The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-27
Prosecuted WORKING GIRLS.
Swindling by the Sewing
Machine Agents.
FIFTY THOUSAND STRUGGLING WOMEN
The Help They Need ard the Enemy
That Is Opposed to Them.

From time to time oases Of nagrnnt outrage
which show wha, a hard struggle poor young women
have 30 earn living The sewing machine having be-
In necdework y has been used 70 no
small extent means OF extorton and oppression,
and numerous instances OF deplorabio wretchcd-
have light Ia the exposure OF the rascali
ties perpetratcd by sewing machine agents. Some
ago tho system OF cruelty practised IN tho selling
Of sewing machines udroitly carried on, under
the protection OF legal technicalitics, that IL was DIM
puli upon tho evil doer and the victims Qui
ply submitted the injustice 10 which thcv sub
iscied BY the aid OF the Working Womcn's Pro,ec-
tive Union whose Offices No. SO Beecker street,
these frauds great extent exposed, and with
repeated exposures the swindlng gradually dimn-
shsd- For long time tho sewing machine agent was
rnR TERROR
struggling above her scansy expenses the few
dollars needed to pay for the machine. IL was only
when the Working women's Protective Union under
took redress tho wrongs OF their suffering sisters
that The agents began 20 understand that there
some limit to which dominecring ignorance and heart
lessness might DO permitted 10 90. Fortunately the
class of who long held the position OF sewing
machine agents has been very much improved and the
agents OF the princp pal sewing machine companies
now. with some exceptions, q set Of men far more
rcspecta than their predecessors AZ proof OF step
In advance u may be mentioned that In wheeler 4
Wilson's establishment the agents have among them-
selves organization, object Of which TO
good conduct among themselves, the following SEQ
lion OF their bylaws will show
the conduct members all public occasions Of she
only reflect association
upon the company which ana :. the
member ioretng his claim such occasions BY
into bad 5y his aesons shall DO nes IS and he shall
n % % ~ l e IN tor n; o of
the roll and he shall forever he Ineligible membership
Though this rule only hero applies TO "all public
Of the association stl It is understood thai
It practically applies TO business operations OF the
agent and any derection In the discharge Of his du-
ties agent considered bring 'his associates
into bad repule by his actions" other large firms
have gone far this but IL is said that the
agents class more humane than thcy
formerly. One for this may be that the large
arms have learned TO understand that they fight
against pubic opinion, and accordingly extend q gen
crosby tho poor people upon whom thoy depend for
the largo profits which accrue their patent rights
and their manufactures still
OF MOST BRUTAL CHARACTER
from time to time which show that the evil has
not been entirely eradcaicd. while the writer was
yesterday speaking to ono OF the lady officers Of the
womcn's Protective Union he informed that SO
last week a most painful brought to
The notice OF the union. A poor woman had machine
which she was unable to pay fully up Tor, bat with
which she was eking out kind Of existence, and dur
Ing her absence from hcr tho agent entered and
in the act OF taking away the bread winner when
she returned. Seeing this, and knowing that the
means Of subsistence was being dragged out OF her
grasp she begged that It should not be away
made liste show Of res sence The agent brutay
pushed hor out. OF his way and in .
which showed that still further force In store for
her she intsrfered with him. Scarcely week passes
without poor woman being obliged TO ask Tor the
intervention Of the women's Protective Unon in or
der not 10 be crushed by sewing machine agent IL
is only fair TO state, however. that the lady officials
above referred to admitted that when the sought
redress from any OF the principal sowing machine
panies the greatest courtesy extended, and,
rulo every opportunity afforded to the ing woman
10 retain the machine There no hard driving for
tho money and even kindness invariably shown.
But then 1t must DO remembered that the sewing ma
thine agents responsible only the firm that en-
pioys them, and brutality IN agent may be hand
soncly set on by tho courteous generosity OF his
poyers In former years there good deal Of this
sort Of thing done. but, has been said, tho firms
themselves have to learn that The working girls
not without the sympathy Of the public generally,
and for this reason wcl for the substantial
Of economy, the larger firms act all shings con
sidarod, tolersbly we'll But there il
A CRYING EVIL
IN Inc scwng machine business which should be At
stamped out BY somo other, and this is
the chief fraud which the sowing machine
Glasses have to There several dealers sew
ing machines this city Of whom the worst sort of
stories told and Of them have already been
fore tho in suits brought by the womcns Pro-
tcctive Union. These dealers publish advertisements
the newspapers to tho effect that they will sell the
different classes OF machines ut much lower than
tho manufacturers themselves sell them. Not only
Mis-, but they promise give work to tho
purchaser for certain length Of tnc thus enabling
The girls according 10 the ADVERTISEMENT TO be
Of paying for The machine Both forms Of tho adver-
tisemsns swindc In the FIRST place these deal
do sell machines for the prices announced,
except old revampcd and FURNISHED up with putty
and varnsh DO said to be new; md
In tho second place the promise 10 sup
ply work Ia rarely II ever a. all fulfilled
Hero is who're he trouble lies Tho girls are disap-
pom oil 10 he start The machine may the
potter - nr SIS, md he soils Il a. perhaps $50. Ito
secures Tor OF gives hs sri about $40 OF SIS worth Of
md III hands his money dealer
Tho iracr thus reimbursed Tor what the hand
machine cost hi;n the gr gets more work, the next
ns.ament Of the money due Is not paid, the dealer
walks and his machine and leaves the giri
wonder az the whole affair. Another victim soon
other pays him $40 SIS work Is dscon tinued
tie machine again red, and another poor girl Is
lett 10 mourn the dupicty OF sewing machine men.
Some time ths caty this business was
rarued on extensively, but TO the profit OF the
large sewing maCnirc hrme TO SGT their faces
Nh iniquuy and they consequently aided the Work
ing women's Protective Union in strcpuous effort
70 shield the girls rom these hapes, but 10 stop
the scnem.- and trickcry altogether Attic present
time there arc only eight OF this class OF
rAscais lei. and these are wacned closely
ALARMING yuSnxg DEPKspKxr.
There now about "a, 600 sewing machines ''out"
In this city and u may be understood from this fact
wha, enormous amount OF misery might be
casooet by the agents representing the sewing ma
hrmx There Il scarcely week, or even dAy,
but poor creature might be haraxsed and her |
lite made miserable by the arriving importuues Of the
agents The reporter bad conversation yesterday |
With prom member Of Of the sewing machine
houses, and that gentleman informed hun thsi was
not the interest o! the respectable sewing machine
nrms 70 annoy their ca.tomefs az whom the machine
vas seized returned had be sold |
o. second hand At small price. He stated |
that though the cost Of machine seemed high,
II was Impossible To sell IL Tor less taking account
the losses length Of time the manufacturer bad
70 walt Tor payment 'lf" said he, I'VE could sell
rpsch,ues IN the same merchants ordinarily sell