New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-10-25
Factorie. and Wages

eli factories alone have discharged 1900 gfs from men
employ and r.dsced the wages Of the remainder ~
cents esc per week This the inevitable consequence
Of corporate industry The girls are hrst uhosr h-u
tariff seduced from their household dutes snc nap!
homes by the temptation Of high wages. Wnen SUI
hcient number drawn into the snare lt'ie npfDse
ment in machinery enables ihe stockholders 70 dschAEe
some Of The hands But alas the best years OF 'hef ne
have been spent in the gloomy walls Of the factories
They have had opportunity 20 contract maifimOhlal
alliances and they have resource but the fsctore-
They must work there or become dependents upon
friends This is the point sought after y the couon
lords They rule with an iron hand and cut dom
wages at their pleasure until the msees VI Lsncashe
are reproduced in New Eng.and."
Now we were born within few miles Of Low
ell. and have been often there and in its neighbor
hood through the last twelve years, and We give
the following as the result Of our not careless obser
vstions there
/. That the number Of girls employed in Facio-
ries In the United States, or in New England, is far
greater at this moment then i, when the present
Tariff was enacted and that, if any girls Of good
character had been discharged from Lowell, they
could have obtained instant employment within
few hours ride in any direction
q That their weekly Earnings and Annual "a.
wings are greater than those OF the average OF Girls
In any other country or in any other part OF IN"
country;
g. That it is utterly folse that 800 Girls have
been discharged from the Lowell Factories since
this Tariff was passed, tina, their wages are now
50 cents less per week than they were then lOn
these points we appeal to the Lowell Advertiser
good Loco. Foco and anti Tariff authority
T. That the wages Of Working Women through
gu, the Manufacturing region are now decidedly
higher In the average than they were before the eN
tensive introduction of Manufactures. and higher
than they couid be If those Manufactures were de-
stroyed or seriously crippled
;. Tha, employ ment in Factories with all tho'r
abused regulations. board lodging &c is preferred
TO House work by nineenihs Of the Young Women
Of New England 30 that il is difficult 10 obtain any
but Foreign born servants, except IN the families OF
their relatives although House work is better paid
now than il was before the Factories csinb
lished
6. That Women doing Hoasework have more
privileges in New. England and command more con
sdera,on than they lid before the large demand for
labor in Factories gave them choice Of occupations
and rendered them comparatively independent.
:. That the Hours Of Labor in Factories Though
entirely too many and urgently requiring reduction
are fewer per week Than the average working hours
the Sunday work exac,ed of the latter.
9. Tha, the demand for Female Labor ia more
nearly equal to the supply in New-England than in
any other part O! the world.
O. That there are few Girls in the Lowell Faco
res who do not understand Housework before they
20 ,here--iha, most of them spend some portion OF
each year at home with their parents brothers and
si.ters--,hat the employment of children under -
years Of age in those Factories is forbidden or dis
couraged-and that those employed have abundant
opportunities matrimonial alliances if they
choose. and that in each year very many quit the
Factories to be married.
10. That a Young Woman more money
In Lowell between her fifteenth and her twentieth
year than Young Man could ordinarily do in the
same section twenty five years ago; and that while
she can obtain far more than her mother could
have done she buy nearly every thing she needs
far cheaper than il bought in 1920.
We will thank the Ne,cs aud the Lowell Adrer
User. from both which we have literally quoted in
discussing this subject to copy this article and say
wherein they dissent from conclusions and on
what grounds We will endcavor 10 show them
ample courtesy in turn Ii either Of them have any
plan whereby the rewards of Labor may be ncreas
ed or the consistency Of Employment guaranteed, we
viii gladly consider it, Ii they only 10 assert
,ha, Labor every where Lowell Of course included
e~gk 10 be better paid and its condnons every way
improved. we concur in this most heartily But if
they hold tina, tbs can be done Appropriated by
breaking down the Tariff or the Factories we are
obliged 10 differ from them. on grounds which seem
70 US impregnablc. But there are influences every
where at work TO deprcss labor and exslt Wealth
we have long seen but that Protective Tariffs
among these Influences we believe very great mis-.
take on the part Of those who honestly believe it,
That Manufacturers are like other men, generally
avarcious and disposed to hire as cheap they
we do not doubt therefore canno, see how the
conditions of Labor iR Factories can be improved
but by improving the condition OF Labor cut # Fac
,ories-tha, is. by more thorough development, Of
the resources OF the country by the establishment,
among us of all practicable branches ofIndusiry by
the union Of Cap,sl and Skill in improving the eff
cheney Of Labor by improving Machinery. Process
&C. &c. and by the establishment, of some jnster and
wiser system OF adjusting the relations ana the rcls
tive rewards Of Wealth and Work than can ever
b arrived at through Hiring and Wases-Le, us
calmly. patiently discuss the whole matter until we
can ultimately settle on the truth
This Ia clearly ball the News L.. cue 4. In ,,..,
hat high tariff not followed by by lou 49,,
noes not assert that he Manufactures r,ucd ,hrl, 49,
gss upon lhe passage cf the present Tart.
n 1t is rather hard ihs; We shoald be constantly
twitted o.! and assailed for alleged tenderness To-
ward criminals, by the only convic, for whose ab.
soluie pardon we ever peitioned Day after day
we are lectured in the Courier Enqairor on the
snormity of shooting at man (which we most
heartily ill.,. and the deliberate intent OF the
Andes madmen to Kill Sheriff which the evidence
oseinst them conuadiciedl while the Editor of
that pare has done that very thing to Tom Mar
shall. aud ha' manifested disposition to do like
vie ia Sc raj other instances The next time a
peti ION comes round to begging the Governor TO
lei such reprobaie 20 unwhipt Of justice, we
shall ny - 10 bard hearted.