The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-28
WOES OF WOMEN WORKERS.
The Mere Existence of the BOSTON Work
ing Girls.
Especial Correspondence.l

| The Mere Existence of the Boston Work.
ing Girls.
Especial Correspondence.l
Boston, Sept. 21.-What are girls and wo-
men in and around Boston doing for a living.
They make shirts at thirty-six cents per
dozen finishing, buttonholes included, che
misses trimmed and plated a Sl.2G each,
plain chemises ut 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 81. 80 per week. for paper
box making So 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 pay:
Those who rely entirely on their pay do
not live. IL is for such merely an endured
existence in a tenement attic. Their staple
food is n 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 here stain and enamel
glass, dress dolls, FURNISH jewelry, make but
tons, paint clock cases and broom handles,
weave Irvine into netting, cut ivory, pearl
and tortoise shell, make willow ware and cane
chairs, set type, feed printing presses, pack
candles, assist i'll the manufacture of chemi-
Gals, manufacture straw hats and hoop skirts,
spool cotton, weave hair cloth, make shoe
uppers, artificial flowers, and gid buttons.
These may III cases earn 81 or 81 per
week more than those stated above. 1t is
safe to say that s. per week is o little above
the average wages of this class of female
workers. In the shoe factories, at piece
work" some girls make IS and SO per week.
Can a girl support herself ON such amount
decently:
a decent room cannot he hired here short
of So per week, let alone food and clothing.
But in many cases the girl "lives at home"
Her wages are regarded n 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 a decent support" then s. n week
will grant it,
Mill hands may make 81 per day. Some
make more; some less. American girls have
almost deserted this occupation. Their place
Is supplied by foreigners and, to a large cx-
tent, Canadian French.
III you would know some of the results of
factory life and labor on manners, speech and
what will call verbal morality, post your
self near the mill doors when the Operatives
swarm out, and hear the current phraseology
and sentiment. \ 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 go among
them! \ few family visits, even with kindly
intent, won't reveal them to you.
Girls and children can he bought i'm BOSTON
for commercial purposes as low as 81 per
week. The mammoth and pigmy 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 ut such price. I'm
like the black slavery of former days, the
buyer Is at no expens., 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. Ii the child dies or becomes Grip
pied or diseased it is not his lookout. 1t is
that OF the parents possibly of the child
itself. To buy girl outright, say for $500
or 500, and he then ut the expense of her
keeping would lie most eStravagant outlay
in Boston. From business standpoint Boston
always could 500 further ahead than Charles
ton, s &.
Recently u uhilanthropic committee here
visited some of the mercantile mammoths
here ami requested them not to hire any child
labor at less than - ser week for children of
- year, OF age ami under, nor less than 80
per Week for young women Two of the
largest aamuoths positively refused. One
complained Of the trouble caused him through
peoples pokiug about and stirring up public
attention 10 these matters. He said the lone
thing for each one to do was to mind his or
her own business" He wanted. the committee
inferred. To Ike let alone. lust as any intelli-
gent, pliHstaking burglar wants to be let
alone when he l. at midnight s.impling some
other family's silver. The houses that nav Sc
per week To- children spend from $4,000 to
SlO0OOO per Year in advertising what the
child helps them to sell
Girls are universally employed here in the
Second-claSS restaurants. Their average pay
i 81 per week The occupation of continually
coming in contact and waiting upon n low
grade OF men in 4 hungry and consequently
savage and irritable condition GemOralizcs
them They become hardened also To the
enormitieS daily pcrIetrated III n cheap res
taurant kitchen. y smile Is rarely seen on
their faces They become tagged out with
their continual moruing z till-night rush with
full, empty and half cleared plates. Ere
quently they take order with diSiain,
leave YOU before IL i half given slap Your
plate before You with an air which says:
them that what they have brought is not
what you ordered, there comes the final surg
ing over of contempt for the whole masculine
race PRENTICE MILFORD.