New-York daily tribune., 1849-08-07
The Wrongs Of seam.tres-e. In our City.

To %, rSaor qf The Tribune
submit that Of all the evils which siflic. society
in New York there hardly BE- found 50 heart
Jess in IL. cruelty mean IN ia conception. gigantic
IN is extent and shameless its bearing, that to
which am about inviting your attention allude 70
the practice INDUCED In By large number Of employ
In the gssed and cloth cap manufacturing basness
of getting females 20 DO their work. yet afterward
eu.n. 10 pay for tho labor thu. performed, under one
lying pretcnse or other Whistler this uefarious .ys
ten followed In other large cities Of the Union, am
unable 10 say but speak advisedly and from per
sona knowledge. when sssure you, tha, very con
siderable portion Of the industry exercised on thi.
branch Of business in New York s obtained snd recon
| penssd In the following manner.
merchant" adveriises in one Of the morning pa
p-rs-prncpAy the s4-staiing that he Is in want OF
81 or 100 females work these caps promising ~
| the same time permanent employment aud punctuai
| payment In great cities Ike New York there are al
| ways many thousand mechanics, whose wages are
barely able 70 support their fami In the most eco
nomca and frugal manner, and whose wives and
daughters are ever ready to embrace any opportunity
such a. cap making should Afford. TO procure clothes
and Ike necesssres for themselves which could hardly
be extracted Of their father. husbands limited
earnings These, with other respectable smaes.
whose eyes the advertisements alluded to intended
10 catch Accordingly astonishing numbers Of appi.
can't. are perpetusly pouring into these Embellishments
10 search Of work to be done at applicants homes and
| ohisin it After working some Time dong or sh0r,
according 10 her Immediate necsssltiesl the cap maker
presents her b but pat OF with an excuse thAt the
establishment only psys once a fortnight or month, OF
that the bin 10 too small some other lying pfetense
but finally. when the merchant can prevHricate no
longer be- assumes ruihsny, brazen demean0r, and,
and brutal language, insults the operative
swears that the caps were badly made--thst his ma
terals spoiled. Sc and finally orders her out Of
his premises u Is useless for the poor creature 70
impore his pity-O declare her poveriy-that enc m
| tended the money owed 70 meet her rent Sc-the
| man Is inexorsble he never contemplated payment
and never doe. pay speak Truth itself Lisien
lew Saturday evening. since, on passing Chatham
and Pearl 80 ] ga" a cieAny, respectable looking
woman. weeping SLe was surrounded ~ SINAI
crowd Despair depicted Ia her lnten ance and
| it Wa p.uahie 70 behold her anguish on inquiry
sscsrta that she had been making caps or some
| thing IN that line, upward Of fortnight for an
estsolshment the propriciors OF which seemed Wei
pleased with her work IL that evening, when' on
presenting her oAl she was astOunded win tue
Intelligence that che could not bs paid tor what she
had d0us-that the materials were spoiled and 90 orin
snd eventually was taken by the shoulder and turned
| out OF doors This poor woman had four OF five chill
dren ~ home absolutely suffering from hunger snd
her hopes 10 relieve them with the money due
her by the cap merchant some lsbor-rs, hurrying
from work, dropped their mites into her rssistess
Were Il not that am unwilling 10 occupy TOO much
of your valuable space, would reci,e instance alter
instance similar O. the shove have personal know
edge Of great many. But do not write thi. for the
purpose Of abusing the cap merchants or oi holding
them Up % public odium. Ny object Is simply 90 call
popular attention the d.grscsfl fact that Thousands
0f our respectable poor females who desirJus Of
earning honest livelihood prevented from doing
~. because they have security that their industry
Will be pad for am acquainted with many females
who would aty assist 10 II fathers and husbands y
bringing home work from stores bat refrain from doing
~, they have hopes that they or their friends
would oe likely derive any henefi from their e1er-
tons. Is not this state Of things sboninsole' How
can piuus church gong, sleek and vel provided Tor
| individuals tEfn up their eyes IN holy horror, and
wonder why - many poor creatures are following
II Of shame and lniaEny while such cruel Injustice IS
t,'eraied IN community u which they lthe church
| gers are luminaTiesf
Nov. Mr Editor. you have Prssui.nenty assis,ed In
eteciing many excellent reforms in your TINE, and
would isis enlist your sympailies not only IN bsnaf c.
The bel p-ss operatives here alluded %, but Of v0rkes
In general O1.hi there not % De some special, per
| efng-ory aw Tor the protection Of the poor working
peop.e' IN Lnssnd, the landlord ard merchant must
stand ne sitc til tns claims Of the operative arst
satisfied There laV Is summary n sT0riing relei %
toe person whose claim Is or labor pert rmed Should
not similar Be established herei IL u ngnt that
Republican America less for the interests Of the
working classes, IN THIS instance. thsn Monarchlca.
EE an DtLer creditors have resources % ia back
upou but the Employed must receive iher wa-es, or
their fAr Lies suaer Pray 20 .ay something on th.s
4
ably invested n Nes-Ycrk - preser, On any other
| held
/ Rendrks.
We shall very gladly lend whatsver sid We can
to any Legislative measure which seems likely 70
render he payment Of the poor pttsnce esraed
BY Labor more sure and prompt; bat can We be
asked 20 suppress our conviction that such al act
can 90 bat !i.sie way st best Whs, is mainly
needed IS some comprehensive Social providence
securing fairly rewarded and unfailing EMPLOY.
mens 70 al who need it. I. is dire Necessity
which drives the Poor 70 work for sharks and
sviadlers. and SO long as the Necessity shall e1
ist, It viii be Preyed upon, matter how s,rin
gent the laws against such robbery may be. D-s Z
your bil, then, FOR securing poor seamsire.ses
against s~indleEs, and we vii 90 wha. We can in
support OF II ; bat remember tia; We tell you i
Will 60 bat little way toward redressing the
wrong yoa SO fcrciby expose. I'D Tr5.
2 We unders,Ard that the mother and sister