The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-07-12

housed and provided with living con-
veniences that are far superior to
the accommodations provided many
other industrial workers.
And observe the many labor saving
devices installed In the mills at heavy
expense to benefit the welfare and
comfort of the workers. In the Wood
Worsted Mill in Lawrence, the larg-
est mill of it's kind in the world. has
been installed an escalator at a cost
of 100000.
This carries workers from the
ground floor to the top of the build
ing and to intermediate floors. Think
of the thousands of steps this thought
full act of the management saves its
women employees.
See the rest rooms, restaurants, in
dividual steel lockers for clothing,
drinking fountains of the most sani-
tary pattern, and sanitary retreating
rooms conforming to the most string
ent regulations of the board of health
all installed for the benefit of the
mill employees.
Surrounding many of the mills are
coy homes, with little plots of land,
built by the mill owners for their
operatives. These rent at from $15
are provided with all comforts of
modern and more expensive, luxurious
residences.
Surely, workers living in such sur
roundings to not agree with many of
the stories so industriously spread
about the country about the un-Ameri-
can conditions under which mill
workers are forced to live.
The writer spent the recent Patriots
Day-a Massachusetts holiday-in
Lawrence. The streets we're enliyened
with mill workers clothed as COM
fortably, as stylfshly and with as
good taste as one will see in any city
in the country. They appeared care
free happy. Their faces were free
of lines of worry.
Why should they worry? They
are we'll paid for what they do. Their
work is laid out for them. They as
sumo no responsibilities outside of
the detailed routine of their work.
Hundred of pleasure seeking mill
workers crowded the movie houses.
Other hundreds flashed by in their
automobiles. The restaurants and
cafes teemed with young men treat
ing their girls" to the best the house
afforded.
Over at the athletic fields in Shaw
sheen Village, two rival teams con-
tested at soccer while thousands of
mill workers applauded the nimbla.
athletes.
The mill workers sat in a large
steel grandstand from which fioated
the Stars and Stripes and the blue
silk pennant bearing the Rams Head
of the American Wooden Company.
The writer took especial notice of
these spectators. They were we'll
fed, healthy-looking specimens of the
American workmen and women. Many
of the girls wore silk stockings. the
latest style of sport shoes. Their
hats were as stylish as one sees in
the streets of New York or Boston.
A one armed peddler passed among
the crowds distributing cards telling
of his misfortune. AS he picked up
the cards he had distributed, hand
fuls of silver attested the sympathy
of the mill workers. 1t also attested
to the writer who saw quarters and
half dollars among the coins, that
not only was that peddler reaping
a harvest but that the mill worker,
kind hearted and generous, were plen-
tifully supplied with coin of the
realm.
Perhaps some Of you may have wit
messed football games in the adjoin-
ing town of Andover between those
famous preparatory school rivals
Phillips Andover and Phillips Exc
ter academies,
Patriots Day at the Shawsheen ath-
letic field with the gaily bedecked
mill workers cheering on the rival
soccer teams from Shawsheen Village
and the neighboring town of Methuen,
with the sun shining, the band play
ing, the green turfed field in veri-
table picture book setting OF white,
trim cottages, 1t needed only the lusty
lunged cheering sections of the rival
student bodies to convince one that
he was witnessing a contest between
the famous old schools on the not
distant Brothers Field of fashionable
Andover Academy.
A week later the writer met by
chance a state official In Lawrence
Office Again by chance he found
the official a fellow alumnus of one
of the leading colleges in the coun-
try. The official had had several
years in the ministry. He had left
that profession and spent seven
years as an executive with one of
the largest fire arms companies in
the world. For the past six years
he has been engaged in American
ization work among the foreign-born
mill workers of Lawrence. Here was
man fitted by training and exper-
fence upon whom the seeker for in
formation about mill workers work
ing and living conditions one might
rely.
"You have been living among these
mill workers for six years" said the
writer to his fellow alumnus. Tell
me, what kind of deal are these peo-
pie getting here?'
The state official picked up shear
of reports he was sending to the State
House in Boston,
II am going to answer your ques-
ton by showing you some of these. y
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