The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-09-21
the WORKING WOMEN OF NEW YORK.

The glarnp necessity OF amendment the condition
OF the working women Of this city has for years
past attracted the attention and enlisted the sympathies
OF course Of the philanhropic and humane OF our
wealthy citizens who have from time TO time sought to
engage the attention Of female workers in their own
behalf, for their own mutual advancement, and the
alienation Of grievances which, because never tho
roughly Investigated and set forth, had held their sway
and seemed to inherent lot Of the of working
women. Their absolute wrongs many and exceed
ngy hard bear and without any organization among
themselves there could not possibly be any method Of
general redress. While workingmen formed leagues
unions and societies for the assertion and pro-
lection Of their rights, the women still pIodded
silently on in their worrying efforts to obtain,
through i'll compensated labor, q livelihood for
themselves and those dependent on them, as in the
OF widows and others upon whom devoved the care
of those who unable, through extreme youth, age
OR sickness to provide for their own necessities The
appeals or rcmonstrances Of these made iu
dvduay to their employers who in most cases refused
make tho concessions sought and not unfrequently
summary dismissed tho applicant They were as u
mass without any recognized head or source of autho
rity assistance redress each individual struggling
through widernesses Of trouble without chart or COM
pass and besides this they were, of ALL the ones most
needing guidance and sympathy in their efforts to OBJ
tain for themselves honest methods OF living. They
were overworked and poorly paid so poorly that
many by almost srperhuman efforts, could not
procure the common necessarles Of life; they
were beset by tho thousand temptations always
exposed the poor in large cities to satisfy the cravings
of the body by sacrificing the purity of the SOUL Cnawed
by hunger pinchcd by cold driven desperate aerna
yes and worked ncesanty for the pttanco that just
kept the flicker of life within them, they toiled onsome
falling bv the waysdc Others pressing herocally on
looking forward with anxious hopes and ycarnngs for
better days for the boon promised by Him who said:
Noma unto all that labor and are heavyaden and
will give you rest'
This state of affairs considerably increased during
the war; and the number of those who were compelled
10 accept this lpa labor was augmented as the con-
test was prolonged owing to the losing Of husbands,
brothers aud by those who had hitherto depended
upon them Tor maintenance
GRIEVANCE
to which largo proportion of these women are SUBJ
Jected IS the dhiculty OF obtaining boarding houses
with moderate comforts for moderate compensation,
such as they able TO pay Large numbers Of board
Ing house propretors refuse to take unmarried women
boarders under any circumstances and very few viii
take them If they can get male boarders instead. This
subjects them great deal OF inc nvenience, and, not
unrequanty to painful and distressing imputations of
character when quest Of accommodations. Though
many of the Ills which they were formerly sub
i,cted to have been to some extent ameiiorated
they find that much has yet to DO done to
render their condition proportonatey as com
Portable as that Of tho workngmen Large numbers Of
these women, by the most assiduons application
TO business arc unable to Darn more than SIS
or % 80 per week, and OF this amoant they
board, the houses where accommodation can be OBJ
aiued at tnis price being few considerable nunber
to So per week. leaving, viii be scon margin
for tho procurement Of clothing and other
THE NUMBER oy wo4Ev AND YOUNG GIRLS
employed in the various manufacturing pursuits in this
city is est mated as approymatng, in round numbers,
thirty.hse thousand ihs numerous corps may DO d.
yidod ciasses Of widows with families OF Children
widows without children, orphan girls and half orphans,
and the sometimes fortunate class OF girls who
have both parents living AS class tho widows with
families and half orphans usually those most need
ing sympathy. This sympathy, with q considerable
amount OF assistance was sought 70 DO rendered 70 Them
hon i'm tha wi nfJ IN llnr
of our most influential citizens took active steps Tor the
organization ofthe
On the 18Th day OF February. 1864. The Of the
association, then located at No New Cbarbers street.
opened for tbs prosecution of this most landa5le
enterprise. This association was oreanized for the COM
mon benefit Of all those women who obtain livelihood
by other mpoy than household services and seek
FtRe securing legal protection from frauds and inpo
sesond appeala respectfully bu, urgently made en-
he S s as Is e saS
the requirements Of honschod affairs
in ss1 o ow osp By % spheres q a'0r
those o Of work nav e. in nE emp" Mn'n
Fy0by appeals % .he community AZ large Tor that SYM
condition working women.
The association consists such persons and the pres
dents OF such societies contribute $40
ally TO its support It's officers elected annually: ana
us constitution Is drawn In a. cordance With the Ave OBJ
jects above set forth An idea may be formed Of the
necessity for such organization and Of the vorab,e
opinion held oil by the class which " IL ned to
assist mo reporter the superintendent which shows
that in the first ten months Of It's operation thou
sand four hundred and twenty-five applications for
ployment received from females residing In New
York and tho cities and towns In It's immediate vicinity.
OF course all applicants are not nor they be, lnr
nished with employmentlocal objections, such the
distance to the place OF employment, OF compensa-
ton unsuitableness OF employment, being frequently
urgcd The whole number Of persons registered the
books Of the union as having been furnished employ.
mont from tho date of its organization TO tie
present time Is thousand two hundred and
thirteen These varied in age considerably raagior from
wear In n III of
all religious denominations and variety OF nationals
ties There is llte doubt that the sphere Of useful
ness Of the association might be materially extended i
Its practical workings generally understood
mud tested by the Of working women, many whom,
considering 1t sort Of charitable institution, aud fo
ing that In aing themselves of its benefits they would
be receiving pubic charity, have mover. through this
suppostion, taken TO themselves share or the benefits
u Is capable and anxious TO bestow. "The Union,
though supported entirely by private conrtbution il
in no nsc charity, and The managers state that they
do not wish Il TO DO considered as SUCH but rather
institution where those In search Of labor may be adj
vsed and directed. u possible, whore to OBTAIN IL
THE FUNDS OF TIDE INSTITUTION
are not nor can they be, applied 10 aordng pecnnary
relief and though the superintendent pleased at all
times to afford the assistance and protection of the
Union to such as apply Tor Its benefits 'sh
courage any who expc to exist without laborng for
what they receive The number OF
l WOMEN ARE EMPLOYED
IN TINS city appear to be about one hundred and OF
these upwards OF sixty are represented the books of
the Union. great proportion OF the applicants
sowing machine operators and clothing Makers and tho
latter especially seem TO be, as rule. tho class suffering
Is on exhibition at the OF the Union made by an
expert and rapid workwoman, who stated that she re-
ceised twenty-five cents for making It, and by working
hard could make two Of them per days thus earning in
hard days labor about the price OF pound OF meat
and loaf OF bread Another instance is furnished OF q
woman who, al the timo Of the Organization Of the
Union, made drawers at six cents per pair fast
worker could make about Elk pairs per day. yielding
thirysx cents tho proceeds Of the days labor This
woman about seventy-hvo years OF ago, aud made
her living BY the needle. Another woman Marked
balsted and stitched on sewing machine
sevanty.nvo tueks, each a yard In length,
occupying two days. and received for 81 seventy I've
cents, and this work was neatly and correctly done
These arc only instances OF Thousands those being Tho
regular prices paid by tho establishments giving this
work There Is no dsputing the fact that female labor
receives the poorest compensation N this as well as
other countries. But proats undoubtedly realized
from tho poorest paid labor, viz, tho making OF army
clothing during the war; but those prolls did not lnd
IN hn. vcnn.r