Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-10-10

ever in all human affairs "a sad disproportiOn
And the managers of this society feel that they
have not accomplished all the ends they pro-
posed to themselves, though they have labored
zealously for them. 1t is always a difficult
matter to make such an enterprise effect all
that it might; to make it selfsustaining, and
yet to make it what it should be-a help to
the poorest women Every year the de-
mand for the best class Of work increases,
and if the society is to maintain itself at
all in the future, it can only be by the ability
it has to answer this demand. Ii the prices
paid for such work were equal, as they should
be, to the real labor, time, and skill that 1t
requires in those who do it, they would be
much higher than they are at present. The
managers have raised their rate OF payments
to their workwomen from time to time, and
they will continue to do so as much as the
prices the employers are willing to pay will
permit. Moreover, those who give us their
orders must remember that this Is not an en-
doUed society, with an ample fund on winch
to rely for its support but that II mast earn all
its money and that to support such an es-
adjustment requires much more than the
amount merely necessary TO pay the work
quired, the rent and other expenses OF the
store must be provided tOr-so that to enable
it to support itself, there should be something
made on each gaTment-some profit above the
sum that is paid TO the seamsiress VINO has
done the sewing.
OF course, such store as ours is great
convenience to all parties - to those who
desire the employment it has to give, and to
those who wish to have their sewing done
without the necessity of personal supervision ;
and those who are ready to avail themselves
Of its advantages, should be ready to chow
that they know them to be such, by the liberal
and just prices they are willing to pay for
their work.
In The past year there has been an increase
in the sales, and more especially in the orders
we have received for work-and there has, we
think, been an improvement i'll the sewing
done The managers feel that no small praise
for this Improvement is due to the agents, who
have been untiring in their efforts TO give sat
isfaction, and who, by their taithfulness and
energy, have accomplished much for the So
ciety.
One word as to the class OF persons whom
we employ. Those women to whom we give
work are, with scarcely an exception, women
who find it necessary to help in the support OF
their families, even if the whole burden of
it does in very many cases And surely it is
right that this society, and all benevolent as
sociations, should help those who are ready to
help themselves-those who feel that they
have certain selt,reGpect to maintain, and
who are willing to make some effort to pre-
serve it. This class of persons are mostly
our own countrywomen Tor those who come
from abroad are generally those who had but
little ability to support themselves at home,
and who came here, thinking to find our streets
paved with gold, and every comfort to be had
freely by all comers. Such persons are, Of
course, fit only for the most ordinary work
in any branch of industry. The men
must dig, and the women must do
the toughest of our household work, or the
oyeralls and coarse frocks, when they can use
the needle at all. This is all needtul work,
and God forbid that we should despise those
who do it, But at the same time, we must
seek and find those who can do better things,
for it is always well to raise the standard high,
whatever labor is undertaken, if anything
more than mediocrity is desired. This s0cie.
ty began with small things, and it raletully
remembers those who helped it then, and who
encouraged its managers to look forward, and
look for the best that it might be able to do IN
the future. Now, at the close of its fifth year,
the managers are glad to be able to give a good
account of what has been done in the past
twelve months. 1t has ever been the aim of
the ladies, SO to conduct its affairs, as to make
it mutual benefit to employers and employ
ed And it is pleasant to know, that in many
homes, the past winter, poverty was not so
plnching, and the inmates were more comfort
able, because the mother or the sister found
work, and the prompt payment for it, at this
store. There are some among our worEmen,
to whom the kind word, the careful inquiring
into the details Of their humble household, and
the expression OF interest in their home eXpe-
rence, which they meet from the agents, as
they come with their work, are worth more
than the few dollars earned by their sewing.
For we are all tellow-laborers, however We
may strive to ignore the fact, and that we have
the ability, is of itself the proof that it was
intended we should give