Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-10-31
FACTORY LABOR AND WAGES,

ougrow the highest hopes OF its friends
!
FACTORY LABOR AND WAGES.
The New York Tribune is one of the yarnos,
advocates OF the rights OF Labor in the United
States but IN discussing and advocating its
iavorItc theme, sometimes goes to extremes.
In that paper of last Saturday we find tn, fol
lowing, in reply to some remarks Of the Ner
lofk NewS, an Anti Tariff, Anti Factory.
Loeoioco paper We consider the extract a
triumphant defence of the TuriG, and of Fac.
tory labor, against those who say the Tarilrhas
wrought no benefit TO the operatives. aud that
Factory labor is the most oppressive of any
other IN the community. 1t has long been
our opinion that the laborimg classes i'm
TINS country are in much better condi
ton now than formerly, and that their con
diiion has been continually amclioratinp
lhis is subject OF rejoicing TO every christian
and patriot
!. That the number OF girls cmployed in
Factories in the United States. or in New
England, Is FAR greater at this moment than
IL was when the present Tariff was enacted
ana That, II any girls of good character had
Dcen discharged from Lowell, they could have
obtained instant employment within a few
hours ride in any direction:
:. That their weekly Earnings and Annual
Savings are greater than those of the average
OF Girls III any other country or in any othsr
part Of this country;
8. That u Is utterly false that ] 800 Girls
nave been discharged from the Lowell Fac
tories since this Tariff was passed or thai
tnplE WAGES m
than they were then. On these points we
appeal 10 the Lowell Advcrtiser-scod Loco
foco and anti Tariff authority.l
d mat The wages of working Women
throughout the Manufacturing region are now
decidedly higher III the average than they were
before the extensive introduction of Mann
lectures, and higher than they could he il
those Manufactures were DESTROYED or ssri
ously crippled;
D. The employment in Factories with all
thcir abused regulations, board, lodging. &c. y
Is P,gtrred to House work by ninc-tenths OF
the Young Women of New England so thai
ii Is difficult To obtain any but Forcirn. horn
servants, except III the families of their rel, .
tlves, although House work is better Maid
Than II was before the Factories were estab.
lished.
3. That Women doing House work have
more privi legcs in New England and com
mand more consideration than they did before
the large demand for labor in Factories gave
thcm choice oil occupations and rendered
them comparative independent.
{. mat the Hours of Labor in Factories
enough entirely too many and urgently re-
ing reduction, are fewer per week Than Il. G
average working hours of hired Seanstrcsses
and House servants, including the SUNDAY
work exacted of the latter.
8. That the demand for Female Labor is
more nearly equal TO the supply in New Eng
land than III any part of the world
.. mat there are Jew Girls in the Lowell
FACTORIES who do not understand House work
before they 20 thcre-that most OF them sppnd
some portion of each year at home with iheir
parents, brothers and sstcTs-that the en-
ployment OF children under IL years of age in
those Factories is forbidden or discouraged
and that those employed have abundant opIor-
tuhlues TO contract matrimonial alliances il
they choose, and that in each wear very many
quit the Factories to be married.
10. That Young Woman can save more
money IN Lowell between her fifteenth and
her twentieth year than a young man could
ordinarily do III the same section twenty-five
years ago; and that, while she can obtain far
Inore-wagcs than her mother could have done
she Gun buy nearly every thing she needs GaI
cheaper than ii was bought in lS2O.
We will thank the Ne,gs and the Lowell
hdoertlSer, from both which we have libcr
ally quoted iii discussing this subject, TO COP,
thls article, and say wherein they dissent
from our conclusions, and on what grounds
We VIII cndcavoT to show them ample cour
tcsy IN turn. II any of them have any plaI
whereby the rewards OF Labor may b. incrcas
ed or the constancy of Employment guaran
teed, we will gladly consider il. ii the,
mean only to assert that Labor every wbcr,
(Lowell OF course includedD ought 10 be bet
ter paid and It's conditions every way improv
co. we concur in this most heartily. But j
thsy hold That this can be done or aprroxima
ted by breaking down the Tariff or the Fac
tones, we are obliged to differ from them. OF
grounds which seem to us impre gnable.
I COTTON MANUFACTURES IN SOUTH