Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-05
WHITE SLAVERY.
How the New England women are
worked-A Terrible Picture OF OPP
preston. lhs a


How the New England women ar,
| preston.
A public meeting vas held recently
in Boston, to devise means to better the
condition Of the workingwomen Of tina
| city. We quote the following from The
report of the proceedings furnished tC
the New York Herald. asfes1ts.
"a Mrs. Houghton said she had been
informed by many sewingwomen that
they did not support themselves by their
work. These women took shirts to
make at fifty cents a dozen. What
cried the President, excitedly, What!
What! Fifty cents dozen! Do you
know women that take shirts to make for
fifty cents dozen?'
Mrs. Houghton, very decidedly-T
do, sir, and shirts at four cents piece.
1t is from stores on Milk street that the
shirts at fifty cents dozen were got.
know several women who prefer to 90
out to wash, to sewing at these rates.
They prefer to wash and clean houses at
twelve and half cents an hour Mrs.
Daniels mentioned the case of girl
who worked from seven O'Clock in the
morning to half past six O'Clock at night
for four dollars a week, and had to pay
it all out for board. She said Il know
soldiers widow with eleven children
who has been last winter on the verge
OF starvation. In Stoughton, short
time since, found soldiers widows who
were in the same condition. Even in
Washington the same is the case. Gentle
men ask me why do not these women
go West and take up land? You might
almost as well ask why they do not 20 to
the moon with scarcely a penny, or
even clothing sufficient to keep them
warm, it is utterly impossible. They
can not go out of the city without aid
DIR. Dio Lewis, the we'll known lee,
turer and writer on physical culture
said | get my clothes made at an es-
Enlistment on Washington street, con,
sidered one Of the best tailoring shops
in the city. | was attracted there by
the belief that they treated their sew
ing girls unusually well. One day, in
with the gentleman who
has immediate charge of the 100 or no
girls there, | asked Is this hard work
for the girls?' Yes, it is hard work
Well, what do you pay them?' oh,
we pay them "a and So a week, and
there is girl who earns So a week
Does she work hard?' Yes, she is a
staver to work. said this is warm,
close place; how long do these girls
last?' WE'LL said he, if they run q
sewing machine they last from one and
a half to two years, though some few
stand it longer. Their backs give out,
their spines give way. 1t is that ugly
motion Of the foot that spoils the spine.
| wonder that some one has not devised
a sewing machine that will allow the op,
orator to put the foot backward and for
ward, as in walking Well, said,
when they give out at that you put
them at something else?' No, when
they give out they are pretty we'll
spoiled"
That is an appalling statement, and
yet, terrible as it is, it is no more so than
the report of the male manufacturing
population of New England, made by |
Gen. H. X. Oliver, the other day, to the
Legislature of Massachusetts,. He says
that certain parties are called the great
of New England, and
have been engaged as such for several
generations; yet the man or the family |
that has boen in their employ and come
put of it with more than enough for de- |
cent internent is yet to be found" Gen.
Oliver further says: "a helpless crowd |
Of workers, the oppression Of low wages,
poverty and disguised serf- |
ION, rich master, poor servant, and
mean population; such is the story of |
manufacturing in Old England, and such
IS the story Of manufacturing in New
England"
Making shirts fol fifty cents dozen
earning S I to So week-lasting from |
one and halfto two years, when Their
backs give out and their spines give way,
after which they are pretty well spoiled |
and unit for w0rk-such are the sewing |
girls. Those who spend their lives in
the manufactures, while living, suffer |
the oppression of low wages, inevitable
pONOlt dlnSulSou sOIlOOln, duu leave /
with not more than enough for decent
nterment. Such is the sad picture
presented of the workingmen and work
ngwomen in manufacturing establsh-
ments Of New England.
And it is noticeable that the rich are
growing richer and the poor poorer,
yearly. A disguised serfdOm is
created from which the slaves are I'M
able to escape on account of their poverty. |
Like Victor Hugo's devil-fsh, that never
releases its hold on its victim until all |
The flesh is picked from its bones and |
nothing Of it left bat the bare skeleton,
so these rich New England manufacture
FRS aud capitalists never let man or
'amily free of tksir grasp until the grave
IS ready to receive their worn out frames.
. A rich master, a poor servant and
mean population ~ Such, says Gen.
Oliver, is the story of manufacturing in |
New England Cincinnati Enquirer. |