The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-18
1T CAN BE DONE
Congress Can Remedy the
Sweating System.
Restriction of immigration is
What Is Required.
Starvation Wages are Now Paid to
Garment Workers.

Albany, Jan. 1S-"Congress san to n
very large degree solve tho 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"
That is the most important paragraph
I'm the nth annual report of New York
State Factory Inspector oIeary, and
he alleges that the greatest evil which
labor is hurdened with is no more preva-
lent in New York city than il 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 O'Leary says:
with knee pants bringing but from
80 to 10 cents per dozen, vests from 81
to 80 per dozen. trousers from l2la TO rs
cents per pair and coats from 80 cents
TO $l.5O each. with percentage off these
prices for the boss sweaters, and an
other reduction off for cost Of carting,
which the workman Is obliged TO pay,
we cannot expect to find anything but
nestitution, 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
utilize this kind OF labor. There are
nearly 150 Wholesale cloak houses in the
same city, and only few Of them have
suitable shops and workrooms of their
own in which TO do the work. ~
Nearly all -eady-made clothing is
now made up in places of this kind.
The contractors, who operate fairly
good shops. as n rule. do not complete the
garments, but parcel out the minor parts,
such as Telling, button-holing, sewing
on buttons, etc., TO cub-contractors or to
families, who do the work in tenemeuts
or dwelling houses at prices which. af-
ter the long hours OF toll, will produce
only n 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, If only
given a chance TO work. thus volunta-
rlly subjecting themselves to a condi-
tion 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 overcrowdlng factory
workrooms, but 1t cannot prevent the
cvercrowding Of rooms in tenements
which are used as workrooms by mem-
bers 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 u and youths under IS
years Of age when employed in shops.
but it cannot prevent such long hours OF
toll being imposed on persons of the
same age when employed at home.'