The day book., January 07, 1916, NOON EDITION, Image 10

About The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

mmmmmmmmmm
Tp.zsm air has bromo seltzer
skinned a mile
Oscar Nelson, state factory in
spector, with three deputies, went
out to Oscar Heinernan's silk mill,
2701 Armitage av. As they passed
along an aisle where hundreds of
girls were dodging among spindles
and bobbins, Nelson busted out to his
deputy, Richard Carroll:
"Gee, but this place stinks."
In the girls' washroom there stood
on a shelf eight bottles of Bromo
Seltzer. There were one-quart bot
tles. "What are those?" was. asked Os
car Heineman.
"Oh, those?" said Heineman.
"Huh I am good to my girls. Those
are to help them when they get a
headache."
Heineman has his place more than
one-fourth overcrowded with work
ing girls. New court action will be
started by the state factory Inspector
today to force Heineman to give
each worker the 2,000 cubic feet of
air space she is entitled to instead of
the 1,400 she has now.
As a cradle-robber Heineman tops
the record for Illinois. He works 403
girls between 14 and 16 years of age.
Out of a total of 801 employes all
but 45 are girls. Most of 'em are in
short dresses and don't know much
about joggerfy, history, spelling, how
to take care of the teeth, the hy
gienic value of baths, or much else
taught in schools. The old rhyme,
"School days, school days, dear old
golden rule days," doesn't mean
much to them. And Heineman, the
boss, is a fine sample of the don't
care employer.
Miss Elizabeth A. Grady and Miss
Gertrude Stoetzel, deputy factory
inspectors, went all pver Heinernan's
place Dec. 9, 10, 11 and 14. Their
official report sheet says:
"There are 12 toilets in charge of
a matron who keeps them locked.
She unlocks toilet doors and keeps
count of the minutes spent by em
ployes in the toilet. The employes
I are under instructions that not more
than five minutes are allowed for a
visit This system of supervision
over these young girls undoubtedly
has a tendency to discourage use of
toilets, and without question it might
be said that many of these young
employes fail to answer the call of
nature because of fear of using the
toilets too often.
"Practically every one' of the fe
,male employes is required to stand
all day long. The work is so ar
ranged that they must keep up with
the spools and spindles that are being
wound and it Is impossible for them
to use the chairs that are provided.
"Wages of girls start at $3.50 a
week. No girl under 16 is getting in
excess of $5 a week. The average
wage of girls under 16 is $4 a week.
"On days of inspection the air was
very bad, the room being full of
steam. When Miss Grady directed
attention to the bad condition of the
air, Mr. Heineman replied that he
would conduct his factory to suit
himself.
"On the 'afternoon of the 14th
inst, Mr. Heineman, the proprietor,
told us to 'Get the hell out of here
and don't come back.' We withdrew
at that time, and, following your in
structions, filed prosecution for in
terference and obstruction against
Mr. Heineman."
.Insulation cord for reading lamps
is one of the main products of the
Heineman factory.
o o
ANNOUNCEMENT
Debate on question: "Should the
United States Have a Large Army
and Navy?" by members of sociology
class at Workers' institute, 920 S.
Ashland av., Friday, 8 p.m. E. Wil
lard Johnson, affirmative; Ruth Astor
Noyes, negative.
Dr. Alexander J. Mclvor-Tyndall of
London, England, auspices Chicago
International New Thought Fellow- "
ship, Hall 210, Masonic Temple, Sun
day, 11 a. m. Subject: "What Is the
Great Question of Today?"