The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-18
CURE FOR SWEATSH0PS
New York Factory Inspector Says
Congress Should Act.
Restriction of immigration
Would Help.
No Laws Made to Reach Tenement House
Workers.

Albany, Jan. Estate Factory In
spector O'Leary. in his 11th annual re-
port, goes into details In regard to the
evils of the sweating system in vogue In
all of the principal cities of America.
The inspector says: Congress can to
very large degree solve the problem OF
the abolition OF the sweating system by
Passing more stringent emigration laws
and by a tax system that would force
the workers out Of the tenements into
shop buildings where state legislation
can reach them"
Further he says the greatest evil which
labor Is burdened with Is no more preva-
lent in New York city than it Is In Buff
falo, Rochester, Syracuse, Philadelphia,
Boston, Chicago San Francisco, Hart
ford, Newark st. Louis, st. Paul and
every other large centre of population,
and especially In cities or localities
where the manufacture Of clothing Is
carried on TO any exent
Inspector OLeary says:
with knee pants bringing but from
50 to 70 cents per dozen. vests from 81
to SO per dozen, trousers from 1914 to IS
cents per pair, and coats from S2 cents
TO $3.50 each, with q percentage or these
prices for the boss sweaters. and an
other reduction of for cost of carting,
which the workman is obliged to pay,
we cannot expect to find anything but
destitution. suffering. intellectual and
moral depression. existing amongst the
unfortunate victims Of this pernicious
system.
I'm New York city alone. we have
about 400 wholesale clothing manufac-
turers or jobbers. and nearly all Of these
Ht LII 80 lah
nearly $50 wholesale cloak houses in the
same city, End only Yew Of them have
suitable shops and workrooms Of their
own In which to do the work.
Nearly all ready-made clothing is
now made up In places Of this kind.
The contractors, who operate fairly
good shops, as a rule, do not complete the
garments, but parcel out the minor parts.
such as telling, button-holing, sewing
on buttons, etc, to sub contractors or to
families, who do the work In tenements
or dwelling houses at prices which, af-
ter the long hours Of toll, will produce
only a few cents. The condition Of the
clothing trade in New York city is worse
today than ever before. We find men
going to the employer and Offering to
work two or three hours extra, II only
given a chance TO work, thus volunta-
rily subjecting themselves to a condi-
ton Of slavery. Right here Is where all
the evils Of the sweating system come
IN. for all complaints are based upon
the amount of wages earned. and the
laws OF the state prescribe no remedy
which can be applied at this point
''The power of the officers OF the bu-
reau is limited and their duties are pre-
Scribed by law. The department can
abate the evil Of overcrowding factory
workrooms. but IL cannot prevent the
Overcrowding Of rooms in tenements
which are used as workrooms by MEM
hers Of families.
''The officers OF the department can
force the child under IA years Of age.
and the illiterate child out of the work.
shop, or factory, but are powerless to
rnolest them when they are found en-
ployed in their own home circles. The
department can cause the reduction OF
excessive hours of labor required of
women under Il and youths under Is
years of age. when employed I'm shops.
but 1t cannot prevent such long hours Of
toll being imposed on persons Of the
same age when employed at home"