The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-05
WORSE THAN SLAVES.
WOMEN WHO TOLL IN THE SWEAT
SHOPS OF AUSTRIA.
The Terrible Conditions Under
Which They Work Their Miser-
able Lives Out-Enhum,,nity of
the Commissioners.

1t was known that the condition of
women labor in the Austrian capital
was wretched enough, but question if
the best informed ever credited that
so appallingly low depth OF misery
had been reached as that revealed IN
a semi-official report of a commits
sioner of inquiry just published. The
investigations have been held during
the past three weeks in the hall of the
Austrian chamber of commerce here;
but the efforts of the commissioners
have been deprived of nearly all their
value by the Suppression OF the names
and addresses IN the report OF the
Understanding employers. The trades
inquired into were bookbinding, htho-
graphic printing and pasteboard max
ing. Wages, declared the labor experts
examined, have d gradual tendency
to decrease. In the 'poohblndlng trade
the skilled female hand, after SIX
s pence to shillings pence weekly.
The normal hours of labor are ten
daily New hands are chiefly girls from
II to IA years old, who go from factory
to factory seeking employment. In a
certain factory 10-year-old child
works ten hours daily. Wages of new
hands average from 2 shillings
pence to shillings pence weekly;
after one years service shllilngS
weekly are paid. Many receive better
wages than this. For several months
in summer, during the dead season,
wages of expert hands drop from
shillings weekly TO shillings 4 pence
and shillings pence. If these girl
workers have parents who can allow
them during this period a little none
tary aid-whicil is rarely the case
their condition, naively remarks the
report, is somewhat bettered. The
experts bitterly complain of the fines
and reductions from wages. In the
large factories, if a female hand chats
when at work with another she is fined
4 pence, or, when discovered putting a
piece of bread into her mouth, or ar
irving a minute after time, the fine
amounts to 10 pence. In oule establish
ment the female hands are sometimes,
as a punishment, kept at work an
extra half hour, just as children at
school. No extra pay is then allowed.
In another factory a mistake had
been made in the binding of a certain
book. The wretched woman had to
pay for the whole edition at trade
prices! What becomes of the fines the
-
socialist artisan at the factory had
once the hardihood to demand a ltok
at the fines book He was at once
dismissed.
Great sensation was experienced by
the commissioners when the conditions
of living were inquired into. One eN-
pert said that, as a rule, out CT 6 Shil-
lings 8 pence weekly wage 1 shilling
s pence was paid for lodging; the re-
mainder went on food and clothing.
The hands each bring a small flask of
7coffee-Which is. very frequently not
rewarmed and this, with a small piece
of black bread, constitutes the daily
meal. Some can afford to buy at mid.
day farthings' worth of boiled sour
cabbage, or Dennyworth' of horse
sausage, in addition. For supper. also
coffee and bread. On Sunday icy en-
joy potato soup. Sometimes a few
can afford the luxury OF a horsefiesh
steak costing pence, but on Monday
they are usually i'll, because the
stomach is not accustomed to digest
fat and flesh"
The workshops are often under
ground. Damp, evil-smelling and
dark is the condition of many. In
one, where gas is burned all day long,
the workers have to shade their eyes
when they come into daylight again.
In one room where thirty work there
is only one basin to wash the hands
in, and one towel, which is changed
once weekly. AS a. rule, women in
these factories dry their hands with
paper or shav.pgs. A case was re-
ported where the workers had them
selves TO purchase brushes and rags
and clean the factory floor during the
dinner hour In another factory the
room was only cleaned out once every
year. One workshop floor was so full
of holes that walking about was al
most IMPOSSIBLE; another was previ-
ously used as barracks, and water was
continually oozing from its Old walls,
and in winter it was full of smoke.
In such dens women toll ten hours
daily; in the busy season sometimes
from in the morning until midnight.
On Sundays, Notwithstanding the laws
tinued till ! o'clock in the
afternoon without further pay.
Naturally under such frightful con-
ditions general health suffers. Rare.
ly is a female worker over 80 years of
age. Two-thirds of their number are
attacked with consumption. Even the
dinner hour brings little rest to their
weakened systems. In many factories
those far from their lodgings are not
permitted to nave their meals in the
workshops, but must in all weather
knock about the neighboring streets or
seek shelter in peoples cafe, where
pence per glass for coffee is demanded.
All the experts examined. with one ex-
ception, complained bitterly of the
coarse treatment the female hands ex-
rerience from the male overseers
Oaths and rough pushes are general. 1t
is very doubtful indeed, if the kind eff
forts of these commissioners of inquiry
will have any good effect. The INFER
ests OF capital are all-powerful in
Vienna, and, though there are inspect
ors of factories, their duties are very
reniss.-Pall Mall Gazette.