The evening world., 1890-03-10
President Of the -WO-
mems Society on Factory
Inspection.
4 Great Fleld for Women'S Work
In This City.
Some Startling Facts About Child
Labor and Employers Tricks.

containing q review OF tho annual
report Of the factory inspectors. When
asked what she thought about the matter
she said: .
"a great deal. I think the report
weak, insufficient, incomplete and totally
inadequate TO the subject considered.
II Ia remarkable for the omissions il con-
tains. l thing the agitation of factory
work, hours, wages, abuses and general
conditions by The EVENING WORLD will
be the means Of rousing the people to the
Importance Of legislation.
II have this fault to find with the new
catcchism prepared by The EVENING
WORLD for the benefit of the Factory De-
partment-brcvity. Make 1t moro com
~prohensive. Come round some evening
when the workingwomen are here and
any one Of them will give you material
for a column OF questions that the De-
partment may find ediFying, IL not en-
barrassing.
1T Is n positive fact that until the agi-
tntion of the subject began not one-tenth
Of the factory people in New York City
AhoW "a tho Vi u u VI hO-
tory inspectors. l know thousands OF
working girls. and Of that number l don't
know forty who have seen the Inspector
Of the Second District. But I'll tell you
what I do know from these girls. to wit:
Deputy Mckay 10 mcthodical. He
doesn't like TO take people by
surprise, and although I would not
say that no employed q herald.
n trumpeter, q courier. or even n district
messenger, to announce his coming he is
generally anticipated. Mind. I don't
affirm this. A girl employed in Cohn-
folds feather factory told me that the
day Mr.. Mckay was expected the children
who had been in tho house loss thar q
year and who to all appearances were
not in their teens. were sent upstairs
away up or sent home for the day.
THE house il one of the most COM
modious and one Of the best managed in
the country. The surroundings. as far
as industry goes. might be called lux
urious. When the Inspector arrived the
only subject that concerned him was
child labor. and looking into the pack
ing.room, he said, We'll. l guess every
thing is all right here and went of.
Another girl employed in Bauer's box
factory last year came in here ono night
and said she was nearly dead from loss of
sleep. Here's her story" said Miss
Van Etten reading from a memorandum.
The Factory INSPECTOR is expected this
week. lie may come any day. Many OF the
children have BEEN laid of until after his
visit and we girls are kept 40 busy trying to
do their work that We have 10 do double
duty.
Now that Is only one of many instances
in which the laws of the State are violated.
and which go unpublished through the
carelessness or wilful neglect of the
agents who are paid for enforcing them.
The enc law most violated is that referring
to child labor. Last evening / was talk
ing to the foreman of an east side cigar
factory. who informed methat there were
twenty little girls in the shop under four
teen years Of age. who were there not only
by permission but by the command of
the proprietor; children, most of them,
of the old hands. / can't give you the
name of my informer or even locate the
shop, a. it would result in.his immediate
dismissal.
II was amused at Mr.. KcKay's reply
20 THE EVENING WORLDS query regard
ing the children under sixteen unable to
read and write simple English sentences.
That gentleman knows, or should know,
IL he conscientiously discharged his duty.
that there ART thousands OF little boys and
girls in the cigar. clothing and candy fac
tories who cannot speak an English word.
let alone a sentence. lie says, too. sus-
picious of the statement of the employer,
that in order TO get at the real facts of
the case he would have to hang round
the particular shop and watch That
doubtless would entail expense, but
there is an allowance Of $500 in addition
to the 81, 900 a year salary for Just that
sort OF investigation. necessary TO the
success of the work. There are grisyous
sins of omission as we'll as commission
and it is for these that the Department
should he made to answer.
Another feature Of the evils of child
labor. There was a strike not very long
ago In a cloak factory, aud the refusal of
a few women and children to go out with
the employees attracted considerable
comment. A committee was appointed
to inquire into the matter, as their atti-
tude was in q measure working TO the de-
feat OF the contestants, who were fighting
against Al unjust and unwarrantsd Eeduc-
ton Of prices. After diligent and strenuous
effort on the part Of the committee, II was
learned that all the children were under
age, and that all the adults had secured
the employment Of little daughters or sis
tiers by making a false affidavit as to their
age at the time OF their admission 10 the
shop. This falsity, born Of grim nscss-
sity, gave the proprietor an advantage
over the women and children which re-
yerted 20 his interest at every Issue. But.
Of course. male INSPECTOR are not sup
posed to know anything Of this sort"
When aAksd what shs thought about the
smeisneV Of the work Of ths deputy foE
this city Aiss Van Ettsn aid
II think b has not eoSsssa d
ground. No huuaa hsfas aaala A a