The Kanzas news., 1858-04-17
le Needle-woman's Occupation
ESOr,<rrF -
The


Gone.
We are told that of the FIVE millions of
families in this country. it is fair 70 CON
clude that at least one million of them will.
within the next ten years. own the whole
or part of sewing machine; and as one
machine viii do the work of ten pairs of
hands, million of machines will do the
work of ten million pairs, thus setting free
nine million pairs to be employed other.
wise. But those who are most interested
predict that in less than FIVE years all the
work at present done by hand viii be ac-
complished by the sewing machine.
Even now, when it win sew two thousand
stitches in minute, one hundred and tlf-
ty yards, or ten dozen shirt wristbands
an hour, fifty dozen collars. or eighty shirt
| bosons with seven rows of stitching In a
day when three hundred piiiow-cases can
be well made in less than two hours, at q
cost of less than two cents piece: indeed,
ichen straight seam reaching from the FfUe
Points to tie Crystal Palace, can be done By
daylight IN one day; of course the needle
| women are not only distanced in the race,
but left out of sight. And the mechanical
genius that will be directed to the improve
ment of this interesting invention, will in
crease its maryels beyond our present pow
ers of conception. The friends of woman
and her emancipation from the slavery OF
| the needle tell US that more work will be
done when it can he 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,
r,-ftor nm
abroad, it is safe to say that one thousand
women viii always get living by working
on machines; but through the whole country
only fifty thousand will be able to earn a
living by it, taking the highest estimate.
This entire destruction of one branch OF
industry has not come upon us unawares.
Every reasonable person must have seen
from the beginning that sewing would be-
come what weaving by hand now is-a
lost art. It was only question of time,
which the stcrisis'' brought to final set
tlement.
Within the last month or six weeks, while
business suspended during the winter has
increased considerably-some say two
thirds-sewing has improved very little
And no one has a suggestion or remedy to
make.
AS difference of fifty per cent. between
the pay of women and men for the same
work is rule recognized not only in man
ual occupation, but in teaching, and other
work, the question is being raised whether
this is not "the accident of a larger calam-
ity - whether woman's industrial degrada-
ton and social inequality are not the results
of her present relations to the State; In
fhar &c to md mt
what women want, what they have right
to, what they ought to have, and why they
ought to have it.
A course of lectures, projected for the
benefit of the seamstresses, promises the
investigation of the whole subject by COM
petent minds.
Mr.. Brady has undertaken the argument
in behalf of woman, and as he fully appre-
-ciates the magnitude and importance of the
interests he is to represent, and has the
strong side, he will be sure to carry coz
viction to all who may have the good for
tune to hear him. The point of view tax
en- by the other lecturers will be new to ma
ny-in fact new light will be thrown upon
all aspects of the question. Mr.. Thayer,
the Massachusetts, Congressman, has ex-
pressed much interest In the discussion, and
viii probably make every effort to take his
part in it.
When Mr.. Banks, in his Crystal Palace
speech, prophesied that the sewing machine
would work as great revolution in the fam
| lily as railroads and telegraphs have in COM
munities, its fulflment hardly seemed SO
near. Even the "last of the Bourbons''-
the hitherto interminable race, who never
forget anything and never learn anything
must now either enlarge the stereotyped
boundaries of ''woman's sphere" or be
left alone with no glory.-N ?. Eve. Pos'