The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-07-17
SHiRTMAKINC.
The Industry in New York City Monopo-
Iized bY Russian Jews.

SHtR MAKlNC.
The Industry in New York City Monopo-
1ized by Russian Jews.
The recent strike of the shirtmakers
has called attention to a business the
magnitude of which few understand,
saws the n Y. Sun. Mr.. Wallach OF
H. Wallach Il Co., told the state board
of arbitration Il few days ago that
there were 80. 900 shirtmakers in New
York. Other manufacturers think
this estimate too large, but there is no
doubt that the industry is an enor-
nous one. 1t is almost wholly monop-
olized by Russian Jews, generally those
who have been but Il short time in the
country and are unfamiliar with its
language and customs, though fire.
quently they are people of some edu-
cation and intelligence enough to have
resented the conditions of his life in
Russia and ability enough to have
found the means OF escaping from
them. The shirtmakers herd together
in the poorest and cheapest tenements
on the east side. This is made neces-
sary chiefly by the nature of their
trade. A shirtmaker works until late
at night and the house of his sewing
machine would not be tolerated by the
people in an ordinary tenement house,
Most of the shirtmakers are men, be-
cause the work is so simple that no
skill is required. and the men will
work under conditions and for wages
that women, with greater skill at the
sewing-machine, are not compelled to
accept. The women who work at the
trade are either employed in the large
shops on finer grades of work or are
the wives of his men and help them in
their work in the easements.
Four or five thousand persons, chiefly
women and girls, are employed at
shirtmaking in the establishments of
the large wholesale manufacturers.
Those are the aristocrats of the busi-
ness and make fair wages in ten hours
day. All the cheaper grades of work
are given out to be done in small shops
or tenements. Nearly all of it goes to
middlemen or sweaters" who divide
it up among employees whose services
they control.
How the Russian Jews first got into
the business is not known now, but "A
few of those who first came to this
country did get into it somehow, tax
ing work from manufacturers and do
ing it at their homes. Before that the
bulk Of it WAS done in regular shops,
and most of the hands were Irish or
German girls who preferred such work
to domestic service. Succeeding par
ties of Russians, finding their coun-
trymen sewing shirts, and knowing no
trade or other occupation, besought
the first comerS for work. SO another
machine would be set up in the tene-
ment-room, and the original shirt
makers took out more work and paid
the newcomers whatever pittance they
pleased for helping them do it, deduct
ing from their pay the instalments on
the machine, but generally keeping the
machine as their own all the same. In
time, rs the immigration of Russians
increased, the original shirtmakers Got
to having ten or Il dozen later corners
working for them each, and became
contractors or sweaters. " The
newcomers were willing to work for
merely enough to buy the coarsest food,
and to sleep on the floor beside their
machines and the cost of labor to the
sweaters became almost nominal. To
get work they bid under each other at
the manufacturers, and prices got so
low that shirtmakers Of other races
were quickly driven out of the busi-
ness.
As soon as Russian obtained lit
tie acquaintance with the English Ian
guage and the customs of the country
he bought machine on the INSTALL
ment plan, which he could do for IS
cents week, and set up in business
for himself, hiring two or three late
comers to work for him. as he had
worked for his first employer. 50 the
number of sweaters multiplied daily
until whole blocks Of tenements are
filed 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 had so much as
$40 capital. They have money only
when they get pay for lot of work.
They may take out enough to keep
them busy for ten days at a time, and
while that is being done they and their
employees are 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 up again in a 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 over 800 of them last
year and found goods upon which he
could levy in only sixtytive cases. Ere
quentlv sweater win take out large
quantity of work and run away with it
to Canada, leaving in the lurch both
his hands and the owners of the goods.
There is no way OF forcing a sweater
who has no property to pay his hands.
if they are men. An employer of
women who does not pay their wages
can be arrested and locked up in jail
until he does so.
1t is not believed that the shirt busi-
ness can be kept up i'll New York for
many years longer. in spite of the
cheap labor of the Russians. 1t costs
less to live in smaller cities. and labor
there is correspondingly cheaper, so
that they seem bound to take away the
shirt trade. Baltimore within ten
years has run New York out of the
overall, drawer, and cheyoit shirt
trade. aggregating from $1,000, 1000 to
$1,000, 900 annually. Prison competi-
ton has helped to break down the
white shirt trade, and now it is mon
opolized by Glens Falls and other
small towns in Northern New York.
Chicago has already built up great
shirt manufacturing business, and the
prospect for New York retaining what
she has left are very small.
Not Fallen So Low as That