
roundings by women or children af-
ficted with virulent diseases of every
description. A report of the survey,
filed by Colonel Lewis T. Bryant, Ia
Dor commissioner, a few days before
his death recently, recites the follow
ing samples of sweat shop conditions
found in Newark and its suburbs:
''In one home where powder puns
were being made the woman was hav'
ing a treatment for a bad looking skin
disease on both hands, but claimed
she herself was not handling the puffs.
In other homes children were sick
with some form of cold or sore throat.
While an investigator was interview
ing a manufacturer a small girl en-