The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-07

The annual repors u he labor com
missioner of New York. recently issued.
is an interesting document The facts
and figures it presents showing tie con-
dition Of the workine-wouen OF the
state, and especially those employed IN
trades in the metropolis. are decidedly
suggestive. and reveal the existence OF q
paTper-labor problem Al home OF sfsn-
Gent magnitude to demand the most
careful study Of our political economists
and social reforners. II IS not at All
necessary for them to 60 abroad to ind
destitution and misery among the woi@-
inc classes; there is enough OF II IN New
York 10 afford the fullest play to The
most sympathetic nature
According to the estimates OF the Ia
Dor commissioner. more than 100000
females are engaged in the various
trades in New YORK city. As rale
their work IS hard and their wages low
much lower than is paid to men Tor the
same quality and quantity 81 work
There are some exceptions to this rule,
but they are not numerous or important
In the printing, hat-making. and cigar
making trades the pay Of the two sexes
is on the same scale, but there are no
other industries Of any magnitude IN
which this i the case.
The commissioner ; report shows that,
as 4 general thing; where male and fe-
male labor is paid Al the same rate the
work is Of a low order. and the COM
pensation wretebediy small For IN
stance, women WHO are employed 10 the
manufacture Of cigars are mostly en-
gagged in sucir work as stripping and
binding, which commands the very
lowest wages. But the most deplorable
condition Of affairs appears 70 exist IN
| the clothing industry, which gives en-
ployment 10 more women than any
| other. Their work is hard. their pay
| beggarly. and the conditions by which
they are surrounded are simply intoler-
| able. They are obliged to compete not
| only with the great army Of their own
| sex to whom needle ami thread are the
| sole resources for keeping body and
/ soul together. but with sewIng-Ilen,
| who get better wages Tor the same
| amount of work. The lot of the aver
ace sewing-woman in New York ap-
pears to be in no way preferable TO that
| of the average African slave in the
south thirty years ago. Her life Is SIM
| ply one continued round OF toll, oppres-
| sion, and misery, with scarcely ray Of
sunshine to relieve its profound gloom.
| In the New York system OF slavery the
| .'middleman.n or sweater. takes the
J place filed by the ovcrseer in the south
I under the old regime. and right faith
fully, il appears, does he discharge the
| functions Of his office His mission is
to Cypress the sewing-girls and give to
| the world a practical demonstration OF
/ the fact that life can be sustained and
| daily tasks performed upon an incred-
ibly small amount OF nourishment. Tn
der his skillful manipulation the price
paid for making u dozen pairs of trous-
| ers has been brought down to $50,
| while for turning out a walstcoat com
| plete the sewing-woman is paid the
| munificent sum OF Is cents. The wO-
men do this work at their own homes
thereby saving rent to the sweater.
1t is estimated that one-quarter of tbeil
earnings is absorbed in rent; the cost Ot
their sewing-machines is another heavy
charge, and by an atrocious system OF
fines and bookings" the miserable
compensation allowed for their work j;
still further reduced
The report of the labor commissioner
gives the results of visits of inspection
paid to number of rookeries in which
these unfortunate women are domiciled
On the attic floor of one tall tenement
house six women were found working
with four sewing-machines in a room
not more than ten feet square. It wa
filled with cloaks ready to be put to
gether. They were elegant garments
retailing at from $50 to SO each, ant
two of the women, working assiduousl,
sixteen hours each, were just able L
complete one of them. For this worl
they were paid 81, so cents each, o
about cents per hour. The atmos
phere in which they labored was sitting
and all their surroundings of the mos
repulsive character. The labor com
missioner declares that this was by M
means an exceptional case, but says tina
similar sights are to be seen every da,
in hundreds of tenement-houses in New
: York. The want, misery, and degrade
ton of these women are reported to b
utterly beyond description-and almos
beyond conception Chicago Times.