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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
'•• 1_,
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No. 203
Ed. 6-13-18 -200,000
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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1,
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
tr•
NE EIRL KILLED,
OTHERS INJURED AT
FABRICATING PLANT
Helps to eradicate dandruff.•
For Restoring Color and
Beauty to Gray and Faded Hair
50c. and $1.00 at drutrlsts.
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Removes Corns, CalCORN
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She was a graduate of th,
ough.
Pringle high school in the class of 1917.
Besides her parents, she is survived by
the following brothers and sister ;
ting Margaret, Susan, Helen, Emily, Julia
titt the International Fabrica
Plant at Forty Fort yesterday after- Michael and John.
•
to noon, a belt running from a motor
girl,
on
a finishing machine broke ae,),
susElizabeth Kovatch, acred 17 years.
d
tained a fracturiAd skull, which 'resulte
sevin her death an hour later, while
eral other girls were slightly injured.
The Kovatch girl, with the others,
was employed on a shell case finishing
machine, and when the belt broke were
hit by the flying end of it and hurled
to the floor. The girl who was fatally
injured was struck at the base of the
skull. She was, rendered unconscious
and was purried to the Nesbitt West
Side hospital, where every effort was
made to save her life, but without
avail, and she expired a short time
after she had been admitted to the inThe other girls were only
stitution.
slightly injured and were taken to their
homes.
The victim of the accident was a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kovateh of 9 Morgan street. Pringle. the
former a councilman of Pringle Bor-)
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
There is no better remedy for burns,
cuts and bruises than the antiseptic
and healing ointment called San Curs.
Every person ought to have a jar on
hand; it is the first and best aid to
the injured in case of accident, and
Is the ideal remedy for so many other
distressing and painful ailments besides.
For example, it is guaranteed by W.
D. White & Co. to relieve itching,
bleeding and protruding piles, eczema,
tetter, ulcers, salt rheum. boils. carbuncles and pimples, or money back.
In case of old running sores, no
, matter how lolig sta.ndine
Coal Co.—Appeal from decision of
Workmen's Conmpensation Board Is
distrC-- 1. The referee found in this
cast that decedent died of tuberculosis
unaffected by any ac.cident in the
course of his employment.
• Mrs. Mary Martin vs. L. V. Coal Co.
--Appeal from Workmen's Compensation Board is dismissed. This appeal
was from an order allowing a hearing
de novo.
Cluett Peabody & Co. vs. Andrew
Halbach — Objections
to
plaintiff's
statement overruled and defendant
given fifteen days to file affidavit of
',fens.
.•.,:..i..le."113,111 Mfg. Co. vs. Andrew Nal)ach--Objectionz.dismissed and defenlant allowed fifteen days to file affidavits of defense.
S. H. Rubin vs. J. Elian—Ruls for
iugment made absolute as to balance
Ind judgment directed to be entered
for plaintiff for $93.50. Court holds
the affidavit of defense to be insufficinit except as to $472.60 of plaintiff's
claim.
Simon Friedman vs. John B. Bieble
--Rule to open judgment and stay
,n•oceedings is discharged.
Margaret Barrett vs. H. G. DavisRule to open judgment is discharged
Ind execution is limited to the rent
lue at the time it issues.
A .H. Wilhelm Co. vs. Diamond
1:1a.rdware Co.--Exceptions sustained;
sod judgment revezsed.
Frantz Premier' Distributinx. Ca. vsj
WAR DEPARTMENT
ORDNANCE
OFFICE-PHILADELPHIA
DISTRICT
INDUSTRIAL SERVICE SECTION
1710 MARKET STREET
PHILADELPHIA
August 21, 1918.
REFER TO
Miss Mary Van Kleeck,
Director of Women in Industry Service,
Department of Labor,
605 Ouray Building,
8th & G Streets,
Washington, D. C.
My dear Miss Van Kleeok:
In order to follow up the letters and various clippings from
concerning conditions at the International Fabricating
Williams
Mr. Dave
Mann of the Safety & Sanitation Branch, Production
Randolph
Mr.
Washington,
and I visited the plant August 13th and 14th.
[vision,
I was glad to find working oonditions in the plant greatly improved since our initial visit in June. The general layout of the work
has been so arranged as to make for a more systematic and continuous procedure, reducing waste effort and confusion. A hospital room has been
equipped with a registered nurse in charge.
The nurse also interviews the women applicants. Kumber of women
employed has been reduced from 400 to 300, and much of the trucking and
packing of trucks formerly done by women is now being done by boys. The
women, however, are still doing heavy work, operating large presses and
pickling oases after annealing.
the fastest press makes but eleven
draws a minute, it should not be hazardous work if moderate care is shown
by operator. The annealing room is necessarily a bad place for women to
work. Mr. Mann is now working on plans for a pickling machine, which if it
does not eliminate the need for women in the annealing room, will lighten
the work and greatly reduce their number.
Mr. Rowhan, Secretary of the Company, was in charge of the works
during Mr. Owen's (the general manager) absence. He was very frank in his
statements and explanations of conditions, attributing the unfortunate
number of accidents to the fact that they were changing the layput of the
plant while keeping up production. He said that having solved the production problem, they could and would give more attention to plant conditions.
He feels some one in the plant is responsible for the newspaper publicity
which they have received, and claims much of it to be grossly exaggerated.
However that may be, it is all too evident that there has been unnecessary
carelessness and confusion. I dis not like some actions of Capt. Haggerty,
and felt there might be some spirit of concealment as to the frequency and
nature of accidents. Mr. Mann will follow this up on his return to the
plant in interview with Mr. Owen.
I had an interview with Mr. Dave Williams and Mr. Pyrah, also of
the International Association of Machinists. They were basing some of
their
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
WAR DEPARTMENT
ORDNANCE
OFFICE-PHILADELPHIA
DISTRICT
INDUSTRIAL SERVICE SECTION
1710 MARKET STREET
PHILADELPHIA
Miss Van Kleeek
August 21, 1918.
-2-
REFER TO
criticisms on conditions as they existed in the plant last April. I
told of the changes which had been made and of our recommendation for
further Changes. They were genuinely interested and promised further
co-operation. There was a feeling that the state inspector is not on
his job in this instance. Noted that there was a little resentment because
the International Fabricating Corporation had put women on machines when
there were still men to be had for such work.
We shall follow this matter up, and shall inform you from
concerning it.
time
to
time
Sincerely yours,
IDABWALE STEVENSCU
Women in Industry Branch
P. S.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Attached you will find a copy of Mr. Mann's Report.
COPY
•
August 19, 1918.
FROM:
Safety & Sanitation Branch, Staff Section.
TO:
Philadelphia District Office, Philadelphia,
Greene, ProPa. - Attention: Maj. R.
duction Manager.
SUBJECT:
International Fabricating Co., Wilkes-Barre.
At the request of Miss Louise Cornell, and in
1.
Stevenson,
I visited the plant of the International
company with Miss
Wilkes-Barre,
Penna., under date of the thirteenth.
Fabricating Company at
2.
Our visit was based on a complaint from one of the
local labor leaders that conditions at the plant were not favorable to
the employees and it was my particular object to see what could be done
toward making the work safer and lighter for the women workers.
As Miss Cornell has already a complete record of the
3.
number of employees, proportion of women, etc., I will not go into those
details.
4.
The work of this plant is exceptionally heavy for women
in most of the operations, but they seem to be handling it very well. One
of the worst conditions was observed in the annealing room, where cartridge
cases are manually handled after each drawing operation. They go into this
room in small hand-cars, wheeled by women, through the furnance on heavy iron
trays and dumped while hot on the floor at the farther side. In this roam,
grouped about the furnance, are nine sets of dipping and washing tanks. The
first tank contains 8% to 10% solution of sulphuric acid and water. Cases are
placed in the acid tank by hand and fished out by the same process. From there
they are placed, by hand, in a nearby tank of water and, in turn, fished out
of that.
5.
Approximately seventy-five women are used in the annealing room on the dipping process and some of the complaint comes from acid
burns and burns from hot shells. It occurred to the writer that a mechanical
conveyor could be designed which would not only eliminate the complaint, but
would accomplish the same production results with approximately 50% less employees. The new method would also economize space and permit an increase
in production from this department if desirable.
6.
I talked over the proposed conveyor arrangement in a
preliminary way with Mr. W. F. Rowhan, Secretary and Treasurer. He was interested and would be glad to put the money into the °flange if we can show
a benefit to be derived. I am working out the details of the conveyor and,
with your permission, will submit them to Mr. Rowhan - through your officewhen finished.
7.
During our visit we learned that one of the girls had
reoently been killed by a broken, highspeed, belt which struck and threw her
against a pile of boxes, breaking her neck. There are in this plant a great
many belts which are running at exceptionally high velocity, awing to the
fact that motor pulleys are 24" or more in diameter. These belts, for the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
COPY
International Fabricating Co.
-2-most part, are operating on motors ranging from twenty to fifty horse power,
and they are oil-soaked. It is m7 opinion that all of them should be guarded,
as more breaks are bound to occur from time to time, although I understand
these belts get regular inspection at frequent intervals. I did not press
the question of guards at this time, preferring to take it up with the Manager,
Mr. Owen, who was not present during our visit.
The matter of interior plant illumination is one that should
8.
receive attention in the interests of production and safety to employees. I
spoke to Mr. Rowhan about it and offered to lay out a general system of lighting, which he was very glad to have me do. Accordingly, lamps of proper wattage were laid out in proper places on a blue print provided and Mr. Rowhan
promised that men would be put to work at once in the carrying out of these
suggestions.
While the attitude of Mr. Rowhan was cordial, I did not like
9.
some of the actions of Capt. Haggerty and one or two others apparently under
his control. There seemed to be a spirit of concealment, and both Miss
Stevenson and myself are of the opinion that accidents, burns, etc. in the
plant occur much more frequently than reported. I believe this situation
should be watched.
Should I return to the plant later in regard to the conveyor
10.
machinery, I will make further report on this matter of accidents.
G. J. Siedler,
Major, Ord. Dept. U. S. A.
By
A. D. Reiley,
Capt. Ord. Dept. U. S. A.
oreJar
"
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
'd
t‹, 4,444t,
Cir
6t•t-t
WOMAN IN
Ault 1, 1918.
Ay •lear Ar.
f,Jur lAter ,f
uyt 7th
the undlite
11 raceivcsd.
ition':; in t'.:e 4nternti:,)na1
Ai
L
L•oui..-;e Lomeli in th,i
LIArict
ofrice and eu‘6eetinti; tht sqe t, „- ttv. :1..tter up
7dt'-:, the S,Ifety
irnalch of the ,Jr.ri(2e offrtnent.
fAirl very truly,
'21"Fif VAN KULCK,
Lirector, W.-Ain 1:1 ..au try F-rviLt,
kr. ,
.ve *1.1m3,
intern,A1,-mt71
renn.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
A6:3nt
3f adichinict:,,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
WOMAN IN NIAMEY
RVic.E.
Aubu-t 16,
jer kipe Cornell:
"rAve received another letter from Ar.
1-)ve
iUi.me
f the intern,Ai)wil Aoci ti ;n of t44chinifAe,
rvar,!ing iccIentri n.t the International F-A.bricAing ?lant,
mr. Wilti,tme writes thE.t he hue sent a new-151,,er clip. Ant
the 1,iA pcc.ient to you.
vetip!.tion
intter t)
May 1 sugiost that
shcwn un:Fre con:Ati.AP,
If
your int 6
:)f the OrdnInce 1.,e?artment.
1-Airs sincerely,
ir\N
. 1rector, Woloan in In-(vtry Service.
Alias Louifie
Phi1.11e17h18 Aii8trict ,drin •rict3 Offic,p,
1710 karket Street,
Ps.
7111•11M11
lammaair
=mama
WM. PYRAI I, SECY•TRI.i
187 Andover&
Willem Barre, Parma.
Bell Phone 6-•••
DAVID WILLIAMS-- BUS1NL.S5. Ac.LN !
Office and Residence. 51 S Weller St
Wilkes Barre. Peana
ii.111-'noise2.680
Anthracite District Lodge, No. 28
International Association of Machinists
A f14ated witIN the American Federation oF 1. hi...,
L1STRICT LODGE fILADQUARI LKS
WILKES BARRE. PENNA.
LiRAND LODGE HEADQUARTERS
3rd floor A. F. of L. Buikiina
WASHINGTON, DC.
WILKES BAR, PENNA.,
August
7,
Miss lary Van Kleec,
Director,Women in Inddstry Service,
Washington, D C,,
Dear Miss vanKleeck,
Your letter received .1.fid
contents carefully noted. Since writin
to you about the young girl
being killed at the International Fabricating Plant,another girl has
lost three fingers of her right hand in an accident there and I am
sending a newspaper cliping of this accident at this time to Miss
'Jouise Cornell at the Philadelphia addro3s.
Thanking you for yur interest in this matter and assuring you we
will do all we can to have some of these conditions remedied I remain
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Very Sincerely Yours,
Business Agent Dist ira, I A of M.
WAR DEPARTMENT
ORDNANCE
OFFICE -PHILADELPHIA
DISTRICT
INDUSTRIAL SERVICE SECTION
1710 MARKET STREET
PHILADELPHIA
REFER TO
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Au.6ust 6, 1918.
Miss Mary Van Kleeck,
605 Ouray
8th
G Streets,
Washington, D.C.
'Near
is 7Tart neeck:
letter of August 5th, referring to com-
TDlaint on International Fabricating Corporation of Forty
Port, Th., receive. 7e have reason to believe that the
conditions referred to in Er. 7111iams' letter have been
improved during the past two months.
I am pinnino to go to 711kes-Barre on Prida;,of t4is week, and wili
1-._ort of my visit.
3incerely z'ours,
JUIa coRrELL
omen in Industry Bran--
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
oar
1
t,) com—
.:
on
Porty
111 i,ve that the
.
L,1013
r.
..,aer have been
r-,
.;
1:it.
-70M7N IN IND15371Y 371VICI1
AuTint 5. 1111.
rrs tve Williams,
International Association of Vaohinists.
Tilkes Barre,
Pennsylvn.nia.
My dear Yr. Williams:
Yr,ur letter retArding
conditls.ns im the
Internatiorm1 Irabricatinp; Company of Dorrance, 1.,nrnylvanta in
received, we are asking the Women's Branch of the Ordnance
Der-irtr,mnt tn make us a refort and to take action in thin matter
larr ,Aiately.
Mies Louise Cornell is tho representative or the
'foments Branch in the Philadelrhia District Oreirftnoe off Ace,
1710 Varket Street.
I am sure that she will be Tilvl at any tiwe
to have irformatio- frnm you which may lead to improvemont in
the conditions of %uorren's work.
Vs shill bo
lad also to hear
from you at any time rrAinv, the conditions in the plants
with which you have sontaot.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Sincerely ynurs,
Iforen in Industry Service.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS.
Wilkes Barre, Pe-na., July 29, 1918.
Miss Mary Van Kleeck,
Director, Women in Industry Service,
Washington, D. C..
"- dear Miss Van Kleeck:
Reading in "The Official Bulletin" of your appointment
to the p-sition of Director of Women in Industry Service and that you
were about to make an investigation into the various plants making war
matdrikl that employ woren, I decided to bring to your attention the
plant of the International Fabricating Company of Dorranceton, Pa.,
near this city.
This firm makes cartridge cases for the U. S. Government
and employs a large number of women and girls. These girls run presses
push trucks over the floor and up to a short time a7o worked in acid
tanks and tended to hot furnace, used for annealing purposes.
Girls have their fingers clipped off there in the presses
and I took some of the girls a few months ago before a representative of
the Department of Labor of this State and showed him their arms, and
hands which were black fror working in the acid tanks.
I enclose you a newspaper clipping giving an account
of an accident killing a seventeen year old girl in this plant about a
wee' ago, and if you can come in 1-,ere without any advance information
being given the firm, or have an investigator come in I believe you
will get some valuable information for the Department of Labor.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Thanking you in advance and with best wishes, I remain,
Very sincerely yours,
(Signed)Dave
Bus. Agt. Dist #28, I. A. of M.
A
@FedFRASER