The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-03-25
Female Slavery in New York.

Inc annual report OF the laDOE cOm-
missioner of New York, recently issued,
is an interesting document. The facts
and figures it presents showing the con-
dition of the working-women of the
state, and especially those employed in
trades in the metropolis. are decidedly
suggestive, and reveal the existence of a
pauper-labor problem at home of suff-
cient magnitude to demand the most
careful study of our political economists
and social reformers. 1t is not st all
necessary for them to 60 abroad to find
destitution and misery among the work
ing classes; there is enough of it in New
York to afford the fullest play to the
most sympathetic nature.
According to the estimates of the Ia
Dor commissioner, more than 200, 600
females are engaged in the various
trades in New York city. As a rule
their work is hard and their wages low
much lower than is paid to men for the
same quality and quantity of 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 is the case.
The commissioner report shows that,
as general thing, where male and fe-
male labor is paid at the same rate the
work is of a low order, and the COM
pensation wretchedly small For in
stance, women who are employed in the
manufacture of cigars are mostly en-
gagged in such work as stripping and
binding, which commands the very
lowest wages. But the most deplorable
condition of affairs appears 10 exist IN
the clothing industry, which gives en-
ployment to more women than any
other. Their work is hard, their pay
beggarly, and the conditions by which
they are surrounded are simply intofer
able. They are Obliged to compete not
only with the great army of their own
sex to whom needle and thread are the
sole resources for keeping body and
soul together, but with sewing-men,
who get better wages for the same
amount of work. The lot of the aver
age 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," or sweater" takes the
place filled by the overseer in the south
under the old regime, and right faith
fully, 1t appears. does he discharge the
functions of his office. His mission is
to oppress the sewing-girls and give to
the world practical demonstration of
the fact that life can be sustained and
daily tasks performed upon an incred-
IDLY small amount of nourishment. I'm
der his skillful manipulation the price
paid for making dozen pairs of trous-
ers has been brought down to $3.50,
while for turning out waistcoat COM
plete the sewing-woman is paid the
munifcent 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 their
earnings is absorbed in rent; the cost of
their sewing-machines is another heavy
charge, and by an atrocious system Of
fines" and bookings" the miserable
compensation allowed for their work il
still further reduced.
The report of the labor commissioner
gives the results of visits of inspection
paid to a number of rookeries in which
these unfortunate women are domieiled.
On the attic floor of one tall tenement
house six women were found working
with four sewing-maehines in room
not more than ten feet square. 1t was
filled with cloaks ready to be put to-
gether. They were elegant garments.
retailing at from $35 to S75 each, and
two of the women. working assiduously
sixteen hours each, were Just able to
complete one of them. For this work
they were paid 81, so cents each, or
about cents per hour. The atmos-
phere in which they labored was sitting,
and all their surroundings of the most
! repulsive character. The labor eomc