The New York herald., 1845-04-24
The Factory System Of YankeedoOdleduml.
Report OF the Committee on the Ten Hour
System.
CnNaAt


COMMONWEALTH OF MAssAcHUsEr1s
HOUSE OF RErREsErrATuEs,}
March IL, lSa5
The Special Committee to which was referred sundry
petitions relating to the hours of labor have considered
the same, and submit the following
REroRr
The hrst petition, which referred to your Commit
tee from the city Of Lowell and as signed by Mr.
John Quincy Adams Thayer and eight hundred and fifty
Others "peaceable Industrious hard working men and
women Of Lowell" The petitioners declare thst they
confined from thirteen to fourteen hours per day in un
healthy opartments ard thereby "hasening through
pain dsease and privaticn down to premature grave"
vidng that ten hours shall constitute days wo and
that no corporation or private citizen shall be allowed
except IN cases Of emergency to employ one set Of hands
The second petition came from the town Of Fall River
and 10 signed by John Gregory and four hundred and
eishyeght others These petitioners ask for the passage
Of law 10 constitute ten hours days work in all
corporations created by the Legislature" !"
hundred others, citizens Audover in precisely lhe
same words as the one from Fall River
The fourth petition s from Lowell, and is signed by
ia Carle and three hundred others The petitioners
ask for the enactment of law making ten hours days
work no specific agreement entered into between
The whole number Of names on the several petitions
m2la9, OF which l,l5l are from Lowell Avery large
proportion OF the Lowell petitioners are females
Nearly one half OF tho Andover petitioners are females
The petition from Fall River is signed exclusively by
males.
In view of the number and respectability of the petit
TONERS who had brought their grievances before the Le
gsature the Committee asked for and obtained leave of
the House to send for persons and paper in order that
they might enter into examination Of the matter and
report the result OF their examination the Legislature
necessary
On the 18th of February the Gommttee held session
the petitioners from the city Of Lowell Six Of the
female and three Of the male petitioners were and
gave in their testimony.
The first petitioner who testified was ELIZA R. HEM
MiNGwAy. She had worked two years and nine months
in the Lowell Factories; years in the iddlesex and
nine months In the Hamilton Corporations Her EN-.
ton Mil manufactures cotton fabrics The Middesex
woolen fabrics. She Is now at work in the Mddesex
M MONTH Of shs average iGm
ed Of the hours for labor being many the time for
meals too limited In the summer season, the works.
commenced at O'Clock, A. M and continued till o'clock
NJ with half hour for breakfast and three quarters
Of an hour for dinner During the eight months Of the
the room she considered not to be wholesome. There
were ss snail lamps and 81 large lamps lighted in the
CURED These amps are also lighted sometimes in the
morning About la0 females, II men, and u children
with her Size Though. the children en- loved about tJ a.
good health as children generally do The children work
out months out Of - The oiher months they must
attend school. Thinks that there is day when there
arc less than six Of the females out of the mill from sick
ness Has known as many as thirty She, herself is out
Sickness in tho summer than in the winter months
though in the summer lamps lighted She thought
ten hours. regardless pay Most Of the girls are from
the country who work in the Lowell Mills The average
time which they remain there about three years She
knew one girl who had worked there IA years. Her
health was poor when she left. Miss Hemmngway said
her health was better where she worked than tswas
when she worked on the Hamilton Corporation. She
knew Of one girl who last winter wet into the mill at
half past o'clock, A. NJ. and worked till hall past
O'clock P NJ She did so to make more onev She
earned from $25 10 $50 per month There is always
largo number Of girls the gate wishing get in before
the bell rings ON the Mddlesex Corporation fourth
part of the females into the mill they ire obliged
10. They do this to make wages A large number
come to Lowell to make money to aid their parents who
came to Lowell and worked in the mills to assist their
husbands to psy for their farms The moral character Of
female in tha room with her who could not write her
name.
Miss SARAH g. BAeLur said she had worked in the Lo-
well Mills eight years and haltsix years and half on
the Hamilton Cooperation, and ears on the Middle
sex She is weaver and works by the piece She work
She Is native OF NawHampshre, went home weeks
during the summer Last year she out of the mill
third of the time She thinks the health of the opera,ives
s not so good the health of females who do
or millinery business The chief evil far health Is
The next evil is the length Of time rvjno
them tins to cultivate their minds She spoke of the heh
moral and intellectual character Of the girls. That many
were engaged as teachers in the Sunday schools That
many attended the lectures of the Lowell Institute and
she thought if more time allowed that lectures
the girls generally favorable the ten hour sys
tenn She had presented a petition. same as the one be.
they would prefer 70 work but ten hours In pecun;aV
point Of view would be BETTER their health would be
improved They would ave more time for sewing Their
Intellectual moral and religious habits would also be bo.
nehtted BY the chspge.
Miss BAGLEr said in addition to her labor in the mills
she had kept evening school during the winter me nths
four and thought thi, labor must have in
ured her health.
81 JUDITH PAYNE testified that she came 10 Lovel IA
years ago, and worked year and half in the Merrimac
cotton mills; left there account Of i'll health and re-
nained out over seven She sick most of the
the Boot mills and has there ever since-works
by the piece She has lost during the last seven yearg
tends three looms Last she drew s 6s for Ave
weeks workthis was exclusive of bsard; she was ab
sent during the five weeks but half day She says there
is very general feeling in favor Of the hour system
among the operatives She attributes her i'll health
the long hours Of labor the shortness Of time for ms ais
and the bad air OF the mills She had never spoken 10
Mr. French, the agent to the of her room in
relation to these matters She could not say that more
operatives died in Lowell than ether people,
Miss OLIVE J. CLARK-She is employ ed on the Law
renee Corporation hes been there FIVE years makes
about 81 per week. exclusive Of board she has been
good The work is not laborous; can sit down about
quarter Of the time About ty girls work ia the spin
She favor the ten hour system and thinks that the
long hours had an effect upon her health She ID kindly
treated BY her employers. There is hardly week in
which there not some out onl account of sick
thinks the air bad count Of the small parncles Of
cotton which fly about She has spoken with the
agent or overseer about working only ten hours.
Miss CELicA PHrLIrs, has worked four years in Lowell
Her testimony similar to that given by Miss CLARK
Misc Eh,aAsnra FL 2 Rows has worked in Lowell ls
four looms: "My heplth,' she snys, "has been very
good indeed since worked there's averaged three dears
week since have been there besides my board have
heard very o about the hours OF nbor being too long,
She consented to have her put the petition be-
cause MI Phillips asked her to Size would prefer to
wofkonly ten hours. netween so and GO work in the
room with her. Her is better ventilated and more
healthy than most others Girls Who wish 70 attend lcc-
tres can 70 out before the bell rngs my lets
them sc aio Saturdays they on. before the bell rings
was her wish to attend four looms She has sister
who has worked in the mill years Her health 10
very good Don't know that she has been ont on
account Of sickness The general health Of the opera
uves good Have never spoken to my employers abon.
the work being too hard, or the hours too long Don't
know any one who hos been hastencd to a premature
grave by factory labor never attended any of the lee
lures in Lowell on the ten hour system. Nearly all the
female operatives IN Lowell work by the piece and of
the petitioners who appeared before tho Committee Miss
HemminaWpN. Mias na1lev Pa nj