Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-12
WHITE SLAVERY.
Treatment Of women aud Children in
Wassaehusetts Factories.


Massachusetts Factories.
. The Boston J0lund Of the 9th alt. con-
tains the following article:
A hearing before the Joint COMMITTEES of
the Legislature upon the hour Of labor was
held at ten o'clock this forenoon ia the
Green Room at the State House. o.
Miss Kershaw, an operative in the carpet
mills in Lowell, was tue first person called
BY the Committee. She testified generally as
10 the condition OF the operatives in the
mill in which she worked, and in their
boading houses. She knew Of 90, and in
some cases Is persons, boading in one
house.
Among the $50 operatives in the room in
which she worked, there were only 5 or 20
who cOuld not write their names. She
knew of instances where operatives were
discharged for acting in favor Of a ten hour
law, aud many are prevented from doing
80 throug fear She worked by the piece
but favored reduction Of the time, the price
continuing the same. The operatives gener-
ally are in favor Of IT, Ont Of the $50 pesons
in the room in which she works, she obtained
the names Of pa 10 petition for a ten hour
law. She thought as much work would be
turned out in ten hours as in the present
time. The people Of Lowell generally ap-
pear 20 be in favor Of a ten hour law She
favored a ten hour law for the reason that
she believed il would improve the social
moral and physical condition Of the oper-
atives She believed as much work would
be done in ten hours as now in eleven and
more, and for that reason a ten hour law
would be no injustice to corporations.
Mrs NJ. f. Burdick has woked in Gotten
mills at intervals for eighteen years-at
present weaver in the Pemberton Mills at
Lawrence. She had LEFT work al varions
Times on account Of her health, which was
impaired, her physician said, by cOnfne-
ment i'm factories Cotton mills are consid-
ed more unhealthy than wooden. During The
past eighteen months she had lost about ten
weeks on account Of i'll health. The opera
tives in the same room with her had
generally lost more time than herself
on account Of sickness. Those who leave
from sickness do SO from general debility
aud breaking down. She did not know Of
a single operative who had worked year
without being sick In the beading houses
generally six girls occupy one room, mea-
snring 20 or . feet square. She believed
she could do as much work in ten hours as
ia eleven. The last hour Of the day is very
tiresome, and the girls generally are SO tired
that they don't care whether they work or
not. More breaks, snarls, etc, happen in
that hour than in any other, although the
operatives are working by the piece. One
cause Of sickness, especially of lung dis
cases. arises in the necessity of drawing the
thread from the shuttle after il is put into
the loom, by sucking IL out by applying the
month TO the opening the shuttle. A
considerable amount Of dust is drawn ia
upon the lungs at the time The thread can
be drawn out in no other way. All the OPP
eratiyes in her room signed petition for a
ten hour law. The pay for weaving a cut
Of about forty-ive yards is thirtyefour
cents. The average monthly pay offs good
weaver is about S2S, running from four to
six looms.
Among the forty-fve operatives in her
room, about one-half cannot write They
are for the most part foreigners. A large
number Of Canadian French are coming in
as French operatives now. There are many
children Of eight and nine years Of age
working in the mills in Lowell.
Miss Emma Whitcher, weaver in the
Hamilton Corporation Cotton Mills in
Lowell commenced work in the mills two
feaAs oBol but WAS CoiLpeiieu 10 ledNt louI
months afterwards on account Of sickness.
Have worked about year in all. OF Eve
who csme with her from Canada and com
menced work in the mill, four have left on
account Of sickness, chiefly from general
debility.
The operatives generally are 50 Tired aler
work at night, that they don't care to goout
and take the fresh air, which they need.
Operatives could work ten hours and keep
their health. ......