New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-09
SWEAT SHOP VERY.
now.

Public sympathy with the garment workers or
this city IS founded on reason, and the preli-
tnrc report that they had won their strike was
exceedingly welcome They did not abandon
their work for any trivial cause or in an ind'-
cent manner They had reached the point OF
realizing and agreeing that the conditions 10
which they were subjected were nfol'rape' ana
they took the only course which offered Il nope
of Improvement They complain OF many tilhgS
and in every case Justly. we believe liner
earnings have long been extremely mcagr', Du'
recently they have been compelled to work al
most double time in order 10 get their SIX uoiiIS
a week or less Formerly the task rs the
trade calls II. was number OF garments WHICH
could be- completed in three days OF Twelve OF
fourteen hours each. Lately the number OF gar
mcnts In the task has been Increased from seven
10 ten. twelve and even fifteen with no Increase
Of pay protest against colnpulSioh 10 SUCH
toll ns this implies IS imperative. II Is not lor
the general interest Of society. AMI therefore IL
Is no, for the permanent interest OF any part
II society. that human beings should have 10
work from eighteen to twenty hours out OF
the iwcnty-four
There is some dispute In the trade as 70 the
urinary responsibility for this state OF thiheS.
Tho manufacturers assert. or at least II Is as
serted In their behalf by trade organs, That th'y
H., no, fix the prices which contractors pay, ana
that they derive no benefit whatever from the
present system. The contractors. on the other
hand sav that they cannot bind themselves 10
hotter terms for operatives without the support
and nroctcal guarantee Of manufacturers. The
latest ph,se Of the negotiations Is a demand on
rhc part Of the strikers that the contractors with
whom they deal directly shall give bonds to
keen their agreement 10 a ten hours day ana
,,cl scale of wages They declare that prom
isc ylthou, bond is worthless. The contractors
,llcco that this would put them At the mercy
o, rho manufacturers. nd they add that The
o,.rotlycs ought 10 = 80 bonds also AT this
min, procrrss toward a settlement Of the trouble
WAS interrupted on Friday. IL public opinion
counts for rs much In labor disputes rs Is COM
monty believed The strikers will win. though
prrhaps not so quickly AZ was expected day
or two ago.
The community has strong Interest rs we
have said. In this controversy, and would nave
IL IT concerned only excessive toll and very small
wages But these are not the only factors In the
trouble. nor are they from the point OF view
II society at large the most important. lhe
conditions under which these poor creatures 90
ihcll work constitute the most odio'is AMI the
most threatening feature or WIFI mas b'''Ih'
universally known as the sweating system The
word graphically depicts the fact. Crowded INTO
narrow. miserable rooms, breathing poisoned air
continuously contracting and communicating
disease and coniamlnatipg the garments they
handle the victims Of this system who are
pleading their own cause are not the only We
fins Of II. nor are they In fact pleading for
themselves alone. II the public Is concerned III
the enforcement OF laws 10 protect health ana
bound TO insist upon rigid application of sani-
tary science In the care Of streets tcncments,
factories schools. hospitals and the water sup
ply: II individual liberty is justly curtailed be-
fore IL can trcspass on the common welfare
then surely neither the interest, authority nor
obligation Of the people ceases mt the doors OF
these sweat shops Existence within them is
not industrial freedom, and bears only the re-
hottest resemblance to ii. Essentially 1t Is hui
man bondage, without any OF the alleviations
which commonly inhcre In the institution OF
slavery II IS n reproach 30 Ncw-iork that such
a system can be maintained here. 1t ought to
be abolished through the influence OF cnlight-
cned sclfintercst If that force Is Intellectual 1t
mus. be abolished by law.