New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-03
THE SWEATING SYSTEM.
DISCUSSION BY THE SOCIAL SCIENCE AZ
ISOLATION.
CONDITIONS IN xEw-YoRK AND BOSTON CON

PARED-THE MASSACHUSETTS LAW
sara,opa Springs, n. v. Sept. 9 (speciaD. The
American Social Science Association today considered
matters in the Department OF Social Economy. Al
the opening few remarks were made by the cha'r-
man, +. b. SanbOrp, Of Concord. Mass. VINO gave
sketch Of the Department and the work that had al
ready been accomplished by it, The swearing system
was the special topic discussed.
"The Swenting system In Boston" wns the tide OF
a long paper BY Horace c. Wadkin, Chief OF the Massa
chusetts Bureau OF statistics OF Labor. Te sweat
ing system has recently been the subject OF omcia
investigation In Massachusetts. These evils have been
principally confined to the manufacture of clothing
and tn the city of Boston, where an influx OF unsked
foreign labor has recent years been congregated
in the tenement house districts. Boston Is the seat
of the clothing industry I'm the COMMONWEALTH. Inc
Aggregate output In this industry in the city approx
mates SOS 600 600 annually. AT least 30 per cent OF
this amount Is made under the contract system which,
under certain conditions affords basis for the sweat
ing system, 50 called Not all the work is done under
contract, however. Generally the cutting and trim
mirg are dsne by the manufacturing concerns directly
OF the work done under contract nearly onehail ~
done In the city ITSELF about onesixth In the cry OF
New York, slightly more than onefourth In Maine
and the rest In the States OF New Hampshire ana New
Jersey and In Massachusetts outside Of Boston, MOI
all the wsrk done under contract Is done in tenement
houses. Tenement house work In Boston Is connno1
principally TO the finishing process, except on 10"
grade work and children's clothing which, 10 some
extent Is entirely made up In families III New
York however, the practice prevails OF making 'he
entire garment in family apartments For TINS reason
II is ALLEGED that a considerable portion OF the WORK
done In that city for the Boston market IS the proo"ct
of tenement house labor. The amount OF work sent
to New York to be done Boston manufacturers ap
pears TO be increasing.
Aiming the Boston contractors Hebrews predomi
nate: among the employees of contractors persons OF
hfrfh re-ely nre<iO
specting whom definite returns were secured aao
were Hebrews, $40 Americans, 215 Italians 40 lrish'
Is Portuguese and German. or this whole h"'nper
931 we're employed by Hebrew contractors Ire
financial burden OF the contractors business Is largely
sustained BY the establishments furnishing him with
work little capital being required by the contractor
himself. The hours of labor generally observed oy
the contractors In Boston, according to their own
statements, ten day. This. however, appheS en-
trely to shop work, which IS regulated by law
WINS generally stated that most of the help are OH
piece work and take their own time. by which IL
meant that strict and regular hours OF iopof ure ho'
always observed.
The cutting and trimming, which, In generai, Is
done in the workshops of the wholesalers by persons
directly In their employ, is performed under proper
sanitary conditions for good wages and is subject 10
the stringent provisions of the Factory Inspection
acts For the manner In which the contractor con
ducts his business. as TO the conditions under winch
his work Is performed respecting the wages PAID
TO his employees the wholesaler dsclsms responsiD!
and knowledge. The practice OF sending out worK
to be finished in enements is common, and under the
pressure Of New York competition the tendency seems
10 be toward the industrial conditions obtaining there
whore 1t appears considerable quantities OF clothing
are made I'D I'm filthy tenements under the poorest
sanitary conditions by alien labor not subject 10 lac
tory inspection, and for the lowest possible wages
this tendency Is fosered by the Increase through HI
migration OF the sort Of labor that Is AT present
Ax Tho farft hpt
the amount of work sent to NewYork appears TO be
Increasing as prices rule lower there. This New
York competition subjects the Boston Wholesaler or
contractor who is obliged 10 observe proper sanitary
regulations to unequal conditions. and tends to lower
the grade OF labor employed i'll Boston, ana 10 reduce
the wages or diminish the employment OF boston
workers. The problem Is further complicated by the
fact that Nev,York wholesalers have, in some cases.
directly supplied retail dealers i'm Massachusetts
thNugb representatives.
The contract system largely prevailing IN the
industry presents certain definite advantages to the
Wholesaler, and is not likely to be abandoned II
not In itself, particularly Objectionable The 'eho
eucy OF this Industrial condition, II continued, Is 10
lower The standard OF living OF all workers engaged
I'm the Industry. In Massachusetts sweating mas ho'
passed beyond the germinal stage.
william L. Hicks, Chief Inspector of the Boston
Board OF Health, in paper Oh Tenement House
Workrooms In Boston, said, In substance that The
,o~al defnitIon OF tenement house In Massachusetts
f. a building which, any portion Of which, l. occu-
ocd or intended to be occupied as dwelling by
more than three families living Independently oi one
another and doing their cooking on the PREMISES
ar by more than two families above the second MOOR
co living and cooking. This definition applies TO
great variety of houses which are occupied ny al
classes OF people from those OF the highest SOCIAL
etandinr TO those OF the lowest, as can be )uueeu
from the rentals, which nnge from To'ooo year
down 10 less than fl a week. In neither the oeS'
uor In the worst of the classes Of houses meh'oheo
I, INV work done beyond the ordinary nouseworh; IN
the lowest class for the reason that the VICIOUS uo
no work that they are not compelled TO 40 10 supp
,h.,r immediate ana daily wants. The Practice OF
manufacturing finishing clothing or o'her ar"o's
in tenement houses is not 50 prevalent III boso IN
r,,sht BE- supposed. Many families are accustomed W
,.,. home work Of various kinds. Generally they
are honest frugal people. and In many cases 'hey a'
families where through misfortune or otherwise 'ne
hand is unable TO support them In when cases SUCH
uorh IA an actual necessity and they cease 10 90 IL
when not an absolute necessity. IL Is rare eAoep
tion that the apartments occupied by these "oh'i'
nre found In an unceanly condition. ms "orh IN
done only by the very poor who have not 'he nean,
20 occupy better quarters, and who prefer hie OF
ho,oe, ,nIl TO one of dependence OF worse. Inc
hnnses Themselves are frequently 50 near together
nc 10 prevent the free inlet of sufficient hsht All"
OR tn make the habauons and workrooms cohort
able and healthy. ,, en-,
In this connection II may be Wen u conS".i "
fact that Is much Of the ready made cIotihs III '"e
market u manufactured or fnf'hed III 'ne .o""
districts where medical or sanitary super'isV"
had mnch more danger of the spread OF lhiecuo"'
diseases + to be apprehendcd than in the c'y "hec
a watchful supervision is constant ana 'horo"s"
Although frequent and careful examinations oi 'ae
lower class OF tenement worlrooms prevail 'h'o"s"
out Boston, but Of chronic disease h'S w"
found among these workers during the present YEAR
80. ,s,, c.s. ubch 70 the casual and inexperienced
obscrver seemed a possible source OF danger, WAS
after thorough medical examination declared har"'
less. Most Of th. workers in these tenement hoa"es
-or.r and almost exclusively adults, though there