The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-21 00:00:00

so with regard to piece work, which all out-door
workers are engaged upon. Accordingly, the evil
has gone on from year to year, from generation to
generation ; for the years of a needleworker's life
are not to be measured by the ordinary standard,
without skill, science, or charity being able to find
a remedy. A. new hope is, however, dawning in
the introduction of the sewing machine into general
use. At first, indeed, its advent was the signal for
a general outcry, and it was feared that it would
only serve to make the position of the sempstress
worse than before. There is no doubt, like all such
inventions, it has occasioned some temporary in-

convenience. Every mechanical contrivance which
substitutes artificial for human power is certain to
throw many out of work, and equally certain to call
forth a strong opposition from interested parties.
But it has invariably proved that machines instead
of injuring trade eventually improve it, by in-
creasing the amount of work done, and by calling
into action more hands than they have thrown out
of work. The sewing machines are likely to prove
no exception to this rule. It may be contended
that the work of their construction is not to be
counted (although their manufacture, together with
that of the silk, cotton, &c., used is an important
consideration), as they are made by men, while it is
women's work for which they are mainly substi-
tuted. But the increased wages are a substantial
advantage to the down-trodden needlewomen ; and
when we hoar of shirt collar makers earning from
twelve to twenty shillings a week, and think of the
long hours of labour which would be needed to earn
a quarter of that amount by hand labour, we shall
be inclined to wish the hand machines at all events
to have a fair trial. As the wants of civilisation
increase and the population steadily augments,
there is not much probability of a lack of work to
be done. The question is how it can be
done with most satisfaction to the employer
and with most advantage to the worker. As
it is the intervening classes absorb the profit, and
the extravagant sums paid by the actual owner are
filtered through so many receptacles that, when
they reach the actual worker very little is left.
We have heard of a sempstress receiving seven-
pence halfpenny for making a mantle which was
sold at a guinea—the cost of the material being very
trifling. In the days of sewing machines, a day's
labour would be worth something more than seven-
pence halfpenny, even to an inexpert hand. The
'cute Americans have not been slow to recognise
the advantages of the invention, and one of their
principal factories produces a thousand machines in
a week. Four years ago the value of the sewing
done in America by machinery was estimated at
nearly sixty millions, and at the present time that
immense amount, if then correct, must be consider-
ably exceeded. In our own country it has had
great difficulties to contend against in the obstacles
offered by the patent laws, in the opposition of the
trades' unions, in the lack of workers to use it. It
would be a good opening for charitable enterpoise
to establish a school or class for the instruction of
young women who might bo desirous to learn the
use of a sewing machine. At present, friendless or
penniless sempstresses would find it very difficult to
obtain the requisite instruction, and must be tanta-
lised by hearing of others working shorter hours,
earning as much in a day as their unremitting
labour does in a week. There are severe/ associa-
tions whose express object it is to improve the con-
dition of women, more especially by introducing
them to new fields of labour. Cannot some of
these come forward to help the friendless needle-
woman over the barrier that separates her from the
means of obtainimg a fair day's wages for a fait
day's work ? Doubts may be raised as to the actual
benefit of the sewing machine, and regrets may be
felt that any change affecting women's principal
resource in necessity should have been introduced
while they are still so almost exclusively dependent
upon it as an industrial resource; but it is very
evident that the change has come, and that it is
worse than useless to oppose it. The progress of
invention and improvement is irresistible, and those
who will not swim with the advancing current, but
persist in obstinately striving against it, must suc-
cumb in the struggle. The great object now is to
enable those who really need it to avail themselves
of the change, and to secure to the present generation
of workers as much as possible those benefits which
are usually only experienced after long years of
'ruiCess tffort and shortsighted opposition.