The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-11

hope that something efectual win soon be done for
the relief Of the poor shirt severn
FRAUDS AND CONDUCT OF EMPLOYERS
There u.s. solar as we are aware more deception and
fraud practiced upon shirt sewers than upon any other
class Of operatives in the city The majority Of en-
ployers pay their workers their earnings regularly
every week. but we are sorry to say there is large
number who resort to the vilest means to defraud
those in their employment, and it is impossible for
the poor women to obtain redress. Occasionally a
fragrant case comes to the knowledge Of the public
through the press; but there are hundreds Of such
that are never made known. The law which pun
ishes the thief for petty act Of larceny has provided
no penalty for such gross injustice and fraud; and il
it did, we doubt if it could be executed.
Among the many Of which we have heard, and
some Of which have come under our own personal
observation, we will mention few Of the most
fragrant II is customary with some establish.
ments to advertise for fifty or q Hmm
dred shirt sewers, promising permanent work
and good prices to neat hands and quick sewers.
The morning the advertisement appears the store il
generally crowded with applicants, each Of whom is
required to furnish a specimen of her work before
she il permanently employed" The linen for q
collar or bosom is given to the woman, and she
hurrcs homo with it, full Of hope for the future. That
night she sits up till twelve O'Clock, stitching away
till her eyes grow dim, and early next morning, a.
ter few hours tful sleep, she appears before her
employer with beating heart. He Furnished her with
the linen in the blandest manner he could assume,
but when she returns with the work he receives it
with air Of dissatisfaction says she has destroyed
xlxo l~a1- ALL. L..
that she is not Fl. to sew sacks. The
poor shirt sewer leaves the store with
tears in her eyes, and with her heart almost ready to
break returns to her miserable abode in garnet or
a cellar, where she finds her children crying for
bread. Is it any wonder that at such moment the
fortitude and strength Of mind which sustained her
under all her suferings should forsake her. and that
to procure bread for her starving children she should
sacrifice herself?
When the poor, broken-hearted woman leaves the
store, the miserable wretch who keeps it picks up
the work which he had but the moment before
thrown down with well-feigned disgust, admres the
stitching puts it by and chuckles over the success
full trick he has just performed. In this manner he
gets fifty or hundred shirt collars and breasts done
in one morning for fifty cents-the price he pays for
the advertisement. The advertisement is published
every morning for whole week, and every day the
same scene is enacted in his stsre
There are some stores which pursue more profit
able system of fraud than that we have just de-
scribed. They require deposit Of dollar on the
material, with the understanding that it will be re.
turned when there is no more work. Three or four
shirts, or large number of collars and breasts are
given to the sewer, with directions to return them
with all possible despatch and with the promise that
she will get more work if they neatly done. At
ter lapse Of few days the work is returned to the
store; but, as in the former case it is found fault
with, and the store keeper says the material is 50
badly damaged that she must keep the dolla- to pay
her for it. Numerous instances Of the knn have oc-
cured, and we deem it but our duty to expose them
whenever they come to our knowledge We do not
think it is wrong to demand dollar deposit from
strange applicant, for in some instances we have
heard they never return the articles but believe
it leads to more injustice towards the workwoman
than it does towards the employer. Acts Of dis.
honesty very among shirt sewers, and indeed
among all our industrial classes Besides an honest
employer, we think would rather lose dollar occa-
sionay than allow the practice to be converted into
means of imposition upon the sewers. We have
ing this part of our subject. Do not treat your
workers as if they utterly destitute Of feeling
or allow those in your employment to do so.
NUMBER OF SHIRTS MADE IN NEW YORK
THEIR VALUE, AND THE AMOUNT PAID
TO SHIRT SEWERS.
We have estimated the number Of shirt sewers in
New York at five thousand, each of whom makes one
shirt day-this, Of course includes all kinds, coarse
and fine. Allowing two dollars for each shirt, we
find that their total value is ten thousand dollars SO
that the value of all the shirts made in this city year.
y is So $50 0OO which is rather under than over the
actual amount at which they are sold in the retail
stores Each shirt sewer on an average two dol
lars and half week, making the aggregate yearly
earnings about $500 900, More than one third Of all
the shirts made here are sent to the South and West
by our wholesale shirt manufacturers, Of whom there
are about twenty altogether.
THE SHIRT SEWERS COOPERATIVE UNION.
Several attempts have been made to establish in
dustrial associations for the benefit Of the seam
stresses of New York; but they have all, with one
or two exceptions, signaly failed. Whether this
was from want Of experience Encouragement, or
want Of integrity in those who were entrusted with
the management Of thsr financial concerns, we have
not been informed. Some existed for three or four
years and doubtless did some good but it was not of
q permanent character. There are at present, we
believe, only two in the city-"The Mariners Fami-
y Industrial Society," and "The Shirt Sewers Co.
operative Union The latter was established in
March, 1851, for the purpose, as its constitution
states, of beneftting the shirt sewers Individually
as members, and collectively as body of opera
tiyes" 1t proposed to do this, first by placing them
in position to to themselves the full product
of their labor; and second, by placing them beyond
the caprice of employers, by teaching them to EN-.
poy themselves. Each shirt sewer, on entering the
association is required to pay an initiation fee of
twenty-five cents before she can become a mem
Der. AS the shirt sewers were not possessed
of the means themselves to establish
store for the reception and sale Of work, number
Of benevolent ladies advanced the necessary funds
for the purpose. These formed Board of Managers,