The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-05-10
Condition OF the LabOrer in Mas
SaChuSettS.

The Bureau of Statistics of Labor in
Massachusetts, has lately made an elabo-
rate report to the Legislature. 1t gives
a dark picture of the condition of the
industrial classes, and indicates that the
prefcssed humanitarians have quite as
mach as they can do to look after des-
tituton. ard misery at home, without
going abroad for it. We are informed
that the present law in relation to en-
ployment of children in manufacturing
and mechanical establishments in the
State is dead letter. Workingwomen
labor from seven A. NJ until six ?. NJ,
with but few moments intermission for
dinner. Many of the girls take work
home with them, and do not cease toll
until midnight In the best shops they
can make dollar day. Their room
rents are not less than two or three dol
lars week In shop work, girls sell
dom earn more than their room rent,ex-
ce2t by overwork. In. slack times their
suffering is extreme, girls having been
known to work weeks with only water
and bread or crackers for food, and for
tunate if able to procure an ounce of
tea. In dull times many have lived for
weeks on five cents worth each of stale
bread per week while seeking work The
Lodgcrs' Home keepers charge working
women higher rates than men, and many
refuse to have them in their houses at
any price. Hence they ere often obliged
to live and sleep in localities where they
would be ashamed to let any one know
they ever went In the factories the re-
quirement of women is much greater
than it was twenty five years ago. They
have to attend six looms now instead of
two then, while weeks work will not
procure as much comfort as when she
attended only one loom. Few of them
are exempt from diseases, caused by
scarcity of clothing, insufficient, innu-
tritious food, and long, continued labor,
A visit to the homes of low-paid labor
ers is described, showing their condition
in rickety tenementhonses One pic.
ture given of these homes is fair. sam
pie of the others:
"We next passed into Stones yard, d,on
Cross street, between Nos. 100 and 102
Hanover street. A three-foot passage
way led into the yard, so by II feet
wherein lived fourteen families There
was one privy, too horrible to be desert
bed, fer the whole tenantry Some small
places. partitioned off in the yard, and
intended for fuel, were covered with hui
man excrement The buildings were
three stories high, wretched tumble
downs, and not fit for cattle. The spec
linen room we visited was Il by IA feet,
and feet post, occupied by four per-
sons, one in bed and sick. The floor
was perforated by rat-holes, and patch,
cd up by inpourings of anthracite ashes
This room yielded rentage Of 81 75
a week, in advance. Going then up 6
dark, winding and rickety stairway, we
came to room occupied by Mrs. R
She stood at a tub, washing In the
room was bcdstead,a "a table, three chairs
and a stove. Every thing denoted the
lowest stage of poverty The officer at
tCutilS .uS oitlu luilG llt OliCc lOuilu HCiS
a family starving. Mrs. r. appeared
cleanly and Industrious, but thoroughly
disheartened. In less titan a week from
our visit she was stabbed and killed in &
quarrel with a anelghbor about the loar
of five cents"
There are many pages devoted to i'll
ustrations of the condition of the labor
ing people in the old Bay State They
are read with mingled horror and dis
gust. 1t is pretty evident that if we are
to have a Bureau to leok after the work
ing classes, to see that they are comfort
ably supported and justice is done then
by their employers, it should be located
in New England. and not in the South
The destitution and suffering ther,
among the people is rapidly approxima
ting TO the condition of the over-taskeC
and ill paid pcasantry of Europe.