Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-09-15
TIE WORRYING WOMEN OF NEW YORK.

Z A correspondent of the NewsYork Transcript
saws: "I.know there are some girls in New York
I who carr. good wages, who average on piece work
say from four'to five dollars per week, throughout
the year-but they are few indeed, who make SO
princely living, when compared to the thousands
who are working for wages ranging from one dollar
and fifty three dollars a week. II the great
est number of them could manage to even this
small sum all through the year, they would count
themselves fortunate. But everybody knows that
there not girls ont of every hundred who has
constant work during the twelve months. They get
what pays their board, and little over perhaps,
while they have work; and when their work is gone
their money goes with it. They are left then to
wander about the streets; some of them without
friends, without relatives without any human being
to take interest in their fororn situation, and al
together at the mercy of the vultures who watch
their opportunities for just such victims No
of any experience deny the truth of this state
ment, and let those who doubt 60 to any of the diff
ferent station houses in New York. and inquire how
many homeless, friendless girls, call on them the
cold winter nights to beg lodging Let them 60
into the haunts of the poor lost creatures and ask
them what was the cause of their destruction? In
nine out of ten the answer will be Little work
and poor pay
"The work-women of New York are robbed Of
their youth and health prematurely, and get nothing
for it. There are some honest and honorable EN-.
plOyers who give their employees q salary sufficient
to allow them to live in comparative comfort; but
there others who, if it to their knowledge
that poor girl had shilling left for herself otter
her weekly expenses, would instantly cut her of
fifty cents on the week.
"There is a large number, too who get their work
all done by apprentices. They advertise for great
many girls, and demand of them a six or eight
weeks apprenticeship, promising constant work at:
forwards The poor girl sometimes pawns her cloth
ing and resorts to every possible self denial to pay
her board during this term of apprenticeship, fond
ly imagining steady work and good pay will follow;
but, aasl the evening of the day the Appendices
time is up, she encounters the stern looks of the
boss, who tells her grufy her work 'don't suit him.,
and the poor girl, without money, and perhaps in
debt for board, may walk slowly home crying all
the way and wondering what will become of her.
There is satisfaction at least. Every one knows
what will become of wolfwho fills his pock
cts from the blood and the tears of his 'appren
tices and who with the most perfect satisfaction to
himself, throws forty, fifty, perhaps hundred
girls overheard every six weeks, and then adver
ties for new batch
81 know the name of Christian lady who ad.
vertizes paid while learning The daughter Of
widow engaged with this woman as apprentice.
She acknowledged herself satisfied with the girls
work, and, at the end of six weeks, handed her,
wages, sig shillings Doubtless, the Christian lady
thought this enough to cheat the devil with,
and so goes on advertising paid while learning
"There is no law to reach these monsters; there.
fore the working girls must suffer- But one may as
well ask, what is the of expanding thousands Of
dollars in the desire to check the progress Of crime
and building large houses for the purpose Of saving
and sheltering unfortunate lost women. when the
places they vacate Immediately filed by others
driven to disgrace and shame by the cruel of
paying women meanly for their labor that they
can save nothing to defray the expenses Of an idle
season?
1T may be vain to hope that they ever will be
any better paid; but cannot something be done for
them? There is movement contemplated to sub
init to the employers the question of accepting nine
hours day sufficient time for work and consid-
ering the vast difference in the payment of men and
women-even when they do the work and
give the same amount Of time; it is to be hoped
that employers will he u"iy tUv happy
that, though custom places the wages of women
the lowest possible scale. they sympathze with their
sutferings, and willing to lend their aid to any
plan which offers relief Every employer must con-
TESS that nine hours is full equivalent for the daily
payment given to girls who work by the week. If
they feel the truth of this, how they ask more