The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-11
the INDUSTRIAL CLASSES IF new YORK.
THE SHIRT SEWERS OF TIE METROPOLIS.
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The Prices Paid for Their Work.
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CASES OF EXTREME DEsrITUnoN.
FRAUDS PRkCTISED By EMPLOYERS.
New Plan for the Relief Of the Shirt Sewers,
&c.. ke. DO,


We know Of no class of workwonen who ars more
entitled to our sympathy and encouragement than
the shirt sewers, for there arc none who arc more
poorly paid for their work, who suffer privs-
ton and hardship Mach has been written aboGt
them but believe that no detailed description az
their actual condition has before been presented tas
the public. In publishing the following extended
account, we desire to say that we relate only what,
we have seen and know from investigation
THE WAGES OF SHIRT sEwERs-HIGH
PRICES AND Low PRICES.
So far as we have pursued our investigations into
the condition Of the industrial classes of New York.
we know of none who are In q moro destitute
state, or who are paid less for their work, than q
large proportion Of the shirt sewers. Their number
is estimated at five thousand and of these about
fourth do not earn more than one dollar and . half
week at the utmost, while still larger proportion
cannot make more than two dollars There nye
few whose weekly wages amount to four, five.
and sometimes as high six dollars, but not more
than one out of every ten can earn 30 much. The
average weekly earning of each shirt sewer is about
two dollars and = half week, sum barely ads-
quate to the support Of one person. Some Of the
work at which they are employed requires as much.
Of embroidery. We have seen shirts in which there
were ateast twenty yards ofne stitching and sewings
and for one Of these, which would require two days
to make, the sewer has received only dollar and
half. This is considered remarkably good pay;
but when contrast it with the price paid for other
work, which is not by any SO laborious or un-
healthy, it appears insignificant For making q
coat good tailor is paid five dollars, which he can
fyo Iou s1a Of oh
more neatness, a woman, who has perhaps family
to maintain, cannot make more than dollar and .
half, and to make even that she must work twelve
or fourteen hours day.
There are, properly speaking two classes of shirt
sewers-one for coarse and the other for fine work.
The former receive tho lowest prices-from one to
two dollars, while the latter three four, FIVE.
and six dollars, according to the amount of work
they capable of doing Why there should be such
great disparity between their wages we cannot de-
termnc. Coarse shirts easier made than fine ones,
and smart sewer can finish three in one day. but it
takes two days to make one fine shirt. The cost
Of fine shirt varies from two dollars and half to
four dollars, while coarse one can be purchased at
almost any retail store for eight or ten shllings.
Now the profit realized two three of these is
much larger than that obtained from the sale of .
fine shirt except where quick sales and small profits
are more desirable; yet the woman who makes them
does not get than one half the price given for
fine shirts.
The following table presents the prices paid BY
different establishments in New York =
For collars, per dozen .......ss 7s 6s. 81. Ss o.
For wristbands per Dozen. es. 5s Is. 81. 2s lse.
For bodies .4A 30. q. Is. 4c.
For finishing the shrt-that is, sewing all its pars
together-from twenty-five cents to a sixpenoe ia
paid
There are four kinds of needlework on shirts
the first is called plain sewing, and con-
sists simply in making the bodies; the second
is called stitching, and requires considerable
neatness-the breasts, wrists and collars are
stitched the third is the finishing process, in which
there is great deal of gathering to be done besides
the stitching of the button holes and the sewing on
OF the buttons; the fourth is embroiderng. In some
stores they give the entire shirt to one person to
make while in others they distribute them in parts
and classify their into body makers stitchers,
fnishers and embroiderers. There are very few Of
this latter Glass; but we believe they paid better
than any of the Others Their work is said by those
who have been engaged in it, to be more pleasant
than stitching which is regarded the most tedious
and injurious to the sight. Some of these embroi
dered shirts sell for twenty dollars but the average
price is ten, and some of inferior workmanship can
| be procured for less.
A CASE OF EXTREME DESTITUTION-SOM
FACTS WORTH KNOWING.
We had heard and read of numerous cases of ex-
treme desttuton among shirt sewers and Of the mis-
cradle prices which they were paid, but we can say
with truth, after minute personal investigation, that
no account which we have ever read could give an
adequate idea Of the reality. To know what they
suffer, and to see their condition, it is necessary to
visit them in their homes-f the most miserable hab-
itations are worthy of that name. OF the four thou
sand shirt sewers in New York there at least one
thousand who do not make than one dollar, and
one dollar and a half week. Yet some Of these do
not only live upon this miserable pttance, but actu
ally conrive to support two or more children it.
Nearly all who work at these low prices are coarse
sewers, that is, they are employed in sewing cheap
shirts, varying in price from six to ten shillings such
as are to be found in many Of the windows in Chat
ham street.
As it would be impossible to describe all the
scenes Of poverty and desttuton which we visit
ed, in our endeavors to ascertain the true con-
dition Of this class of our needlewomen, We
will content ourselves with giving the result
Of visit to two shirt sewers of whom lives in
Hamilton street, and the other in Mulberry. The
first we found In the attic Of three story
house. whose appearance, to say the least, was any
thing but inviting. This woman occupied three
rooms at rent of five dollars and halfa month but
they were small that the whole of them would not
make respectable sized apartment. She had FIVE
children to support, two of whom were able to earn
at least three dollars week at light work; but, un-
fortunately, they could not obtain employment at
any for which they suited They were all, in
GLIDING the mother, very poorly clad; and although
bright, intelligent looking children, the marks Of
desttuton were visible in their faces. Their father
died about two years ago, leaving them without any
means Of subsistence Before his death they were
in comfortable circumstances and received the rud-
ments of good English education. They both
could read very well; and their mother showed us.