Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-19
cuae FOR sweArsHops.
New York Factory inspector ssys that Con.
4. gress Should Act

| Albary. Jan. 1S-Sfate Factory In
spector O'Leary. in his 18th annual re :
lport, gees into Details in regard to the
,cvils Of the sweating system in vogue In
all Of the principal cities of America.
The inspector says: Congress can to a
| very large degree solve the problem OF
the abolition of the sweating system by
passing more stringent emigration laws
and by taS system that would force
tine workers out of the tenements into
shop buildings. where state Legislation
c;in reach them.
Further he says the greatest evil whicE
labor Is burdened with is no more preva-
lent in New York city than it Is in Buff
lfalo, 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
10 TO rs cents per dozen, vests from 81
TO SO per dozen, trousers from 12la to 10
cents per pair, and coats from 90 cents
TO 81 so each. with aspercentageO 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
Iaestitution. suffering. intellectual and
moral depression. existing amongst the
unfortunate victims of this pernicious
system.
I'm New York city alone. We have
bn Ia S.fn n limo inf
turers or jobbers, and nearly all of these
utilize this kind of labor. There are
nearly $50 Wholesale cloak ::ouses in me
same city. end only few of them have
suitable shops land workrooIns 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
IN buttons. etc. to sub-contractors or to
rdmilics. who do the work in tenements
or dwelling houses at prices which, af-
Ter the long hours of toll. will produce
only 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
york two or three hours extra. if only
l.iVcn a chance 10 work, thus volunta-
rily subjecting themselves to condi-
zion of slavery. Right here is where all
She evils OF the sweating system come
in. for all complaints are based upoI:
he amount of wages earned, and the
laws of the state prescribe no remedy
= hich can be applied at this point.
The power of the officers of the bu-
1eau is limited. and their duties are pre-
scribed by law. The department can
lbate the evil OF overcrowding factory
Worhrooms, but ii cannot prevent the
ryercrowding of rooms in tenements
which are used as workrooms by men,
bers of families.
The officers OF the department can
force the child under IA years of age,
md the illitcrate child out Of the work.
shop, or factory. but are powerless to
Ilolest them when they are found en-
pioyed 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
gears 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"