New-York tribune., 1873-03-06
FACTORY OPERATIVES.

REPORT TO THE MASSACHUSETTS LABOR p-u"nnD -
ny JUDGE COwLEY Respecting The fEofLH
EMPLOYED IN TIE FACTORiES.
RosroS, March 1.-The Massachusetts, LABOR
Bureau last year. with view TO ascertain the eneo'
eoI oceupaons upon the character and condition OIL
those engaged In them, invited CONTRIBUTORS VI '"
and experience from prominent men In the large nnu
,oo,,rng tawna One Of the most interesting contriDu
,ions ia that OF Judge Cowley Of LoweB. Beside tnD
spre,al information desired BY the CommiSSonei''
contains mnuy other interesting facts and Stala'Hc'
about Lowell and It's inhabitants not before puVSnou
Judge Cowley says; ...,o,
The speeia occupation pursued In Lowell Is the cotton
n,act,re which now employed $4,000 spndles. 1900
Iooms OOo nales and 1900 females. Until recohtV'
weu was the principal seat Of the cotton ihahuac'io
In America bat Fan River largely exoeeoS 'n '"0
nunber of her spindcs and looms. Next to Iho oo''
comes the wooden MANUFACTURE, when now emP'oSs '
Lowell 65oO splndes, 1000 looms. 1900 females ana
0oo males Besides those engaged In inc proouooiO
fabr,cs OF cotton and wool, there arc up"ard oil i'
eu,ploy6s in Lowell ENGAGED III the manufacture Oh
machinery g.. The population OF Loweh Is no" aoO''
haying increased about 1000 since tue cenSu'
of 1870 which gave Lowell Io,025' with respect "
| nationality tue best estimates give native Ameri
| cans, 5000 Irish. 1900; French Canadlahs'
| 1000; English, 1000: Scotch, 500; miscellaneous
,o Thus It appears almost onehalf the population Is oil
foren birth The average ago OF those employed IN the
factories IL about 80. There arc probaOy seVeia' NUM-
red children under OF age empoyed III sho n
IT. well known that parents often oyerstate te agoS
their children for the purpose OF securing employ en
for them and OF evadng the school laws. Overseers
superintendeBts and employers are 0tten gmS VI 9f
la,ioa Yltb su9l ptent IN thi, regard It's the rule
~ all the corporatIons not to employ children under To-
Tbs rne was adopted IN consequence OF tho Chiidreh
Ton Hours But neither this law nor no uo "
which 1t gave generally enforced though tne ID"
compelling the attendance at school OF chlureh "uVi ~
for three months In each year Is much more sehoiny
enforced by the great manufactures OF Lowe than " IL
among the small private factories throughout Tue oo
| mouwealth.
| EFFECTS UroS HEALTH.
The effect Of these occupations the health OF the
opcrativestbanks TO improvements In factory afch-
lecture machinery and ventationls less deieter1ous
than formerly; and the working time diminished
by an hour or two a day, the deeterious Influences
now traoeable 10 factory labor. might entirely dis
oppear The special diseases incident to factory apo
are lung diseases and female debility IL Is doubtful IL
there any effect good bad due TO the posture OF the
operatives except the OF weayers wnoso Work Is
done IN standing position which tends to produce de-
biIty The average length OF lfe OF the operatives
cannot determined with any certainty on account OF
the transtory character OF the employment In many
cases Girls enter the mills, remain from one 10
four years. and pass to other branches OF industry
or TO tue duties OF tho household Tue period OF the
ernployment OF males ia often still shorter. We are
locked for permanent body Of factory employees com
posed partly OF American but largely OF Irish and
FrenchC Inadian elements with English. scotch, ana
German blood commnglcd. Perhaps we are to have
here class resident ab0rer5 similar to that OF the
manufacturing cities of Europe. But a permanently
settled class empoy6s.s preferable to class OF so
journers who here tor a Few days and then gone
forever The fact that for tho last SIX years 1856 poll
taxes have been assessed annually. but not collected
may enable the student OF social to form his own
estimate OF extent aud value OF our birds OF pas
| sage"
Tie number Of hours OF work per week Is Ga in nearly
all the corporations. The Bleachery and few other es-
Establishments have adopted the ten-hours system, and
there tendency TO that system general than Is
suppoaei The method Of work Is partly by the day,
but chiefly by the piece. The women generally
| work by the piece. Pece-workers IA ttle more.
generally than those paid by the day. /; can hardly be
SAID their health is better than that OF the
day-workors The average number OF days work In a
year ia about 25 The deductions made for lost tne
| from sickness and other causes. "a days year
There Is Eo special Of work, but the factories
as steadily ia one season as another. Consequently
the operatives rarely engage in other industries.
DANGERS TO WHICH OPERATIVES ARB EXPOSED.
Working as they do IN close and constant proximity 10
running machinery. steam boilers elevators, &c. there
Is continual liability the part OF the operatives to
cdents while It cannot perhaps be said that this liza
bty greater than In many other forms or Industry;
|
tions than in the smaller private establishments be
cause OF the greater system and methodcty which these
obtain s any who has read the acts OF tho British
Parliament relating TO the fencing Of machinery, and
has observed how carefully gearing ad other dangerous
mechanical cOntvances secured in British factories
will readily perceive that American operatives might
easily much better protected In this regard than they
now are British contain proyis
ions 10 secure operatives from dangerous machinery
unsafe buildings, &c. But statutes VIII be searched
In vain anything OF the kind Our courts, however
have not failed to recognize aud apply the great prnc
pies Of the common law 70 cases where operatives have
sought damages OF their employers for injuries received
through their negligence In the building and repairing
OF and the construction and operation OF
| their machinery. II has been held by tho Supreme
that every employer Is bound to adopt and provide
suitable and Instruments, which includes build
Ing and machinery, TO his business, and II he
fails to use reasonable and skill In making this pro-
| vison no Is responsible to his employees for any
| injury to them caused by bis negligence. An.
| other decision that the Of store,
| In the door OF which there a trar-door,
bound tho rapdoor with reference to the safety
of those having right pass there and If they neglect
TO guard against accident while the trapdoor is open.
they liable TO any person who, having lawful
pass there, falls through tho rapdoer aud
tains injuries. II also held by the Supreme Court
that person who negligently dangerous in
strument article authorizes Its use In such
that Is likely to produce injury, Is responsible for
the probable consequences OF this any
| person injured who "a not himself In fault. In yet
another the Court held that the employer Of boy
under IL, unacquanted with machinery, who SEE
| work gearing which dangerous without
proper precautions. guilty Of negligence. and liable
in damage for injuries which the boy received conse
| Quence OF his hand being caught in the gearing.
Some Of the decisions applicable to ia ctory operatives
to require the amending hand Of legislation for
one 1t held that action es against the en-
poyer Of two employees for the injury through
negligence OF the other aud that such lies
against the servant himself guilty OF the negligence thus
| leaving the injured operative in such entirely
without remedy. But there is no such exemption from