The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-07
THE WORKINGWOMEN.
Avenues OF labor That Are
Open to Them.
Interesting statistcs-Carses Of Female Disabili-
ties and Consequences Of Mental Anxiety
and Over Toil-Cases Of Suffering and
Privation-The Protective Association
What is Done and is Doing.

There are in this city, according to the best esti-
mates made, about thirty thousand workingwomen
and girls who earn u living by their daily toll at
various trades and occupations One OF themselves
answers the question "Wnere do they all come
fromfu thus
They from top floors Of those large buildings
side Of and on from s where the busy
where the red furnaces and the svery OF
faces making tyre; from piles course
%Ssa he s me ao
lace; from amid heaps Of Virginia" and Fragrant Ha-
busy .workrooms Of wholesale dry goods houses,
hodreds 81 sewing machines keep w their
where serng limitations Of green leaves and
have minute particles Of gold leaf cagns 70 their hair
the occupation whence they While the
nemen have been heard, Justify demanding justice from
days worA-her sisters In toll! have looked helplessy
and borne the oppression Of capital in silence.
During and since the close OF the war about $500
of those female workers have organized themselves
into unions, such as capmakers umbrella and para
sol sewers cuff and collar laundresses shoe opera.
tors, compositors, bookDnders and the like. The
proportion or organized ana unassociated working
women,it VIII be scents very small and there very
little adhesveness or community of principle among
them, and they easily fan prey to greedy anu
grasping employers. While the war was in progress.
and women and girls In the absence of husbands,
their own labor, advantage was taken of their help
lessness, and the daily papers were continually
filed with their
CRIES FOR PROTECTION AND HELP.
Those cries reached the ears and touched the
hearts OF few gentlemen, who got up public meet
angs ana tried to create an enthusiasm among the
workingwomen Tor their own interests but failed
until the fall of 1868, when the gentlemen them
selves among whom were Judge Charles p Daily,
Moses S. and Jos. r. Beach, G.. w. Matsell, VIM.
Mcclellan, Daniel Walford and Wm r. Roberts tat
present member OF Congress- organized a society
for the protecuon of workingwomen who obtain
livelihood by empoyments not connected with
household service:-First by securing legal protec-
ton from frauds and impostions free Of expense;
second by appeals respectfully but urgently made
40 employers Tor wages pronoruoned TO the cost of
living, ana Tor sucn shortening OF the hours of
labor Is due to health and the require
ments OF household affairs; third by seeking
new and appropriate spheres OF labor IN
qeparlments not now occupied by !, them.
Fou I'll, 10y sustaining registry system through
wnlcn those out OIL work may be- assisted IN iinding
employment. Fllth, by appeais to the community
at large Tor that sympathy and support which is
due to the Otherwise detenceess conuirion VI work
1ngwomen.
started lairly at work IN an Office opened in No.
New Chambers street. subsequently, transferred to
No. IS Chambers, and thence III turn TO White,
Iranklin ana Blocker streets where IL Is now per-
manently located. Since It's establishment the Union
cases Of fraud against work,ngwomen, and by these
legal measures compelled the payment OF wages due
and withheld to the amount OF $4,000. Most OF
these claims were for exceedingly small amounts
many OF them Tor sums less than single dolar-the
average sum involved beng only four dollars.
larger amount-aud often in smaller sums-has
been secured TO worhIngwomen through the media
ton oil the Union, and without the necessity pro-
Secution. IL Is not therefore unreasonable to est-
mate that the influence OF the Union saves and
secures to the worklngwomcn of New YORK and its
vicinity the earnings OF their labor the of
&lUUU0 every Aeir--cdlnlnSs OF WnIcn they
would otherwise be shamerully deirauded. The
present officers OF the Union are:--John ID. Wolfe,
w. Ferrer, superintendent; Mrs. Susan Y. Seelbach,
Assistant superintendent: Miss H. Morley, Financial
Agent: Mrs NJ. j. Waterman, Financial Assistant.
With the board OF directors have recently been asso-
called board OF lazy supervisors who seem To have
Their constitution defines their duties to be. first. to
provide for s. sematic visitation OF the institution
by committees; and, second for the visiting or the
applicants at their homes whenever it Is
deemed necessary aud best 10 do so. The board OF
supervision comprises such names as the iolowing:-
Miss Elizabeth I. Jay President; MIS-. William r.
RooerTs, Secretary; Mrs. Charles +. Daily, Mrs. Rev.
Henry Z. Potter, Mrs. Or. Dyer, Miss Cornelia
TrIm6c, Mrs. +. A. Conkline, Mrs. James W.
Gerard Jr., Mrs. Henry w. johnson, Mrs. william
Ill. Lee Mrs. Il. NJ. Buchanan, Mrs. henry +. Bowen
aud Miss Emma Il. Beach.
The Union mas performed Its work faithfully and
well up 10 tins time rs It's records fully testify, ana
the directors made application to the Legislature for
A DONATION OF 5,0o0
conditioned upon the raising OF similar amount by
ats friends here TO place II upon and per-
manent basis. considerable portion Of the local
bali has been subscribed and there Is very little
doubt that the Whole viii be realized.
The records of the Union are IN many respects IN
teresting and instructive ana rom them We compile
The following table OF Statistics showing the num-
Ders Of worklngwonen sent TO employment ut
different trades ana occupations during It's existence
or for which its records are available, together with
the average week wages paid for the several kinds
OF work. IL should lie remembered tnat no syste-
matte records were Kept during The first year Oh the
institutions existence
w. Wuges yer