New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-19

We found it necessary, few days since, b,-
minister counsel and reprooi to lady named EY
Powell, who claimed the use Of our columns, ui
those Of other journals, wherein to ventsss . %
tain project for the meloration Of the condaoad
women working for wsges in the stores or vst.
shops of our City. That project was in substSss
that all who now require ten hours labor or servs
per day Of their female smpioyes should consents
accept nine hours instead, paying for the nins III
came stipend that they have hitherto paid for hi
Though we have NO faith in this as prscticim,
Qestiop we should doubtless have merely priutds
and LET il pafs, had not the writer seen ts bpn
il with certain slurs alike ungeperous and upix
on those whom che sees fit to designate as ~
political women Those slurs impelled Us to "a,
pose, somewhat in detail, the ignorance, shalswNs
and spite which inform her essay. We regrets
perceive, by a rejoinder which We herewith publish
that our former effort has not proved so sstiiac
tory and profitable to Mics P. as We are conhasas
it must have done to the great majority Of 0r
readers. Unfortunate as was our former attempt
so far as our correspondent 10 concerned, We VI
make one more effort to contribute to her snlgt
eminent.
Miss P. declares that she has not propOsedw
contemplated q social reconstruction. So wsprt
sumed. She is simply incapable Of spprehsady
the scope and drift of her own propositions YN
the fact remains that she did and does propoA Nk
employers should buy nine hours labor and pJa
it the price Of ten-that is, q SUN that would By
ten if they chose to require that number-whA
they must sell their wares products on the red.
eally opposite or old-fasbioned basis Of Every on
I" for himself" woman works, we will say, ins
wallpaper mandatory, and produces ton yards u
the paper per day by ten hours labor. At Nh
Powell's solicitation, her hours Of labor are 10.
duced to nine hours per day, and now she makes
but nine yards Of the fabric, her wages remaining
the same. Wishing to paper her own room, as
ateps into the store of her employer to purshss
paper, and is charged for nine yards q SUN tiss
would have bought ten last month, and will No
buy ten in the next street. Shall she pay it or not
If she does, and her example is generally followed
the result is radical resdjustmeut Of all the relS
tons now covered by the terms wages, trade pnecs
NV.-Au CACot, oOCioi OlCu w ivk07s
buy where they can cheapest, but ask, "whOse
"priee is the fairest' Who charges enough tses
" able to pay his employees living wages, requiring
" them to work but nine hours per dayi' Whistler
the vast, all embracing Transformation thus n
augurated would or would not benefit the iadus
trious poor, is grave problsm We think it wOuA'
and have incurred much obloquy, hatred AID los.
in laboring to produce such Transformation. Bd
Q one-sided, halfway social revolution, such
Mrs Powell proposes-a revolution that will Lean
half the world to pay according to tho old rule
Look out for No. l." while constranng the oshs
half to look out equally for No. l and No. "a
revolution that in effect declares the whole Worbg
Class bankrupt, and throws them upon the g.
erosity Of their employers-we believe neither b
sirable cor possible.
Miss Powell descsnts on tie plethoric "bank
account of the employer, his marble buildssa
his handsome villas" as "showing the profits
"made from the sale Of his wares and the abord
"his workw0men" ibis would far better become
TammADy spouter at Ward Meeting than d.
cussion in these columns, where demagogusm
pt to be overhauled rather ssarchpsly. Her
ument, if she bas any argument IN the premlsss
runs thus-Wtere 40 employer has money 10 IA
credit Ia Bark, ard has built a marble store OF
factory, and lives in handsome house out OF towf
there 10 evidence ths, be mas paid his workers es
than their just due. This is current BARRON
logic, but it 10 utterly unsound. For, if it wsr
ourd, the converse Of the proposition would b.
true-Where an employer has sold his wares 5f
lees than they cos. him, and has lost money BY biz
business, there 10 evidence that he paid his opcrs
tves more than their work was really wora.
Now, ss it 10 quite notorious that where one en-
ployer Of women In our City has made dOaf
during the last eighteen months, there are two saes
employers who have lost ten dolIars, many Of them
having teen reduced thereby from opusDee 70
bankruptcy, it is clear that nothing is to be msds 90
this tack for our correspondents position.
We pass over the greater part Of Mics Powsu'
second letter with the simple observation thai v.
know no other way to Increase the recompsnse
Woman's Industry but that Of rendering SAD ~
dast'y more productive and raluable. Conoeds v
her larger opportunities-a wider range Of suP'@
ment-s mo:e thorough and practical edusse0a-