The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-06-25
PASSAIC TEXTILE
STRIKERS WHITE
PLAGUE VICTIMS
Workers Health Bureau
Conducts Examination

PASSAIC, N. j., June 23.-Medical
examination Of 4O4 OF the striking tex
tile workers recently made by the
Workers Health Bureau of America,
disclosed that six in every 100 have
tuberculosis. In a preliminary report
on these examinations, just made by
the health. Bureau, it is pointed out
that the rate of tuberculosis found
among the Passaic workers is II
times the rate of tuberculosis observ-
ed among 10000 policy holders by the
Metropolitan fife Insurance company;
six times the rate among $4,000 gar
ment workers.; five times the rate for
printers; and three times the rate for
furriers.
Medical Examination.
No previous study of the effect of
textile mill conditions on the health
of workers had ever been made. At
the invitation of the health bureau,
the United Front Committee, which is
directing the strike in Passaic and
vicinity, sent to New York for exam
ination all who were willing to go
men, women and children. These
workers had been on strike duty and
before that had been working stead
lily in the mills. None of them was
aware of having any disease. Elk
perts conducted the examinations. In
every instance laboratory tests were
made of blood and urine, and x-ray
examinations also were made when
ever necessary.
tuberculosis Outstanding Disease.
tuberculosis was the outstanding
disease noted among the 404 persons
examined. There were 20 cases of
positive tuberculosis, 20 other cases
showing suspicious signs, and 33 sep
arate cases of bronchitis, pleurisy and
asthma, a total of rs persons with
chest disturbances. The 20 suspicious
cases and the 33 with other signs
are being kept under observation;
among these there are enough signs
to justify belief that large percent
age of the 20 and SO will also give
tangible evidence of tuberculosis.
Long Heurs, Low Wages.
This high Eate of destructive dis
ease On the ,textile industry exists,
the health bureaus report states, be-
cause those employed in it are com.
lpelled to work unbearably long hours
at wages that rule out any possibility
of decent standard of living, are
driven to the point of exhaustion Sc
that even the bunch hour must be used
for sleep, areI employed in workrooms
laden with lint and dust, exposed to
heat, dampness, unsanitary conditions
and nerve-racking noises from ma
chinery." Two years of toll in the
textile mills are enough to break
down a workers physique, the health
bureau declares.
28oo. Among Youth.
Twenty-eight per cent of the tuber-
cular cases were found among the
youngest workers, IA to Is years old.
Case No. 81 Is an example of what
happens when a girl of IA is forced
into the mills. ANThis girl is IA pounds
underweight. For one year she swept
dusty floors and cleaned bobbins from
to daily, getting from S7.45 to sll
week. Had to stand constantly,
breathing dust in a room where the
windows were never opened because
the ends of the wool, would break"
Result: Incipient tuberculosis. She
and her brother are the sole support
of a family of six. The brother works
irregularly. When he is out Of work,
this childs earnings must care for
the family.
No. 1856 is another typical Casa
widow 4S years old, mother of five
children, textile weaver for Is years,
employed in Passaic four years, get
ting from 50 to SIG week for SO
hours work. Tended 700 spools, stand
ing continuously with one foot ON the
machine. Her son, 16, also worked
in the mill 4 hours a week, earning
Sc to 50. He has pulmonary tuber-
culosis after working Is months in a
steamfilled room, running errands,
being exposed to sudden changes OF
temperature in and out Of doors. Joint
earnings Of mother and SON averaged
$40 a week for 81 hours of exhausting
labor. The mother, too, has tubercu-
losis. Both need sanitoriuIn care.
tuberculosis Preventable.
Causes Of tuberculosis in the textile
industry are all preventable, the
Workers Health Bureau contends,
and present conditions are a chal-
lenge to workers to abolish them thru
strong union organization. In eight
other dangerous trades in New Jer-
sey. there has been notable decrease
in tuberculosis in recent years. These
trades are: Hatters, stonecutters. iron
and steel workers, molders, founders,
casters, metal grinders, and plumbers.
They were able to cut down the tu-
berculosis rate from 1919 to S0qS dur
ing 1O-year period, while in the tex
A tfsA