New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-29
HOW FACTORIES ARE RUN.
GOING AROUND WITH THE INSPECTORS
EMPLOYING CHILDREN UNLAwFULLY-BAD SAM
TApY ARRANGEMENTS.

EMPLOYING CHILDREN UNLAwFULLY-BAD SAM
TAgY ARRANGEMENTS.
There ten factory inspectors in the state Of New
York. each OF whom has charge OF district whers
he secs that the laws relative TO the employment Of
Minors sanitary arrangements and the providing Of Gre
escapes arc complied with. In tho city OF NewYork
alone there are over 900 factories, all Of which ara
under the Jurisdiction Of Deputy Factory Inspector
George Mckay. James Connolly, chief factory In
specior OF the state whose headquarters In Albany
finding that man was incapable OF fully covering
his district, delegated one half OF the remaining stato
inspectors under the control Of John Franey, helm
Mr. Mckay in the inspection Of factories in this city
On July the Inspectors arrived here and msds
their headquarters at the Sinclair House they were
John Franey, chief; George 5chaubert George Gueug
Hiram Blanchard and George Mckay, the district
Inspector The manufacturing part OF the city was
divided into five d tricts, extending from Twenty
thrdst. 10 the Battery, ono district being allotted 10
each Inspector The first section OF the factory inspec
ton law prohibits any under twcnty-one or
boy under eighteen from working more than sixty
hours week, except in the clothing industry where
from sixtynv TO eighty hours Is a weeks work. On
account OF the saturday half holiday the average weeks
work in summer is fy-four hours The result Of tho
observations by the inspectors shows that while women
often take work that be done outside, seldom
do So preferng to finish their days work at the fac
tories.
Section Q OF the law prohibits the employment
Of children under thirteen years OF age, and during
this .spcrai session, ia under that age have been
turned out Of factories where some OF them worked
in close proximity TO dangerous machinery. To
employ children under sixteen the employer must
keep on file a certificate Of tho childs age, swor
to by its parents. Mr.. Franey said TO a Tribune
reporter that one OF the evils he should like to call
the attention of the press to the practice 10
many largo factories Of keeping small boy or girl
to crush the grOwler.n When this Is the case the
inspector seldom help It, as the child Is not
regularly employed In one case, however, he sert
home a boy of en who received the munifcent salary
Of twenty-five cents a week for carrying beer
At the invitation of tho inspectors Tribune
porter accompanied them their inspection tours
A few incidents Will prove interesting. In one place
the foreman, when questioned, said he employed no
small children, but In examining the premises two
liitle girls found At another place little girl
was found locked in the iapanIng room for punishment
These children sent home and ordered to got
certificates. In another place, in Elmst, twenty
nine girls under sixteen were ordered
TO got certificates. In some Of the sweating or
clothing shops stunted holIow-eycd emaciated look
ing boys. who looked eight or nine years old, said
they thirteen and fourteen, while the girls
employed there looked 70 be ten or fifteen years
older than they really were 1t Is In these sweat
ing, shops that the most crowdng occurs and
where the least attention IS paid to sanitary condi
lions Wholesale Improvements were ordered In
all such places.
At a coat manufactury three girls under twenty
one worked sixty-six hours week 1t was In this
same place that workman said In Russian some
thing at which his fellow workers laughed The In
spectOr Mr. Gueig, walked over TO him and IN
stern. awe-inspiring tones said TO the surprised
workman that 1t was an outrage to ridicule state
officer and that he might be forced TO take him 10
the Tombs: the Russian wilted and abiecty begged
pardon OF the inspector and reporter
A firm of candy manufacturers employed ninety
girls under sixteen, but they had been Inspected
once before there certificate for each one AZ
another candy factory the proprietor said he was not
employing so many hands formerly, for the reason
that the sugar Trust kept prices on sugar so high that
he could hardly compete with foreign labor. and that
with free trade allowing the products Of European
pauper labor TO enter he would not be able to COM
pete with any hope Of success. Elbridge T. Gerry
called the Inspectors attention to an establishment
where three boys and seven girls were found working
in room twelve feet by twelve they were all under
sixteen and were without certificates. They all
seemed prcmaturely old. Certificates were ordered for
the children.
In tenement overcoat factories where the "task'
system prevails the sewing of forty overcoats con-
sttutes days work, and 1t takes from fourteen 10
twenty hours to do them. Three men, or team"
are maid for this work S33 a week, average of IA
cents coat The rooms filthy and crowded AZ
shop where a patent medicine is made the inspector
found a boy and girl under sixteen without GER
tifcaics member Of the firm when tod that GER
ttfcates must be procured for the two children, de-
clarcd that the law outrageous and that the chill
dren should be discharged first; but Mr. schaubert hs
Inspector down and explained to him the necessity
for such laws and the great good they had areay
done giving Incidents to subsantiate his statements,
and so completely Modified the manufacturer that he
not only acknowledged the wisdom Of the laws but or
dercd certificates for the youngsters.
Two factories were visited and In both Of them
fire escapes and sanitary arrangements were ordered
A queer conversation took place at a factory which
makcs JERSEYS and cloaks. When Deputy Inspector
George schaubcYt, who by the way has earned
the name of the fairy from the ease with whcn
he ascends twenty-five iive-story factories In day,
arrived at this place. he SAID nave ooni' " "
spect the factOry-here is my card" ,...,
The foreman alternately inspected the lnspeco9.
and his card for ten minutes, ana theh nc S"1'
All right Whore is he ~ asked the Inspector.
g" will get him. -. A.,
After fifteen minutes he returned with Mt; ,,ru,cs
who gazcd the inspector for at least ten minutes
and tlen told him he must see somebody eisc, eH"
introduced him accordingly.
Yen, sir. your pisness Y ,,, A.. n,
q wish to inspect your factory" replica 'no Az
spccor
Mr. Schaubcrt handed him his commission, ana az
put their heads together over It, "Neh' &c m''
Vat showes re factory is not in' , ala
You have kept me waiting nearly an hour SSu
NAV be having children hidden while am waiilng
1t this clerk in the corner remarked " Eel yTa
vos 10 talk dot way to me as you Nos dohe W 'A''
- vOs thrown YOU down 20 hatchway.' -,
"WelI' the officer replied. don't think you woaa
really throw any one down but come on mere anu "
Mr. Schaubert not thrown, but u tooh n,s .
nearly two hours inspect the factory and oiuer W.
rious abuses remedicd.