The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-01-22
Flying Sh West B0yown Mil Make Accidents Frequent Says Correspondent
CLOTHES CAUGHT
IN LOOMS kept
ONE FOOT APART
10 and 13-Hour Day
Slavery
(Bp a Worker Correspondent

tBg WORKER Correspondent
The mill in which l work is the
argest in town. 1t is the West
8oylston Mfg. Co., of Easthampton,
Mass. employing about 1900 work
RS. II is noted for its lousy condi-
tiona, large labor turnover, and low
oay. Most Of the workers are Poles,
French Canadians and Lithuanians
md their children from Id up. Any
one from out-of-town is sure of 2
job because they are dumb as to
conditions and can be driven better.
We start at tbs and get through
at 5, getting one hour off for lunch.
There isn't any luncheon for about
mile so we have to either go home
or if we live too far eat in room
with dirty cotton flying into our
mouths. They give us 8 minutes at
noon and 5 at night to get ready to
leave but we have TO be in at 7:10
and at 1886 ready for work. (The
boss makes sure he gets his.1
The company keeps one weeks
pay back on US so they got us stuck.
Most Of the workers get $13.05 a
week and some get as wonderful a
wage as $500 after working 10
years. We have to stand up all the
time and if we sit down the boss
gives us hell, in fact we get hell for
everything and if we talk we get the
gate. The other day the boss kicked
one guy for something and then told
the kid why he kicked him. The kid
was right so the boss told him not
to be so slow ard walked away. They
think we're worms but cven a worm
turns so they better look out. Boy,
out it's a good model of hell in the
weaving room and besides some of
he looms are only about a foot
apart so when you go to look at
-FOUR cloth (you get locked for bad
threads, etc. and your tie or apron,
,pr loose sleeve gets caught in the
machinery when you have to lean
sover, it's good bye and a good long
rest. But the worst thing comes is
n flying shuttles. Every once in a
sYhile one comes whizZing through
&c air about so miles an hour and
t'sa pair of wings for you, if you
let hit in the dome.
IF they put some safety thing to
hold the shuttle it would be o. K,
hut that cuts down profits, so no
chance. Two fellows got hurt this
way last week; one got a small
hole in his hand and the other got
his hand cracked so the boss (kind-
hearted souD put some iodine on
and wrapped rag around it and
sent the slaves back to work. (Hur-
ray for the kind-hearted bosses.)
We slave almost 9 hours day and
are pretty damn tired when we get
through but we have heaven COM
pared to the night mules. These
slave Is hours straight from p. m.
to 6 a. m. without even 5 minutes
off, for the magnificent sum of SIT
per week (and they say we have an
hour day and good conditions and
pay in this great U. S. Al.
The mill got a tax return about
month ago of $4,000, but you
bet it isn't doing the slaves any
good. Just few more pennies for
the poor starving millionaires who
own the mills. There are company
stool pigeons all over so everyone
is afraid to talk to each other. Men
-Nhave been fired for talking about
their lousy pay. 14-year old kids
are taken out of schools so their
few dollars will help the family. The
kids get stunted, thin and sickly.
Because they manage to exc out a
bare existence, the workers do not
realize their miserable conditions
and some are satisfied to slave for
their pittance or if they do realize
this they have to be damn careful
whom they talk to or it's the gate
which means looking for job which
can't be found though we have the
Hoover prosperity. Everyone in
the family works from the grand
mother to the ID year old kids.
They pay Sc to $40 month rent
for an old company house. The work.
ers are just like dumb animals, they
eat, sleep and work and eat, sleer
and work again. On Sunday if the
workers go to church they listen tt
pot bellied tool of the mill owners
tell them to starve and be satisfied
on earth SO they can go to heaven
There is even a blue sky Law
against Saturday night entertain
ncnts because the people wouldn'
so 70 church Sunday. Workers! thi.
viii get you nothing but more kick.
and worse conditions and pay from
the bosses. Organize and fight thu
bosses instead Of humb!y submitting
Answer the call when The Nationa
Textile Workers Union starts to or
canIse the exploited slaves OF thi!
town and then we will be able t
get better pay and conditions. Hur
lay for The new union!
u q