The evening world., 1890-02-27
4 Good Bill Asking Their Appointment
Nov In the Senate.
II Authorizes The GCVetnor 10 Appoint
Eight for the State.
A Step Towards the A~melioration OF
the Hardships TO Which Work.
inKwomen Are Subjected.

Since the publication OF the articles
touching life among the mill and factory
girls of New York numerous letters have
been received from workingwomen call
ing the attention of The EVENING WORLD
to the cruel and iniduitous systems OF
fines and discipline practised In many OF
our large workshops and retail stores.
Some of the writer's refer to indignities
which are unbelievable.
Among other things complained of is
the system of passes which Ia carried out
to an extent necessitating permission from
the foor-walker before q girl Ia allowed
to take a drink of water. One writer
takes issue against q dry.goods merchant
who has the dregs Of ice water that &C
cumulate in the slop tureen put back into
the cooler. She also says that the dress
ing-room ia a dungeon of q place without
any light whatever and overrun with rats
that devour the girls lunches unless kept
in q tin box,
A tailoress asks to be protected from
the slop shops, several clerks want the
assistance Of TIE EVENING WORLD for the
provision of seats, and n Sixth avenue en-
ployee writes that she 10 obliged to sit on
the fool in the engine-room to eat her
luncheon. A seamstress employed as an
operator on infants wear says there is no
water OH the floor aud that the girls are
obliged to carry pop bottles full from
home or go thirsty all day long.
raeas ara n,,,ara,a IL, obnna aud foo
tories where the employees, for lack of
any dressing room. are obliged to keep
their wraps under the counter or under
their chairs, Many Of the hallways are
no dark that the girls are afraid to venture
through them alone, and the stairs are
not only p%recipitous but unsafe. Clean
workshops are the exception. All have
windows, but oftentime they are out Of
repair aud cannot be used to ventilate the
room, so that the occupants are choked
and stifled and their health injured by
being compelled to breathe the foul and
poisoned atmosphere. Inthe cloak, suit,
clothing and underwear factories space
is valuable, and operators are so close to-
gether that elbows frequently clash.
1t Is not unusual to find from ten to
forty clerks working in Easements from
which fresh air aud daylight are ex-
cluded. The proximity of steam pipes
and heating apparatus make the tempera-
ture of the room enfeebling IN winter and
unbearable in the hot season. Positions
of this sort are held Mt the peril of the
employee compelled by stress Of circum-
stances to risk health for the purchase of
daily bread.
This condition Of things 10 identical
with the shop life of our working girls
who are forced by avarice TO labor in
mills and factories where bad dir poisons
their bodies, poor light ruins their sight
and indiscriminate association of the
sexes ruins tho purity OF their lives.
Denied the blessing OF fresh air and
clean water and the common conven-
fences of civilized life, their existence is
made u~nspeakably miserable and their
usefulness impaired. But il is IA long
road that has no turn, and tho next
change in the history of that worthy
army OF workers generically called our
shopgirls will he N of progress If not
improvement
A bill has been introduced at Albany
looking to the betterment Of the cundi-
tions under which the workingwomen of
New York exist. which should have the
Endorsement of every generous and hu-
name legislator in the Senate. Ii con.
Germs a population of more than half II
million women aud children. TO whom its
success means better health. better wages,
better workshops md better morals.
The bill which was introduced by Mr..
Fassett is as follows;
STATE or NEW YORK,
IN SENATE, Jan. 10, $780,
Introduced Gy M. FGSSru. read tI1ics,
ordered DrintSd aud reJtrred 10 te
C~ODsfnittes 1H Finance,
Az ACr to amend chapter 400 of the Lass
Of 1856, as amended by chapter 48@ of the
Laws of 1887 aud AS amended by chapter
$50 OF the Laws OF 1859. entitled 4" Al Act
to regulate the employment of women and
children in manufacturing establishments
and to provide Tor the appointment OF in
spectoTs to enforce the same"
The people OF the State Of New York.
represented IN Senate aud Assembly. do
enact as follows:
SECTION /. Section l Of chapter 4O0 Of
the Laws Of 1850, as amended by chapter
$50 OF the Laws OF 1852, is hereby
amended so as tn read as follows;