The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-09-30
HOURS OF LABOR IN THE FACTORIES At MAN

The writer of this, who has resided MANY
years in manufacturing neighborhood kno,cs
that the operatives" are required to labor each
day as many hours At least as above stated in
other manufacturing districts of New England
He has, times without number, heard the s.sLare"
bell rlng--tnr so the factory bell is termed by
many yet free among the spindles-in the long
Gays OF summer at sunrise, and i'm the winter he
tore the break of day in the east, To wake the
drowsy operatives" from their slulnbers to the
renewal of their daily tolls. They are allowed
lew moments to dress, when the bell again sum
mons them to the commencement of their labors
which never cease until about s O'Clock in The
evening, except intermissOn for meals of only
from 20 To 80 minutes Duration Even these
periods dedicated to the most imperious wants of
nature, are measured by the e" slave' bell, which
rings the Operatives" to their food, and then
rings them back again 10 their task
In giving the table have quoted above, the
writer in the Lowell Advertiser remarks: I" And
THIS constant servitude is in vogue Throughout,
New England and vet the organs of the slave
holding corporations, and the members of the cor.
poratlons themselves. can talk of other peoples
being ready to enslave millions We talk of
the Impressions of England /; and yet, in England
the operatives III factories work but twelve hours
on hve days OF the weeks, and but nine hours on
Saturday. Here. they allowed but three
hoiydays in the year, and in England twice the
number Yet, IN these corporation slaue pens,
touh drirer IN each pen-a task master in each
counting room-females are required to do an
hour and half's work each day more than are
the poveIty-stricken, down trodden, heart-brok
en- operatives of England, the mother of oppres
sion -
While upon the subject Of factory expressions.
Will make one remark in relation to the pro-
scr,ptton for opinions sake, practised upon the
operatives by the owners of the manufacturing
corpora lions. and their serve horde of overseers.
AS general fact, it may be stated that no one is
permanently employed at the factories who will
not vote according to the wishes of the employer,
or at least be silent and not vote at all If these
requirements of the lordly master are not regard
ed, the stubborn recusant Cooperative" is soon
greeted with discharge. Soon after the result
OF the Presidential election was known, this spirit
of prescription was most disgraceiuly displayed
by many OF the manufacturers of New England
being, as every body knows, nearly all wings
The manner in which The business of proscription
was carried on, was this After it was known
that Mr.. Polk had succeeded, the hue md cry of
ruin, s. ruin" ruin" was raised by these
men, and their servlle tools connected with the
press. Their factories were partially stopped ,
and those in process of erection were SUSPENDED
on the pretence that the manufacturing business
would be good for nothing under the new Demo
cratic administration. Of course, this threw large
hu"oeiS vi HdnuS out OF employment; but those
selected for dismission were democrats, while the
wings were retained. 1t was in this cunning
way that prescription was practised by wholesale
in the mills in New England Having got rid
of The democrats, and supplied their places with
servlle wings, the machinery was again put in
motion, and the walls of suspended factories again
began to ascend.
This is one of the reasons why the American
Democracy demand change in the officers of
the general government in this city. And let me
here say, in conclusion, that they aoiU have this
change, hewever reluctant complacent Secretaries
may be to comply with their just and righteous
demands. The American democracy will not
long remain at peace with those they have placed
in power, If they permit, as they now do, a ma.
Jortty Of t0higs 10 hold lucrative and resDons;
BILE places under them, in face of the fact that
every democrat IN office would have been proscri-
bed if Mr.. Clay had succeeded, and of the fact
that hundreds of their more humble brethren have
been prescribed by their employers for darino to
exercise, in the late Presidential election. The
sacred right Of free suffrage.
A NEW ENGLAND DEMOCRAT.
VERY PLEASANT AND BECOMING