The day book. [volume], January 24, 1916, NOON EDITION, Image 31

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

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

                
through the press and the publica
tion department of the commission
throughout the state and workers in
every trade, ignorant heretofore that
any but themselves suffered, have
learned they are all slaves to the
greed of the employer.
A finding is made by the commis
sion and put into effect It may be,
but usually is not carried out by the
employers. The league shows its
strategic qualities then. Through
out the state it spreads literature to
every factory in the industry that
should be affected by the increased
wage finding, and organizers let the
workers know that what the employ
ers ignore as the finding of a state
commission they will not be able to
ignore when the workers, united, de
mand such increase.
Mrs. Raymond Robins of Chicago
speaks in that rich contralto voice
that is music alone without the clear
call of hope to the harrassed soul
that is in every message Mrs. Robins
delivers.
"Life should be beautiful," she
says. "To jne life is a wonderful
thing it is an adventure of the
soul."
east, where munitions factories have
sprung up like mushrooms and a sit
uation has developed in which work
ers in other industries have won
strike after strike because of the
war-bloated financial conditions.
She tells, too, that wpmen are be
ing forced more and more into fac
tories. Immigrants are no longer en
tering America men are leaving it
and women are already called on to
take the places of men.
"In the state of Maryland children
of 12 are permitted to work if they
have certificates," she says. "There
are a million children laboring in oui
midst. In our talk of preparedness,
had we not better begin with talk of
protection of children?"
Then she speaks of the few weeks
she spent at her home in Florida,
whorp nature is so lavish in her gifts,
and there sounds in her voice a re
gret that every man and woman may
not know life in which the soul has
its essential the beautiful.
UNEMPLOYED DISCUSS THEIR
LIVING PROBLEMS
Nearly 200 men met Sunday after
noon in Iron Workers' hall to chal
lenge the trust press "prosperity"
campaign and discuss ways and
means to help the unemployed situ
ation. The few that gathered was
blamed by Chairman John Veltman,
on the fact that Hull House had
agreed to let unemployed league use
Bowen hall and the league advertised
it, after which Hull House, through
Ellen Gates Starr, withdrew permis
sion for the unemployed to meet in
that hall because their advertising
contained a black flag on a redback
ground, with the word "Hunger."
"We had to advertise this meeing
twice," Veltman said. '"Hull House
believes it dangerous to let us assem
ble there we men who are trying to
She tells of her recent work in the 1 bjslp you solve the problem of your
unemployment Decause tney reared
l there might be trouble similar to that
started not by us, but by the coppers
last year."
Michael Walsh and others of the
speakers expressed their opinion of
the Mrs. Rowe public welfare muni
cipal lodging house plan frankly.
"Five hundred men one night when
the thermometer stood 8 below zero
applied at that house and were told
if they would promise to saw wood
the next day for three hours in that
cold they could have a flop and band
house grub. And if they were real
good they would be permitted to go
to work on the ice field for $1.25 a
day. Nothing was said about giving
them caps or mittens or shoes that
they must have or freeze for that
kind of work. In their tissue paper
clothing they were expected to work
in the ice fields and if they got pneu
monia go to a charity hospital and'
die and be buried in a pauper's field.
"Eighty per cent of the men past
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