The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-08

not hcstated 10 incur considerable personal discredt
BY placing the stamp Of his approval On me worst ar
cannot have blinded himself to the danger OF ca
tastrophe which would blow the compromise to the
| winds, and place ell sectional adjustments beyond
| the pale Of possibility.
London MllinerLThe West End White
Slaves.
[Frem the London Times April 2l.1
SIR have some reason to believe, that although
| the letter of" A First Hand" and your own able
articles upon it, called attention in influential quar-
tiers TO the suerngs of the workingwoman at fashi-
enable millners, active and partially successful
efforts have been made TO weaken the case first made
least scarcely be accused Of any interested motive
in taking up the subject; am altogether indepen-
dent Of those who employ milners and of milliners
employing workingwoman. Ny object is simply to
pains to arrive at it, and for your private information
| give you the authority on which | found the main
points of the following statement.
will take house at the West-End, doing bust
ness OF high character, employing large number
of hands. Space in that part Of the town Is val
liable that very large workshops are rare, stiin this
instance the workIoom may be fairly called large
and lofty could Just objection be taken to the
crowding of the rooms in which " the hands, sleep.
have weeks bill of fare Of dinner before me it
may be open to some criticism rs exactly the best
food for the peculiar class who parsake Of it. but on
what have now stated the conclusion may be fairly
drawn that, as to food and lodging, this house,
stands on fair ground believe some in these re-
spects may be superior to it, many certainly worse
choose it as fair specimen Of respectable West
End millinery establishment.
Now, as TO the important questionable hours of
work forced on g the hands," whose ages vary from
sixteen to twenty-five years. Miners have two
seasonsthe summer of about four months the winter
about three. In the summer aands' rise at five to
hali-past five, commence in room" ct six to half
past six, with needle at nine at night half an
firth for in 1ull he
at seven, begin at eight, time of ceasing uncertain,
but believe at no time do they work less than
twelve hours, very often as many as sixteen, some
times up to eighteen. The meals (this has been
noted are all despatched within one hour taken from
the whole days work.
Particular houses" will have their particular
times of pressure-for instance, preparation for a
"drawing-room," or for one or two court or other
"great" balls; at such times the hands" have been
called on to rise at four, leaving off work at ten or
even eleven A death connected with any very large
circle dealing with the house." throwing suddenly
a great mourning order upon the hands," espe-
cally if it happens in the season. will cause pres
sure often entaing for days sixteen hours consecu-
tive close work.
your rooms, he may this season do SO in way diff
erent from that in which he would have executed the
same order last season. but he would hardly expect to
.rehang" You, &c, twice in one season. Not SO is
it with personal decoration; you may have given
an expensive license to your wife for self and
daughters as regards outfit for the London season,
but fashion own no rules, will be subject to no
calculations. The expenditure of to-day may in
q day or two appear as so much waste-the whole
thing has to be done again. The "hangings" of
month since are now almost vulgar; at all events
they will not any longer be endured. These changes
in dressingroom politics have heavy bearing on
the fingers OF those who have to work out the new
measures. By q particular evening, at all cost to
the Glands" an enormous amount Of work must be
done. The retarding of the overland mail by some
accident may be vexing thing to the government
nd fho Jn1i hnnao huf wOnld ho hrru nxry;<1,
patience when compared with the very phrenzy of
vexation which would follow the disappointment of
some half-dozen great houses If on the eve of Of
court ball the accidental ~ illness Of dozen hands
at Madame -s precluded the promised delivery
Of the necessary dresses, &c.
The Glands" have reason to know but too well,
from their own heightened, saddened hours of toll,
when the season is at its height, and London what
is called most enjoyable The flutter of presenta-
ton, the triumph Of successful debut have each
their peculiar intensity Of feeling, and are alike
followed by their own peculiar reaction. To 1.-THE
hand" the preparation Of the ball court dress,
widow or daughters mourning, have only this
much Of diferenCe-the one is toll in aid of vanity,
the other, with often much of vanity in it, only
suficing to tell that there is one and the same end
for those who purchase and those who toll and
make the thing sold. The needle of ''the hand"
works from grave to gay" without intermission
at last the wasting form OF the poor creature tells
to those around that time is near when the making
of the mourning Of viii be the token she is at
rest.
could easily give to you proof, sir, that even in
such houses as that Of which have written above,
no provision of mere food or shelter can compensate
for the cruel prolongation OF the hours of work.
Every medical man connected with any of the public
Institutions In London will bear me out in saying
that this system kills hundreds yearly; in very many
more it lays the foundation of diseases making after
life miserable. In busy times, nay in ordinary
times, not an hours relaxation is allowed l will
pass over little petty tyrannies and vexations to
which these young women are exposed; these in all
large establishments, where the superintendent
have their own tempers and powers of endurance
severely tried, are unavoidable The evil, the great
pressing evil, is simply the hours the hands, are
forced to work. am speaking only of what are
cannot hear in these houses of any the least encour
agement, given to evil in any mere moral shape.
"The hands" do, as a rule, have the Sunday to
themselves, and seem to make use OF it, under the
circumstances very much to their credit. do not
believe that there is any comparison between the
numbers in these houses who are driven from pure
disgust to ways OF shame and those driven to the
the grave. The materials are often Of so expensive
nature, much cleanliness and neatness is required
in "the hands," that respectable young women only
as a rule, would be received. | know it as fact
that many of these "hands'' are daughters Of men
Of some Of the highest professions
There is already talk Of remedy in the form Of
a combination OF some ladies of rank, whose inten-
ton it is to make this cause sort of second Uncle
Tom" agitation. / am not aware that the Amer-
cans have English ladies heavily in their books
but THIS 90 know, that the money owed to mlliners
from certain rather exclusive circles is enormous
The heads Of these establishments may well smile at
any such agitation they know their own power
and can afford to treat any such threat with con.
tempt firmly believe that love of dress in one sex
has all the excitement and works all the destruction
of principle, which gambling does in the other SEX
To such pitch has this been carried that what
noblemen have ere now become to their trainers
mere servantsadies of rank have become to fashion
able mners The coaxing used to get early served
the humiliatng seeking of longer credit, have given
these dealers in dress ascendancy which will first
be really known when they are really put upon the
defensive. No. sir the hands have nothing to look
for from the class for whose vanity they have made
life daily WEAKNESS The noblehea noble
women who would take the lead in such work are
just those who have not the peculiar influence whish
would prevail. Those whom the world thinks command
the market in which these young lives are daily sold
are just those least likely to move in the matter they
love the bauble-personal Accommodation much to
70 listen To its cost They too deenlx in