The Labor enquirer., 1884-04-26
How 1t is Practiced by One OF
DenVer's Dry Goods
Houses.
Sewing Girls Who Are Defrauded
of Their Hard Earned
Pennies.
Deception and Sharp Tricks BY Which
the Contemplate Work is
p. Done. -A' T.. .-

Readers in this paper will remember
an article published about two months
ago, showing the tyr amy, and injustice
to which the sewing women of New
York are subjected by their hard-hearted
and greedy employers, and the depriva-
tions and sufferings of those poor, un-
fortunate creatures who nave no other
means by which to exc out miserable
existence. The sad Histories in that article
touched sympath etic spot in many
persons who had not before been stirred
to realization of the suffering and
wretchedness consequent upon the pre-
vailing system of competition IN pro
duction; and, thoug b the scenes in the
sketch were laid th rec thousand miles
away, their picturing was so distinct and
the horrors of the evils brought so close
to all who toll for ustenance that shud-
der passed over ever Y reader of the ac-
count.
What will you thi ink, reader; how will
your blood boil TO earn that right here
in Denver, in this prosperous, beautiful
Queen City of the Plains" there Is a
system like to that related of New York
being built up? Would you believe that
in the Capital City Of Colorado, where a
short time ago. the poorly paid, over
crowded workers of the east found an
elysium-a locality of plenty of work
and good pay-there is to day being
fostered and built up system of robbing
the poor sewing girls and women which
for injustice, heartlessness and knavery
rivals the most horrible tenement or
| slave-pen stories ever written OF New
York City. Well, such is the case, and
The Enquirer feels it duly to show the
matter up clearly to the public, and to
that end has taken considerable pains to
get at the truth and bottom facts in the
case.
The dry goods firm of Charles BalIin
& Company, doing business at 38l and
| 3S3 Lawrence street, run in connection
with their store manufacturing depart
ment, in which ladies' dresses, cloaks,
etc., are made. This department is pre-
sided over by creature of the feminine
gender, but aside from the character of
her dress has no right to be called by
tho heIOved name of woman That pOr-
ton of the building devoted to this work
is located some distance below the level
of the estreet-commonly called the cellar.
1t being made known to the publisher
of The ENQUIRER that this sewing shop
was run on the gouge plan, and that the
girls who worked there were shametully
treated and defrauded, in many cases, of
the miserly stipend they were allowed
for the labor they performed, reporter
was nut to work on the case, and learned
the following facts {:
The firm of Ballin & Co. insert an ad-
vertisement in the daily papers stating
that twenty-five needle women are
wanted at their establishment. A young
lady who has considerable experience
answered one of these advertisements,
and the information which follows was
obtained by representative of this paper
from her.
She applied for work and, of course
asked some natural questions about rules
and prices. She was informed that all
work was paid for by the piece, but no
scale of prices was submitted and no In
formation as to what sum was paid TOR
any piece of work " as vouchsated. The
applicant was simply told that every
thing was all right and when job was
completed it was paid for in proportion
to the amount of work necessarily done
upon it. Thinking everything was all
right the young lady went to work. She
soon began to see thing or two, and
through the medium of her eyes we will
take a short and necessarily incomplete
view of the establishment
The number at work never exceeds
half a dozen, and the facilities for en-
ploying even that number are INSULT
f cient. There are two sewing machines
and when one of the sewers need the
Use of one of them she has to await hel
!, turn-the loss of time of course being
borne by herself, as she is working "by
the piece" The girls have to furnish al
| needles, pins, sciss sors and the othel
small tools needed in sewing; and II
case a piece of braid or ribbon is spoiled
by one of them sh e has to pay for II
The estimates for trimming are made b.
the forewoman, and if any fall short it
q charged to the girls without appeal
When a garment is nearly completed
8 it is taken away, on some pretext o
j other, and the smploye gwen anotne
q niece of work to de-. No explanation i
made to the girl when the work Is take'
Q from her, and no re Enumeration is assure'
her at that time. So industriously
y this plan worked tha one girl had nearl
. one dozen basoues finished and had no
: raceived a cent of r enumeration beside
r she did not know what had become
4 b.r unfinished work. If complaint
q made no satisfaction On is given the discon
/ tented and inouiring worker, and in mos