Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-04-17
THE NEEDLE. WOMAN'S OCCUPATION
GONE.

We are told that OF the FIVE millions Of families in
this country, it is fair to conclude that at least
one million Of them will, within the next ten
years, own the whole or part of a sewing machines:
and as one machine will do the work OF ten pairs
of hands, q million of machines will do the work
of ten million pairs, thus setting free nine million
pairs to be employed otherwise. But those who
are most interested predict that in less than five
years all the work ut present done by hand will
be accomplished by the sewing machine.
Even now, when it will sew two thousand
stitches in o minute, one bundled and fifty yards,
or ten dozen shirt wristbands an hour, fifty dozen
collars, or eighty shirt bosoms with seven rows OF
stitching in q day when three hundred pillow
cases can be we'll made in less than two hours, at
Il cost of less than two cents q piece indeed,
Uhen a straight seam reaching from Tie FtEe FONTS
to the CRYSTAL Palace, can be done by Daylight az
one day of course the needle women are not only
distanced in the race, but left ont of sight. And
the mechanical genius that will be directed 10 the
improvement of this interesting invenilOn, Will
increase its marvels beyond our present powers OF
conception. The friends Of woman and her
emancipation from the slavery of the needle tell
us that more work will DO done when it can be
done cheaper. This is doubtless true, but while
the gain Of The machine over hand-sewing is as
sixteen TO one, the increase in work will hardly be
more than as six to sixteen. In this city, where
50 much work is ordered from abroad, it Is safe 10
say that one thousand women will always get IA
ilVlnB ny WOTklhS on machineS OUT through Tue
whole country only fifty thousand women will be
aule to earn a living by it, taking she highest
estimate.
The entire destruction of one branch Of indus
try has not come upon us unawares. Every
reasonable person must have seen from the begin
ming that sewing would tecome what weaving by
hand now is--H lost art. IL was only a question
of time, which the crisis" brought to IL fna
settlement.
Within the last month or six weeks, while bust
ness suspended during the winter has increased
cunsiderably-some say notwithstanding ha'
improved very little. And no one has a sugges'
ton or remedy to make.
As difference OF fifty per cent. between thu
pay Of women and men for the same work is
rule recognized not only IN manual occupation
but in teaching. and other work, the question i
being RAISED whether this is not The accident of
larger calamity: :" whether wOman's industrial
degradation and social inequality are not til,
results of her present relations to the state il
short, whether it is not time to fad out VIVA
women want, what they have a right to, what the,
ought TO have, and why they ought to have it.
a course OF lectures, projected Tor the bench
of the seamstresses, promises the investigation
Of the whole subject by competent minds.
Mr.. Brady has undertaken the argument il
behalf of woman, and rs he fully appreciates til
magnitude and Importance Of the interests he is t
represent, and has the strong side, he will be sur
10 carry conviction TO all who may have the goo
! fortune 10 hear MIN. The point of view taken b.
the other lecturers will be new to mnnv-in fac
new light will be thrown upon all aspects of th
question. Mr.. Thayer, the Massachusetts cor
gresham, has expressed much interest in the dis
> cussion, and will probably make every effort t
take his part in it.
f When Mr.. Banks, in his Crystal Palace speech
prophesied that the sewing machine would woI
as great a revolution in the family as railroad
+ and telegraphs have in states and communities, j,
fulfllment hardly seemed so near. Even tn
n ''last of the Buurbons"-the hitherto interminabl
race, who never forget anything and never lear
auything-must now either enlarge the stereotyl
u cd boundaries of "woman's sphere" or be lie
alone with no glory.-New York Ecening Post.