Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-07-06
The Sewing Women.

The agitation Of the subject OF improvement Of the
condition of sewing women in Cincinnati. has ava I
kened correspondent interest in the public mind at
louisville. A communication to the Louisville Jour |
" demands that something must be done ttsre, and
avs -
Eight, ten, and twelve cents are ordinary prices
for making shirts and drawers, and last week lady
received but five cents pair for making seven pair
of drawers, thus obtaining but thiry-ive cents for
about three days work.
Those who are capable of doing finer work often
have to make vests, pantaloons, and shirts with linen
bosoms and collars for 25 cents, while so cents for
such work is considered good wages. Small as these
prices are, many days and weeks lost by females
in dull seasons, there being no work to be obtained.
To find remedy for this state of things will be
exceedingly difficult To fix a scale of prices will
but slightly affect the case. Constant employment at
the adopted in Cincinnati, wonld probably draw
hundred thousand seamstresses to any city in less
than ayear Competition in this, as in other branches
of business, will bring prices down in spite of all
combinations whether of the benevolent of the par
ties interested. The needle-women not only have to
contend with a ruinous competition among themselves,
but at this time thousands of sewing machines are
being manufactured constantly. Each machine does
the work Of nine women, and does it better than it
can be done by hand That is, with three women to
do the finishing of the garments, the machine and the
three women will do more and better work than
twelve women can do. There are, therefore, but
two ways in which efectua and permanent relief can
be given. .----.e--.---..s,
h 6ne is 90 Tain females so as 10 qualify them for
other branches of business and then influence pub
lie sentiment so make it reputable and ashiona
bic for them TO seek such employment.
The other is to improve the MORALS the industry
and the economy of the male sex, and impose heavy
tax upon all single men.
Labor-saving machinery has increased the wages
of the man of strong muscular powers from 10 to %
cents per day to 81 25 and so enhanced the value Of
mechanical empoymens to give the skilful artisan
a position in society almost princely.
But alas for poor, unprotected females those i'm
Iprovements which tend to elevate all other classes
serve but to depress and degrade them AS the mos
of females raised, if they happen to lost
a fathers before they obtain husbands help ant
protection, and not possessed of wealth. as tc
make them independent they are apt to fall into thu
most abect poverty, if not the most degrading infamy
This state of things need not continue. There
are many employments now in the hands of men, TO
which eminently adapted. Not to speal
of the medical profession and the EDITORS sanctum,
of abors merely literary, there are numerous lucra
tive pursuits which might be placed almost eXclu
sively in the hands of females. The lady shop keep
keepers of Philadelphia, and those American prin
cesses the female teachers of land, will compar
favorably with any of the sterner for efficiency
ffheir respective cangs And ia all that adorns Q
ennobes the female character, it would be difficult
find their superors among the wealthy and high-bor
danes of Europe America.
If the influential classes in society will bring thei
energies to bear in an effort TO put females into al
those avocatons for which they are constitutional
fitted, few years will suffice to effect highly ad
vantageous change.