Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-03
WOES OF WOMEN WORKERS.
The Mere Existence of the Boston Work.
ing Girls.
Especial Correspundence.l

The Mere Existence of the Boston Work
ing Girls.
Especial CorreSpundence.J
BosToN. Sept. 21.-What are girls and wo-
men in and around Boston doing for Iivingl
They make shirts at thirty-six cents per
dozen finishing, buttonholes included, che
misses trimmed and plated at Sl.26 each
plain chemises at ninety-six cents per dozen,
flannel coats Of an inferior quality ut fifteen
cents each, slipper bows at three cents per
dozen and common caps at ten cents per
dozen
For making quilts, eleven hours per day
labor, they receive S4.50 per week, for paper
box making $3.50 per week and for book
folding IS per week. hundred other in
dustries pay similar wages This may be
called labor's lowest grade. 1t is easily and
quickly learned Hence, the more learners
the more workers and more supply than de-
mand
How do they live for such payi
Those who rely entirely on their pay do
not live. 1t is for such merely an endured
existence in a tenement attic. Their staple
food is a loaf of bread and cup of tea. The
tramp who depends for his meals on base
ment door collections is better fed
Girls and women hare stain and enamel
glass, dress dolls, burnish jewelry, make but
tons, paint clock cases and broom handles,
weave twine into netting, cut ivory, pearl
and tortoise shell, make willow ware and cane
chairs, set type, feed printing presses, pack
candles, assist in the manufacture of chem
Gals, manufacture straw hats and hoop skirts,
spool cotton, weave hair cloth, make shoe
uppers, artificial flowers, and gid buttons
These may in cases earn 81 or 81 per
week more than those stated above. 1t is
safe 10 say that s. per week is a little above
the average wages Of this class of female
workers In the shoe factories, at piece
work." some girls make IS and $40 per week
Can a girl support herself on such amount
decentlyi
A decent room cannot be hired here short
Of g per week, let alone food and clothing.
But in many cases the girl "liveS at home"
Her wages are regarded as a great help in
meeting family expenses. In such case the
family uncOnsciously cooperate against the
girl or woman who must make home for
herself. The poorer the family the greater
the tendency TO herd and crowd together. If
merely keeping body and soul together be re-
garded decent support" then s. q week
will grant it.
Mill hands may make 81 per day. Some
make more; some less. American girls have
almost deserted this occupation. Then place
is supplied by foreigners and, to a large ex-
tent, Canadian French.
If you would know some Of the results of
factory life and labor on manners, speech and
what we will call verbal morality, post your
self near the rlill doors when the Operatives"
swarm out, and hear the current phraseology
and sentiment 4 little may go a great way,
for you. Or go on one of their summer ex-
cursions. 1t may cause you to wonder if any
one has charge of the morals of the masses
Do our philosophers ever really 90 among
themi A few family visits, even with kindly
intent, won't reveal them to you.
Girls and children can be bought in Boston
for commercial purposes as low as 81 per
week. The mammoth and pigny bazaars
for the sale of everything under the sun
under one roof buy the nerve, muscle,
strength, skill and intelligence of young girls
for nine hours per day at such price I'm
like the black slavery of former days, the
buyer is at no expense for housing, feeding
clothing or otherwise caring for the body of
the child he purchases He buys, in fact, all
the strength the child has to give without
any risk If the child dies or becomes Grip
pied or diseased it is not his lookout 1t is
that of the parents or possibly of the child
itself To buy girl outright, say for $500
or 500, and be then at the expense of her
keeping would be most extravagant outlay
in Boston. From a business standpoint Boston
always could see further ahead than Charles
ton, S. c.
Recently philanthropic committee here
visited some of the mercantile mammoths
here and requested them not to hire any child
labor at less than 81 per week for children of
Is years Of age and under, nor less than q. 30
per week for young women. Two Of the
largest mammoths positively refused. One
complained of the trouble caused him through
peoples poking about and stirring up public
attention to these matters. He said the zone
thing for each one to do was to mind his or
her own business" He wanted, the committee
inferred, to be let alone, Just as any intelli-
gent, painstaking burglar wants to be let
alone when he is at midnight sanrpling some
other familys silver. The houses that pay sc
per week for children spend from SJO,OOO to
100000 per year in advertising what the
child helps them to sell.
Girls are universally employed here in the
second-class restaurants Their average pay
is 81 per week. The occupation Of continually
coming in contact and waiting upon low
grade of men in hungry md consequently
them. They become hardened also to the
enorInities daily perpetrated in a cheap res
taurant kitchen. A smile is rarely seen on
their faces. They become tagged out with
their continual morning g-till-night rush with
full, empty and half cleared plates. Ere
quently they take an order with disiain,
leave you before it is half given, slap your
plate before you with an air which says:
Take that and be -" and when you tell
them that what they have brought is not
what YOU ordered, there comes the final surg
ing over of tss,cempt for the whole masculine
race. PRENTICE MILFORD.