Q. And would as a citizen do all you could to enforce it? A. I would. Q. Is it enforced? A. Not by a dollar's worth. Q. Do you know what the greatest hindrance to its enforcement here is? A. No, sir; I do not know. Q. Do you think a truant officer appointed here would be a good thing a means of enforcing that education law? A. It would, probably. Q. That officer should be appointed, you think, by a State department? A. I cannot say. Q. Well, he should be free from all local influence, should he not? A. I should say so; yes, sir. Q. How many hours a day do they usually work in the mills here? A. Eleven hours are considered a day's work. much Q. Would you be in favor of a law being passed that would make the hours of labor ten? A. I think it would be better better, if all worked ten hours a day. say Q. Are there sufficient fire-escapes in the mills? A. I should there were. Q. Are there night schools here? A. Not that I know of; there have been some winter night schools here, but not as a general thing. Q. How are the mills generally, from a sanitary point of view? A. They are generally good. J. K. Warnick, produced as a witness, testified as follows: Q. You are connected with the Green Knitting Mills Company? A. Yes, I am the treasurer. Q. How long have you been in their employ? A. Three years. Q. Have you written out a report? A. I have not. Q. How many are there in the employ of that company ? A. None at present, only a few machinists; when we are running we have about 400. Q. Are there any children under fourteen? A. I cannot answer that; we do not mean to hire anybody under that age; I can now only think of one little girl; you never can find anybody under fourteen years of age when you ask them. Q. As one who has been connected with manufacturing for a number of years, do you believe it proper to work women and children over ten hours a day? A. I do not know; they work eleven hours with us. Q. Do you think it is right to work children over ten hours a day? A. I never saw any bad effect from it; I cannot say, of course, for I only see them in the mills. Q. You would be in favor then of the passage of a law that would limit the hours of labor to ten A. I cannot answer that now; the question is whether we could then compete. Q. Well, if it was a general law? A. Well, in that case I do not think it would be a bad thing. Q. Has there been any effort made in this city by the board of education to enforce the Compulsory Education law? A. I think none at all. Q. What has been the greatest hindrance to its enforcement? A. The hindrance is by the very people who would be benefited. Q. What suggestion would you offer what do you think would proper to do in order to carry out that law? A. I do not know. Q. Do you think some special officer should be appointed to see to its enforcement? A. I do not know; I know it is done east. be Q. In New York they have truant officers who have a certain district to attend to, and they compel children to attend school at least fourteen weeks during the year now would you be in favor of the appointment of such an officer in this locality? A. I am not prepared to say. Q. Are you in favor of the education of children? A. I am; I do not know as I would be in favor of the Compulsory Education law, for I know there are cases of women who are dependent upon their children for support. Q. Cannot the children attend night school? A. The trouble with the night schools is that you cannot get any pupils to run them with. Q. If the Compulsory Education law was enforced they would be compelled to attend either day or night school; now do you believe it right to work children under fourteen years of age more than ten hours a day? A. No; I do not think, perhaps, that they ought to work ten hours a day, as an abstract matter. Q. How is the sanitary condition of the mill buildings here? A. Good, as far as I know. Q. Have you in your employ any persons who have been there since childhood? A. I suppose there are a great many, but I do not know. Q. Do you think that working in the mills from childhood to manhood and womanhood has any effect on the morals of the children; that is, any detrimental effect-I mean in comparison with those outside? A. Well, the morals at our best boarding schools are notorious; I do not know whether they are under any worse influences in the mills than in the boarding schools. Q. Do you think that girls brought up in the mills from childhood are as virtuous as those brought up outside? A. Well, I have always stood up for the mill girls. Q. I am asking your opinion; do you think they are as good as other girls? A. I hardly think them as bad as servant girls. Q. Do you think they meet bad influences in the mills? A. No; if any thing, it is more the influences they meet outside. Q. What are the means of escape in case of fire at your mills? A. I cannot tell you. Q. Do you think you have sufficient fire-escapes? A. We think we have ample safeguards against fire; we have more than one way out, except from the top floor; I think a man could jump from the top without getting hurt. Q. Have you fire-escapes? A. I think we have, but I cannot tell just now; I think we have something of the kind. Q. What is the average rate of wages paid to the mill hands? A. I do not know; I never got into shape to answer that question. John McFarlane, produced as a witness, testified as follows: Q. Have you children employed under fourteen years of age? A. Not that I am aware of; we have taken caution in years past to employ none under fourteen years of age. Q. Have you ever had any in your employ under fourteen years of age? A. I think we have. Q. Do you believe it right to employ children under fourteen years of age more than ten hours a day? A. I think ten hours is enough for children to work. Q. Would you be in favor of the passage of a law that would limit the hours of labor of children to ten hours; that is, if it was general? A. I would have no objection. Q. Would you be in favor of the enforcement of the Compulsory Education law? A. Well, I don't know; but I am in favor of educating the children. J. Melvin Thomas, produced as a witness, testified: Q. What mills are you in? A. Gardner & Thomas'. Q. Does that firm employ children under fourteen years of age? A. Not that I am aware of. Q. Would you, as a manufacturer, be in favor of the passage of a law prohibiting children working more than ten hours a day? A. Yes, if it was general. Q. Are you in favor of the enforcement of the Compulsory Education law? A. Yes, sir; I think I would be. Q. And you would be in favor of proper means being taken for its enforcement? A. We might differ as to whether those means were the proper ones or not. Q. Have you any suggestions to offer as to what you consider proper means? A. No, sir. Q. Would you think that the appointment of an officer in each town in the State, whose duty it would be to look after the enforcement of this law, would be proper? A. Well, I don't know. Q. Would you be in favor of including in the ten-hour law women also; so that women and children should not work over ten hours a day? A. Well, I think in some respects it might be well, and in others not; because there is so much more depending on the women. Q. How are the fire-escapes in your building? A. Good. Q. Are there any children over fourteen years of age in the mills? A. Oh, yes. Q. Is personal violence ever used to control these children? A. No. Q. Have there been any employees killed or maimed for life in your mills, by machinery, during the last year? A. No, sir. Q. Do many of the employees bring their dinners? A. No; I do not believe over two or three do. Q. How many hours are they employed each day? A. At present ten hours; generally eleven hours. Q. Is your establishment visited by representatives of the board of health? A. Officially, do you mean? Q. Yes, officially? A. Not that I know of. Q. Are boys and girls employed in the same rooms? A. Yes, sir. Q. Is there proper restraint over them at time of noon and during suspension of work? A. Yes, sir. Q. And no vicious conversation permitted tending to corrupt the minds of the female children? A. No, sir; they couldn't very well. Q. Are there proper facilities for change of dress for boys and girls? A. Oh, yes. Q. And separate closets for each? A. Yes, sir. Q. And all intercourse strictly prohibited? A. Yes, sir. Q. What precautions are taken to prevent the introduction and spread of contagious diseases? A. If any one is sick with any contagious disease, we send them home, and if there are any of the members employed there too, we send them home also. Q. Are the employees furnished with pure drinking water? A. Oh, yes; it is taken from wells or springs. Q. Do you provide seats for your employees? A. Yes; but generally they walk around. Rev. Dr. John Patrick McŢncrow, produced as a witness, testified: Q. You are pastor of what church? A. St. Mary's church. Q. You are well acquainted with the workings of the different mills and factories in this locality? A. Not particularly. Q. Do you know of any children employed in the factories? A. Oh, yes, sir; certainly. Q. In your experience do you believe that the placing of children in these factories and mills has a tendency to corrupt their morals any more than the children on the outside? A. I believe certainly it does. Q. You believe it has such a tendency? A. Why certainly. Q. You believe a child brought up there is more liable to go wrong than one outside? A. My impression would be that it depends a good deal on the proprietors. Q. You have seen the effects of this child-labor system in this town? A. Oh, yes. Q. You believe children under fourteen years of age should be employed in those mills? A. I do not believe they should be. Q. But where it is necessary on account of the fathers or mothers of families being sick or poor, do you think the children should be compelled to work more than ten hours a day? A. No. Q. You would be in favor of limiting the hours of labor to ten for women and children both? A. Yes, certainly. Q. Do you know of any children working in the mills here whose parents depend on the earnings of the children for a living? A. Oh, yes. Q. Are there any among them -any men who are healthy, and strong and able-bodied who do not work? A. Yes, sir. Q. There are cases of that kind? A. Yes, sir. Q. Do they use the earnings of their children not only for their support, but also in riotous living and drinking? A. Rarely, if ever. Q. Has there been any effort made by the board of education to enforce the Compulsory Education law here? A. Not that I know of; but you know we have a separate school. Q. Have you a night school? A. No. Q. If the Compulsory Education law was enforced here, would you be in favor of night schools in your department? A. No, sir, I would not; I am opposed to all kinds of night work. Q. Do you ever go through the mills? A. Some of them, yes. Q. Do you find boys and girls employed in the same rooms? A. In some of them, yes. Q. Do you believe there is proper restraint over them? A. I do not think so at any time; not the supervision that I would like to see, so that vicious conversation might not be indulged in. Q. There is not that restraint that there should be? A. I think the proprietors should be more responsible for the conduct of their employees; they are left to the bosses and overseers; I think the proprietors should be responsible; I believe that. Q. Do you believe these proprietors have proper safeguards against fire in their mills? A. I do not know; I never examined that much; my chief interest is in a moral sense; we have control of the Catholic portion; we have been able to do this; we have been able, as far as they are concerned, to suppress in the mills these bawdy songs and bawdy jokes ; I do not believe the Protestant pastors ever talk against that; I do not really believe they know the condition of the mills; the same bawdy songs that you would hear in the Cohoes mills would be heard here; the young learn them and sing them at home and abroad; as far as our people are concerned here, however, that is almost entirely controlled now; we could do even more, but our Protestant brothers our dissenting brothers-do not help us. Q. You think with their help you might make more progress? [Assem. Doc. No. 26.] 12 |