The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-03-25
BY HARRIET sILVERMAN,

director WORKERS F1edltn bureau.
TWELVE thousand organized fur
l. workers now on strike in New
York City, the leading fur center of
the country, are demanding equal d.
vision of work as a partial remedy
against seasonal work and unemploy-
ment, and the 4O-hour week to reduce
the time spent under conditions that
are a menace to health. The United
States census. of manufactures latest
figures throw some interesting light
on the seasonal nature of the indus
try. -.,.,,,
During the month of October, 1923,
11,762 workers were employed, but by
January this, number had fallen to
minimum Of 6,O65; in other words,
practically half Of the workers in the
trade were unemployed. On top of
this economic chaos the workers are
exposed to health dangers which sap
their vitality to an extent that is
hardly realized.
Dust-Laden Shops.
The air in fur shops is laden with
harmful dust from animal skins that
have been dyed with powerful chemi-
calls. This attacks the throat, lungs,
respiratory system, heart and blood,
resulting in the inevitable breakdown
of the body and the scrapping of
workers in the prime of life, diseased
and beaten victims of the industrial
struggle.
The profits derived from cheap furs
is a powerful incentive for using
highly poisonous dyes to transform
low-grade skins, Australian rabbit and
other humble animals, into limitations
of genuine furs, which arr sold under
trades names especially invented for
the purpose. Referring to this dan
ger, the manufacturers journal, Fur
Trade Review, for February, 1926,
calls attention to the fact that "ow-
ing to the extraordinary number of
legal proceedings against furriers in
England on the complaint that Gus
toners developed dermatitis or skin
infection from wearing dyed furs, a
leading insurance company found II
so unprofitable to insure against this
danger that they discontinued writing
such policies"
The New York state department OF
labor Industrial hygiene bulletin for
November, 1925, also points out the
danger from dyes, describing particu-
larly the effects of ursol (parapheny-
lene diamine). Ursol is one of the
most powerfully poisonous dyes used
in the industry. According to DR..
Alice Hamilton, a leading industrial
hygienist OF the country, this poison
causes not only skin irritations but
attacks OF bronchitis and asthma"
Millions of fur skins dyed with para
phenylene diamine in New York are
shipped to London every year. This
probably accounts for the outbreak
skin disturbances against which the
insurance companies have taken ac-
ton.
Dust and the risk of poisoning from
chemicals used in preparing the furs
are the chief health dangers of the
fur trade. The dust is thrown off in
brushing, pulling, clipping and han
ding Of the furs and is Irritating to
the eyes, nose, throat and air pas
sages. The poisons used in the trade
cause skin diseases and more serious
internal disturbances.
Arsenic Poisoning Great.
Arsenic is one OF the poisons often
used as a preservative of skins. The
hides are treated with a mixture Of
red arsenic and lime, Arsenic is light
and fluffy and Is especially dangerous
because II flies easily. II affects the
skin, Is absorbed by the blood, at,
tacks the most important organs ape-