The Labor enquirer., 1883-03-24

As an Indication Of how fortunes are
made in a short time, and at the cost of
the blood and sweat of female labor we
will, for the purpose we have in view,
suppose man or firm starts a small
paper bag factory, say on York street..
Their character as shining lights in our
Christian community gives them a good
run Of trade, and by employing girls from
ten years of age upwards, and at very low
wages, they rapidly amaS5 considerable
of the worlds wealth. In doing this, Of
course, these Christian gentlemen never
seem to care or take cognizance of the
fact that in the pursuit Of their "slayes
task some one or other of these untor-.
tunate girls almost daily sinks fainting
to the floor, there to lay until resuscitat-
ed by the application Of cold water beat
ing OF palms, etc., and which duty must
always be performed by their comrades,
nOne Of whom can say that it may not
be their own case next Working by
the piece or thousand, at the utmost ten
sion Of brain and nerve power. for nine
or ten hours per day, to enable them to
earn from $3.50 to s. per week, according
to quality Of work furnished, or ability
and eXpertness, soon tells upon the deli
cate female constitution. and the invari-
able result is physical prostration.
In time, as wealth accumuIateS, our
firm moves into a better business portion
oftbe city-sayWeILngton street-where
more COmmodious premises are secured.
Here the SIaye-driying process continues,
only on more extensive scale, and the
bank account keeps running up apace
More commodious premises still are
called for as the girls life-blood is fur
nlShed by new victims unaware or care
less Of the fate Of those who fell victims
to the ayarice Of those who in the temple
every Sabbath hold up their hands to
heaven, eXcIaiming as they do so: "Thank
God, we are not like unto other sinners"
A new and ornate edifce arises, worthy
OF the street and the enterprise l?) Of the
proprietors, improved machinery and
automatic hoi8ts are introduced. labor
saving ln every direction. All this causes
somewhat sudden draw upon the bank
account, and how to recOup is the para
mount question, Those who in a short
time became wealthy had no scruples
before, and they knew how. Up went
notices that at a given time each morn,
ing the doors were to be locked, so that
the poor girl who was late by few min
utes may stay out, and those who were
IN should remain locked in until the
noon hour. What matter though the
three or four-story building had only
one stairway for egress in case of fire and
the door locked In such an event the
inmates could leap from the windows and
break their bones or lose their lives in
their fall. The notice above referred tn
might arrest the attention of casual Wis.,
ltorS who might bruit it about as ty-
rannlcaI mandate if posted in a conspic-
uous position in refractory, and to avoid
such a contingency it is posted say in the
girls cloak room.
The factthat little girls, through almost
SuPernulnan enort and nimbleness, sue
ceed in making nearly as much as the
grown young women, is made an excuse
to reduce the prices paid the latter-it
being held that they do not work hard
| enough, or they could make WAGES corro-