New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-26
T1GEC or UDVEN.

One of the illustrated papers recently con-
tanned a sketch intended TO illustrate the
fate of unprotected women in cities. y
young girl stands at the opening of two
ways; in one the scwing-wOman goes
through the garnet filled with starving shirt
makers, the cheap slop-shcp, the almshOusc, to
DEATH in the other the pretty lady cashier
with a good salary IS seen in the palace OF
10Y, in the gin-shops and finally ruined and
haggard in the Black Maria. The dismal
sketch is true 50 far as it goes; but is only
half the truth. The facts are not nearly so
dismal as emotional Sentimentaisis would have
lis believe 1t is true that girl who goes as
cashier into a palace of JOY or as chorus singer
into a variety theatre stands an almost certain
chance Of utter rum. 1t is also true that a
girl who tries to support herself by making
shirts stands almost certain chance OF
starvation. But it is not true that these are
the only paths open to her. For one palace Of
iov. with its blazing lights, liquor dances and
depths Of infamy, there are hundreds Of quiet,
reputable families whose doors are open to her,
where as cook or chambemaid, if she chooses to
be clean. honest and Industrious, she may have
a comfortable home, be well clothed well fed,
and lay by a snug sum for her old age. The
tens of thousands Of Irish, German and Swedish
girls who land at Castle Garden every year,
often without friends and almost pcnnilcsS,
are not driven to starve as scmpstrcsscs or to
keep themselves alive in brOthcls. They are
filling places in almost every household in
the country taking the business of domestic
service (the best paid and lightest labor for
women in the States) out OF the hands of
American women. 1t is true that there is a
certain loss of caste implied among working
people in what is called mental service but if
any young girl prefers genteel shirt-mallng, the
almshouse and death, or ruin of body and soul,
to honorable work, comfort and loss Of caste
among silly young folk our sympathy for her is
not deep.
Even as regards the low prices paid to scmp-
stresses there Is a good deal of public misap-
prehcnSon. Women who work for the manu-
facturcrs of rcady-made clothing use machines
or rather, manage machincs-which are ran
by steam. They do receive starvation wages,
not because of any grinding Inhumanity
in their employers, but because the prof
its on that class of goods ale small. a manu-
facturer pays woman 10 cents for making
shirt, but he has to sell it, material, work and
all, for 80 cents. 1t is competition, the sew
ing machine and the memorable rules of trade
that are to blame. The man has no desire to
grind anybody's bones to make his bread. On
the other hand, the woman can buy her own
and her children's clothes ready-made for
pittance, which before the era of the machine
required half of her time to make. When wOm-
en- leave machine work for service, machine
work will be better paid. 1t is, too, pure flight
of fancy to picture starving women bending
over the needle. Good hand-work on garments
is required now only by wealthy customers,
and is well paid for. 1t is 80 rare that it in
variably commands high price. How many
women readers of THE TRIBUNE who are heads
of families can obtain at call an expert, neat
needlewoman? They can testify how hard it is
to find a skilled, efficient sempstress, or a
woman in that class skilled, and efficient in any
special work. Just here We lay our finger
on the real difficulty. American girls
the dau ghters of laborers, mechanics,
and small tradesmen-are brought I'd with