New-York tribune., 1897-01-18
FACTORY INSPECTION.
WORK DONE BY THE DEPARTMENT IN
THE LAST YEAR.
HOW THE CONDITIONS OF THE ToILERs HAVE
BEEN HELPED-THE swEATsHOp EVILS


BEEN HELPED-THE swEATsHoP EVILS
MINE INSPECTION.
Albany. Jan. l7.-State Factory Inspector OLeary |
has completed his report for 1886 The report |
shows that total of 2. 7.i25 inspections
ported for the year. an increase OF 6.20 over the
previous year. and includes manufactures. bake
shops. mines and mining plants. In the establish |
ments visited there reported employed 537.'Vc
people. 1925 OF whom were women. OF which |
number 53.9H under twenty-one years Of age; |
there r. 100 children over fourteen and under
sixteen years of age There were 81 children under
fourteen years found employed. compared with |
2l1 for 1885, and only lS illlterate children. as |
compared with 80 for 1895.
The amendments to Section OF the law relating |
10 child labor. which recommended by the |
Renhard investigating committee, appointed to IN
vcstigate the subject OF woman's work in New-York
City made a radical change from the old method
OF treating this subject BY its provisions the
duty and responsibility of enforcing this section OF
the law was divided among the local boards OF
health throughout the State and the Factory De-
partment. The regulations have been in force
but a short time and consequently an extensive re-
port on their workings cannot be had. but from
the results thus far obtaired it Is evident that the
recommendations of the Reinhard committee were
most timely and move in the right direction. The
amended law is working beneficially for those chill
dren whom It designed 10 protect
The greatest difficulty met is that OF chill
dren of foreign birth. The law provides that a
child must have attended school where the
common branches of reading, spelling writing
arithmetic. English grammar and geography are
taught or upon equivalent instruction by COM
petent teacher elsewhere than at school TOT Il
perlod equal to one school year Health boards
generally and President Wilson, Of the New-iork
| City Department Of Health particularly. interpret
| this language of the law to mean that the ch'id
must show that he has regularly attended school
| during the preceding year, and must De aoie 10
| read and write simple sentences in the thei'h
| language before he can be granted certihca'e
Some children of foreign birth. sufficiently educated
| in their language. but unable TO read or Wr'Ve
tho English language. have been unable 10 get
| certificates and these forced into schooirooms
10 master the English language, VINO woulh o'ne.
wise spend years in the country before thes "ouia
! becoue Notwithstanding citizens. This construc-
ton of the law by the health boards packe" d. Il
strict enforcement of the law by the factory ue-
| nar,ment forms a process of Americanizing ior-
| jgn-born children which. under old conai'ohs'
could never be obtained
The inspector recommends further reducuoh
~ the hours of labor for women under twenty-one
and Youths under eighteen to hfty-eieht houiS "
week The legal limit Is now Sixty.
Fire-escapes receive considerable attention
Practical advice is offered 10 both the employer ana
the employe the Intelligent use Oh liii' i'en''
NJ escape from high buildings In case OF nre Inc
ronort saws that every cmploye working above inc
second floor should be obliged to descend '"e "e-
escane at least once each month
The sweatshop and sweaters are trea'eu a' ie"s'"
in the report which says in part
"w,,b knee pants bringing but from 30 to 20 cents
nov Dozen vests from 81 to 81 per dozen ttousr.s
per * cents per pair and coats from 81 cents
TO 81 20 each with percentage OH I',,dn of for
nt ine ~ car,aee which the workman f. Obliged 10
pay cannot expect TO mo ar as nr,i denrcsson
exsing y ysms son We oi ha@s
pr pm, }our hundred wholesale clothing manufaS,-
urers or jobbers and nearly az o tnese nes,na c,oak
tnu oi IN he same city and only few OF ihem have
suitable shops and workrooms OF their own III VIII"
Sea cOhnf no Is masfa moM made
WI wnd, al sces Of this kind The contractors who oper-
ap up ~ Wr,riv good shops as a rule do not complete the
garmenfS p@t sewing on buttons etc. to
subconractors or to families VINO & ao t wh,ch after
long hours Of toll viii produce only few cents rne
condition Of the clothing trade IN w nd msn O gSns
to the employer and offering TO work TWO OF 'lue ,h
noolmntariiv sbiecting themselves to condition OF
slavery Right here is where all 'ns sNnS 81 ar or,
swea,ng syiem ba AMOUNT noun Of wages earned and the
laws OF the State prescribe no remedy "i"o" van "
aPR1u PRwhen ever @ he sweating system is spoken o.
NewYork city is pointed rG out as rs and Where
it can be to advantage by any he sbect
peTsoT sorv who S sefks hs IS sn great
same human Conditions prevail in buffalo Rochester syra
N
| Uartford Newark ST Louis, ST. Paui anu ti n.ei !,
niher large centre OF population ana especial,! , !, u
cities or localities where the Manufacture vi 0io'"
n | inr is carried to any extent. ,,, ,hroro,
. .'The possibility OF contagon spreaudans tnanus ,
. infected clothing coming from theSe e;, n',9 ~ p an
e is very great The combination living roon aib a y
. | work shop is a positive menace 10 me 'ea' and -
Q ~ cor r,unlty and the utmost vigilance ana &c
q i,y ~ the officers OF the Department are ilaue
. onats N cone with these conditions, SO iar d
~ | cleanliness is concerned o. 60 q vary Ia ry
= The rnnort saws that Congress can TO very Iars
e ,aaree solve the problem OF aboishng the eViis 0
: The sweating system by more striheent e's, s,a a
y lion laws and by tax system WI VIII IT, sho
= force the workers out OF tenements anu n,o s'1o
! hn,Id,rys where the conditions could De iuiy co
! troIlcd bv State legislation ,, , -, ,so
The re1ort SAYS that the Bakeshop law OF lSs
ne ,ha most benefcent In the line OF labor iegis
Ion W. of any ever secured for the people OF I'M
n State hours OF labor being reduced ana uhsah'"
:, conditions remedied . ,so.o, =, la,o.t
, Tha inspection OF mines is considered az ieng u
q pagardinr this subject Mr.. OLeary says; Inc n'r
"A sSaction # the mines showed many OF them 10 pe
ia & bad and dangerous condition. Boilers and eI
-,es we're in bad condition and the manner OF manu-
e ling and treating high explosives IN soihe ,,
=, .ns eimnlv frghtful. In place tne ihsPec'
"a s,nd ioo hounds OF dynamite under ana apout tn
"A iiars In the engine house. blaster was priInn
10 re "a ariridges and about thirty men were stand,
"a h sPie some OF them amusing themselves by tossn
N nrne az the cartridges from one 10 anotner
-, ,o,aliv unconscious OF the awful consequence
a. a. wwb,cb might result from their foong .o.
% "n,rIng the wear 1895, there were twenty 81 Y
10 @ nine During 1895 nearly twenty OF the fatal
,es we're the result Of failing roof rock In lsso ~,
y W. s,,w,a death was reported from this cause Durn
~ Tear mast great Improvement looking 10 III
st snse,y s ~ those employed has been made