The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-12-20

rae Industry In New York city Monopo-
lixed nv Russian jews.

mas called attention 10 business the
magnitude of which few understand.
says the ~ Y. Sun. Mr. Wallach OF
IA. Wallach & Co.. told the state board
of arbitration "A few DAYS ago that
there were $4,000 shirtmakers In New
York. Other manufacturers think
this estimate too large, but there is no
doubt that the industry il an enof-
nous one. IL Is almost wholly monop-
olized by Russian Jews. generally those
who have been but n short time in the
country and are unfamiliar with it's
language aud customs. though fire.
quently they are people OF some edu-
cation and intelligence enough To have
resented the conditions of his life In
Russia aud ability enough TO have
found the means OF escaping from
them. The shirtmakers herd together
la the poorest and cheapest tenements
On the east side. This Is made neccs.
sary chiefly by the nature Of their
trade. A shirtmaker works until late
at night, aud the house of his sewing
machine would not be tolerated by the
people ia IN ordinary tenement house.
Most of the shirtmakers are men. be-
cause the work is SO simple that no
skill is required. and Nhe men will
work under conditions and for wages
that women. with greater skill ut the
sewing-machine. are not compelled To
accept. The women who work mt the
trade are either employed in the large
shops on finer grades OF work or are
the wives of his men and help them i'm
their work In the tenements
Four or five thousand persons. chiefly
women and girls. are employed ut
shirtmaking in the establishments of
the large wholesale manufacturers.
Those are the aristocrats OF the BUSH
ness and make fair wages In ten hours
a day. All the cheaper grades of work
are given out 10 he done in small shops
or tcnemcnts. Nearly all OF il goes 10
middlemen or sweaters who divide
1t up among employees whose services
.hcy control.
How the Russian Jews first got into
the business is not known now. but
few of those who first came TO this
country did get into it somehow. TAX
ing work from manufacturers and do
lug il ut their homes Before that the
bulk of il was done in regular shops,
and most of the hands were Irish or
German girls who preferred such work
10 domestic service. Succeeding par
ties OF Russians finding their coun-
trynen sewing shirts and knowing no
trade or other occupation, besought
the first corners for work. So another
machine would be set up In the tene-
ment-room. aud the original shirt
makers took out more work aud paid
the newcomers whatever pttance they
pleased for helping them do it. deduct
ing from their pay the installments on
the machine, but generally keeping the
machine rs their own all the same. Ia
time. rs the immigration of Russians
increased. the original shirtmakers got
20 having ten or "a dozen later Corners
working for them each. and became
contractors or sweaters" The
newcomers were willing 10 work for
merely enough TO buy the cOarsest food.
and TO sleep on the floor beside their
machines. and the cost OF labor to tho
sweaters became almost nominal. To
get work they bid under each other ut
the manufacturers, aud prices got SO
low that shrtmakers OF other races
were quickly driven out of the BUSH
ness.
As soon rs Russian obtained lit
tie acquaintance with the English lam
guage and the customs of the country
he bought machine on the INSTALL
ment plan. which lac could do for 20
cents "A week, and set up in business
for himself hiring two or three late
Corners TO work for him. rs he had
worked for his first employer. So the
number of sweaters multiplied daily
until whole blocks OF tcnements are
filled with their shops and the whirr OF
their machines is constant on the east
side from early in the morning until
late AT night.
] The sweaters rarely bad SO much IS
$40 capital They have money only
when they get pay for lot OF work.
They may take out enough 20 keep
them busy for ten days at time and
while that is being done they and their
employees arc penniless. Sometimes
the work Is rejected. or the deductions
for bad work are SO heavy that the
sweater has not enough TO pay his
hands. Then he goes out of business
and starts mp again ia new place.
The hands sue him for their pay and
get judgment. but very rarely any
money. There are thousands of such
suits In the district courts every year
One lawyer had oyor 800 OF them last
year. and found goods upon which he
could levy In only sixty-iye eases. Free
quently sweater will take out large
quantity OF work and run away with IL
60 Canada. leaving in the lurch both
his hands and the owners of the goods.
There Is no way Of forcing sweater
who has no property to pay his hands.
A. thav are mon An emnlOVer of