Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-09-17
An EXPOSITION
OF THE MISERABLE CONDITION
Of the New York Garment Workers,
By Joseph Barondess, of the
N. Y. Evening Journal.

to follow.
The public gets somewhat accus-
toned to these strikes, and they are
known as the annual outing of the
tailors."
But there is deep economic study
behind these strikes.
AS a rule these sweat shop victims
work extraordinary long hours, stitch
ing and stitching their lives away for
the privilege of keeping body and
soul together, that they may be ena-
bled to continue to work just as long
as their services are required
Did this question ever suggest itself
to you: How does it happen that
these people rebel all of u sudden and
compel their employers, by concen-
trated action, to accede to their de-
mands:
1t is because this is the Law of hui
man nature. There is only certain
quantity of patience within human
beir g, and when this quantity of pa
thence gives out that is the time re-
sistance begins.
Here are a few illustrations which
will make you realize why there is no
more room for patience among the
| garment workers:
The knee pants makers, children's
i jacket makers, and, for that matter,
all the garment makers, work on an
average 10 hours daily, and they can
hardly make s. per week.
In order to be able to drag out a
miserable existence the wife must
take some work home: the child, 10 or
- years old, is sent to the shop. from
which he is expected to graduate into
becoming a good, patriotic American
citizen.
The result is that the house is neg
lected, the children, uncared for, be-
come sick, and the home. humble as it
may be, is given up.
| have spent some time for the last
two days speaking to the strikers, and
have learned facts from them which
are sufficient proof to any man whose
heart throbs with sympathy for lis
fellow beings.
saw "a pay books Of working girls,
each one in the excellent (?) penman-
ship of the sweater, not exceeding
So. so for weeks wages.
In the shops where the children's
Jackets and cloaks are manufac tured
the lot of the working girls is still
worse.
In these shops they are employed
by the week and during working hours
they are not permitted to rise from
their seats or drink water.
Talk about the horrors of Siberia,
No such inhumanity would be possible
even there.
AS a result of this | am sorry to say
and the police authorities vii, bear
me out in this statement-m of the
fallen women of the East Side have
graduated from the sweat shops.
1t is a matter of everyday occur
renee to hear that some sweater hav-
ing kept the wages of his employees
for two or three weeks, jumps the
city, taking along with him the blood
wages which the victims we're so
anxious to get.
But the sweater does not cease his
criminal exploits; he goes to Phila-
delphia or some other city, outside
this state, and after he has COM
mitted there the same robbery over,
returns to New York and resumes his
operations on the grand old style.
I a new system of cheating and rob-
bling has been put in operation in the
sweat shops of late.
Girls are supposed to sew on "style''
tickets to each garment they finish,
and for each ticket lost a fine of l0c.
is imposed. Although they are of no
earthly use or value to anybody, and
nv " llllHA ALlN Neti Z W MIN 10 DO-
ing taken for these style cards in
view of the threatened fine, yet they
are being constantly lost and the poor
girls have to pay for them out of their
scant earnings.
1t is remarkable how rapidly the in
dependence of the garment makers
as mechanics is disappearing.
The introduct ton of the part work.
ers" is rapidly taking the place of
the mechanic and reduc ton of wages
go hand in hand with it. so that the
mechanic is compelled to become a
part worker" and a. such there
is no hope for him to gain recogni-
tion from the employer as an indi-
vidual laborer, and his only hope is
his union.
1t is competition which has created
the sweating system and all those
who share in the proceeds of compe-
tition and strive to perpetuate the
same'are guilty of this horror of white