The New York herald., 1876-11-08
THE LABOR CONGRESS.
Female Slave Markets in French
Nunneries.
HAREMS IN LARGE SHOPS
Prison Work Running Honest Mothers
and Daughters
WHAT THE GREAT CITIES SAY

PARIS Oct. %, 1870
The Congress OF workingmen was opened
In quiet ana orderly manner and intends TO deal
much with the work Of women.
Citizen Irenee Danth,cr, working saddlcr and dele
gate from Philadelphia, discourses with much emo-
ton upon female labor. Like halt educated mel
he has got up his subject rather too carnedly and he
quotes Beranger, yoltare, La Chatre, Pierre vincard
Louis Blanc though he rclishcd the mere pro.
nouncing OF their names When no has got through
his quotato.s the native good sense OF
peeps out more freely from behind his words
'The diminuton OF womcn's work both in profits
and quantity" says Citizen Danthicr, ..procecds
IN part from tho number OF our convcnta do not
want to attack religion bu, must point out that Of
late years
COMMENTS HAVE BKcoME MAyUFAcroRIEs
whore very brisk business 10 done. Some Of these
establishments which should be entirely devoted 10
religious meditation, are wholly given 10 money
making Several pious sisterhoods contractors on
largo scale They have thousands OF young girls in
their employ ment the work CT these girls moth
pg and sells for much, while shsy really carrying
on mon..rous competition against their own mothers
and sisters Nuns can undersen other women Also
because they have no claims on their earnings They
have neither parents nor children to keep, and they
pay few or taxes In consequence of tho
MURDERous coxPErIrIoS OF NUSSERiEs,
. married woman who has ncr household work to
do hardly than fifteen day, If she
tries till shc breaks her heart Very often she cannot
make half that sum- II the manufactures in converts
were suppressed she could earn francs daily
This difference IL ono between plenty and want In
truth tho religious protectors OF children the op.
prcssors OF their parents Let Us look inside tho
vents where crowds oil young women shut up and
forced 10 work from six 10 eight hours daily with
have weak sight and chests; they una. be
wives and mothers they female machines who say
Pahr Noster when wound up. In the prospectus OF
tho great shop called The Louvre you will see
written that article sold is machine made every-
thing is stitched by womcn's hands
HUNDRED AND vfrrr coSvHSrs
work exclusively for tho Louvre Many other large
shops deal with other pIous communities. Moreover,
knew, not long ago, one N. Gamsrd. cure OF Rebe-
viilcr (Eure-c-Loire, | think, who received large
cases OF ladies' chemises and drawers from linen
draper In the kus du Senticr. and this holy man
caused them bo made up by tho ladies' OF his con-
grcgation. have an idea that he made good profit
by that Christian notion Hc contracted, in fact
supply labor, which him lttle aothing and
could always nnd market for 1t. AT Morangis near
10 LonJumcau also thcre Is
a CONVENT wAsHsRwoMEH.
They keep two horses fetch and carry dirty lnen
and tho worthy undosc all tho in their
neighborhood
at leave tho converts and enter the prisons We
find the prices paid for female prisoners work is
absolutely low that the prisons maintainod by
poor rates Prisons ruin honest female labor The
official reports published BY the Ministry OF the lnts
rior for the year 1875 declare that tho prisons fol
women ars:-Auberisc, Cadillac, Clermoni, Doullcus
Hagueneau, Montpelier, Rcnnes and vannes In thes,
prisons all kinds OF women's work dono at prices
against which II Is impossible for free labor con
tend Girls often commit crimes for want OF work. anc
they deprived oi work by tho competition OF GRIM
mails. Finally, women arc snameessly robbed by
their employers Thus about sixty francs is charged
by drcssmakers for tho fashion Of dress The work.
woman, who really makes It, receives fifteen francs,
and her mistress pockets fortynve. Women should
cooperate aud divide their gains fairly" The citizen
orator quotes Bossuct who is not necessary TO sup.
port this pleasant notion. and then sits down amid
great OF applause and the printing Of his speech
At tho expense OF Congress Is voted unanimously IL
Is . bad shing for converts
A FEMALE CITIZEN
Tho Ctizeness Raoult rises amid loud cheers and In
clear, ringing voice, reads summary OF facts NOT
generally known respecting women's work. She de-
clarcs that the chief at work hostile to female
labor 10 the msddlIng Of mon with feminine occupa-
tions Women who perform the tasks left 10 them are
underpaid The price current for making shirts is
three francs q dozen. good workwoman can mako
six shirts IN twelve hours This gives her prod. or
ono franc day wages womsn's drawers are made At
2c l0c the dozen. workwoman who is active
can make four pairs day; gain, eighty confines
Handxerchefs are hcmmed Al nty centimes dozcn
A vory smart nscdiewoman can hem two dozen and
hall in a long day. This will ;oavo her IL zoe wages
after deducting tho cost or her needles and thread
Goods are delivered BY the work women TO the
shops twice week. About half day lost on each
occasion Total hve days labor for the working week.
Dolls shifts small sizc, large article Of export are
paid twenty-five centimss dozen. About twelve OF
them be made 10 three hours linen draper in
the Rue de Clery has had some LADIES' mornng gowns
OF a new fashion made ths season. Thcy had nounoes
and were trimmed at the pockets and sleeves with
seven buttons IN front He paid Atty ccn,imcs each
Tor making them Mechanical work is paid at the ratio
Of iye cen.imes per four yards We cannot live by
this labor and
woxEx srARvE on SEWING nAcnIxxs
Moreover they contract terrible Diseases and thcro
maIady now known to doctors s'.ho machine sick
ness" Nevertheless, women who work by the machine
in shops arc required labor aud twelve hours
daily though declares that Is impossible for
any woman 10 work at machine moro than six hours
daily without njuring herself permanently Three
hours consecutive work at = machine is enough TO
haust the strength Of any woman our
sAry work one sewing machine for summer day OF
sixteen hours they should relieve each other every
hour, or they Will have hunchbackcd and deformcd
children ever they become mothers Tue dull season
is terrible thing Tor women; and also practice OF
taxing credit which 10 very common between town AMI
country houses. All the summer and autumn we are
obliged 10 work only At twOthirds OF our winter
pricrs but have to wait for money because the
Wholesale houses In Paris not pressed for delivery
We must ea and therefore are obliged 10 accept what
cvcr W. O1erc0 The ghOpa
have all the dsessmakcrs small way OF bust
ness who had fellow feeling for u.s. and nness wo
get employment OF these big establishments
we can lind elsewhere Now the largo shops
all managed by men, and
We paid thirty centimes for making psir OF
mems psntaloons and nmbie fingers can mako two
pairs daily We cheated nrst out OF our honor and
serespect, then out Of our labor For instance,
the large shops employ smart workwomen to design
their patterns and then sell these patterns to convens,
where thcy made up by the dozen At quite