The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-26
THE POOR In LYNN.
Poverty and the Work Of Charity in The Great
Shoe Shop Of the Eas.
The Direful Suffering of December
and January.
Rehefof the Starving and shelterless by the City
Missionary and Overseers.


The boot and shoe manufactures OF New England
are chiefly centred in Lynn and Haverhill although
there are many other important factories devoted
to that branch Of business scattered through New
Hampshire and Maine. The latter are nearly all
new enterprises, and, for the most part, were
started with capital furnished by Lynn and Haver-
hill manufacturers. Last year the Lynn factories
turned out about $500 900 worth OF boots and
shoes, ana they expect to increase their business
this year nearly twenty per cent. During the war
time the profits in this special branch OF trade were
enormous, and the manufacturers were able to
pay liberal wages to their workmen, many Of
whom were In the habit OF driving down to the
shop in the morning with their own horse and
wagon. As a rule the operatives in the boot and
shoe busiaess are OF
AN IMPROvIDENr CLASS,
and live "fr0m hand to MOUTH spending their
weeks earnings as they come. After the war bust
ness fell quite nat. but has been steadily increas-
ing ever since. During the last three months OF
1873 there was comparatively little doing. and the
factory owners found it necessary to reduce the
wages ofthe operatives.
Everything in this business is paid for by the
piece, and as the shoe before it Is finished passes
through about twelve different hands general
scale OF prices was established, leaving some
classes OF work at old rates and reduc-
ing others all the way from five to fifty
per cent. Taxing rough estimate the wages OF
the operatives IN the boot and shoe factories IN
Lynn were reduced from twenty TO thirty per
cent. Under the new price list men earn from
$40 to $50 per week, in accordance with the
excellence and quickness OF the work. The women
make from $40 to $40 per week. The above prices,
however, are only earned during about nine
months in the year, as for three months the facto-
ries are comparatively idle 1t is during this dull
season that many OF the operatives sufrer-that Is
to say, those who spent their earnings as they
came in.
TIE LYNN MANUFACTURERS
as a rule, did not suffer very much by the panic
but they indirectly feel the effects OF it, as at pres
ent the profits on their goods s SO small tn at they
can afford to take no risks in the way Of trade
and, notwithstanding the easy state OF the money
market. there Is genei al feeling OF distrust, and
great caution is exercised Us to credit. There has
been great change during the past eight ten
years in the amount OF labor required to produce
u boot ready for sale in the retail store,
as in 1874 fifty men can do the same
IN saa by s e o se
duction OF new machinery that takes the place Of
hand work. Notwithstanding this radical change,
manufacturers state that the machinery used in
their business is yet far behind the age and at
oil on par with the improvements that have
been introduced in the manufacture OF other
ticles OF general use. During the past two years
bur, rule, they are deficient in many respects,
and, although used in some laCtOres they do not
accomplish the required WORK with the finish That
can be obtained by hand labor. There are about
and they will average nom so to 800 operatives.
THE NUMBER OF OPERATIVES EMPLoYED.
The following list will give some idea of the num-
Der Of hands employed IN them during the months
of January. In 1873 and 1874