The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-07-23

initiative. He sent Maud McCreery
representative of The Federated
Press who is here investigating in.
dustrial conditions as they affect wo-
men, and Ida Himmelrigh, official Of
the Waukegan Humane Society, into
the plant to investigate sanitary con-
ditions after complaints had come to
him from employees who did not dare
appear for fear Of losing their jobs.
Bad Conditions.
The investigators reported the
Mushrooms apparently not having
been swept and scrubbed for several
days and only four towels in sight
for 70 women. One of these towels
was roller used commonly by the
women and all of them were soiIed.
The women also reported finding two
girls working in the shop under 16
years Of age and the failure of the
firm to have posted in plain view the
list Of such employees, with names,
ages and addresses as required by
law.
Following the investigation, Smith
issued warrants for the arrest Of the
firm heads, who pleaded guilty on the
second count and paid fine OF $40
and costs. They pleaded for another
chance on the insanitary condition
complaint and promised to have the
Mushrooms carefully cleaned every
day. They were given an opportunity
to make good.
After the case was closed it was
learned by Miss Himmelrigh, who Sc
cured other employment for the two
girls. that one of them was only 10
years of age, altho she and the firm
declared she was Is.
Six Dollar Wags-And Doeked.
1T conditions in this plant are any
where near as bad as painted by the
women employees it is an outrage and
l shall go to the bottom of the charges
and do all l can for the poor women
working there" Attorney Smith de-
clared in February when five women
complained to him that when they
were hired they were promised Sc a
week with bonus If they remained
three weeks that would bring their
weekly wage to s12 and that, instead
of receiving the bonus, deductions had
been made in their IS wage. One of
the women charged she had received
only $450 and that her carfare and
lunch cost nearly that much.
The firm pleaded guilty and paid
$11S.02, the aggregate sum due the
women in back wages, in addition to
costs of the suit. At that time the
firm invited Smith to visit their new
plant at any time. He did SO this
week by proxy and the second suit
against the firm resulted.
No Wages to Spend.
Industries like this are a disgrace
to Waukegan" Smith declared to The
Federated Press representative.
They are welcomed into town by the
Chamber Of Commerce because they
add to our Industrial activity and they
pay such miserable wages that the
workers have no money to spend in
Waukegan. At the end of weeks en-
ployment, they are dissatisfied and
disgruntled, and instead of helping
Waukegan such industries give us a
black eye"
Smith expressed his belief in organ
ization of the workers into unions as
the remedy for industrial conditions
such as exist in the Granert and
Rothschild shop. He pointed to the
Joined complaint of the five women in
the first case against the firm as proof
of the effectiveness of combined effort
and contrasted it with the complaint
Of one woman against another firm
when he was not able TO accomplish
as much because she stood alone.
1t is reported here that the Granert-
Rothschild firm came to Waukegan to
escape union conditions in Chicago
where the mems clothing industry is
operated under an agreement between
the employers and the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers. The Workers here
are unorganized. 90