New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-24
REMEDY FOR "SWEATSHOPS."
FACTORY INSPECTOR ADVOCATES RE-
sTRICTION OF IMMIGRATION.
WHAT HIS DEPARTMENT HAS LEARNED BY
WATCHING THE "swEATsHOP' DISTRICTS
OF THIS CITY-woRKERs RESIST
LEGAL AID.

.c-oes with Governor Black that the stopping Of
immigration is the only remedy for cheap labor.
" a discussion Of "swcatshops' and the clothing
,,sus;rv in hts annual report he says:
THE First Factory District comprises The coun-
tics Of Kings Queens. Richmond and Suffolk. out
sde the city OF Brooklyn no 'sweatshops are found
and only a very few tailor shops The people en-
raacd in manufacturing rcady-made cothing-no
matter what their nationality may be-aro, as a
rrie employed together in one part or section Of
the city. Brooklyn has three sections whosein tho
clothing employees live and work. In all there are
e-S shops in tho city. employing 1858 persons. as
shown by the reports Of the inspectors
The largest sweating district is in the Sixteenth
and Twcnty-seventh wards. in what is commonly
Known as Dutchtown.' The workers here Ger
mans Iithuanians and Jews The shops and places
wherein they work arc located for the most part
IN the following streets: Ten Eyck Naujer Mes
eroe Powers. Devoe. Bogart, Ellery. Melrose. Nol.
Hart Monteith. Stage. Scholes. Leonard, Humboldt
and Morrell and in Flushing Hamburg and Mont
rose ayes. also in Siegel. Cook. Debevoise Moore.
Poe-,im McIlbbin, Naret Fayette and Garden SITS.
brownsville is the next sweating district of con-
sequence the city. and the population Of Browns
vile IS made up OF Jews alone. ;hey having left the
crowded East Side Of New-York City 20 take UP
their residence and vocation in this settlement The
thiri sweating district Is located IN what is called
the old North Side Of Williamsburg. In the Four
teenth Ward and Is confined to North Fourth.
North Fifth and Roebng sts and Dregs-ave The
clothing workers found here consist Of Italians AM
Iiihuanans
IN MANHATTAN BOROUGH.
The Second Factory Inspection District IS COM
posed OF the county and city Of New-York alone.
IN this district find 509l shops and $3.50 work
ers - per cent OF whom are Jews about - per
Italians. and the balance is made up Ct Hungari-
ans Russians and Enssh-speakns men and
women In the table for This district included
fg- ~ sho nd no
ployed in them wherein are made coats. vests.
pants. knee-pants. hats. caps Qor women or chill
dren made Of wool fur FOR men. boys or Infants
coaks. capes Gor women or chdren), furs of all
kinds, women's coats and vests. waists OF all
kinds suits for men. boys and women. neck
wear or all kinds overals. binding trimmings
used on clothing for either men women. aprons
and overcoats Of every description. While many
o. the articles enumerated above can be found in
process Of manufacture in nearly every part of the
city. yet very little notice IS taken OF such places
outside OF the great and much-talked-of East Side.
and IL is 70 this section or locality that must
turn our attention.
The district where the sweating system so
called. IS virtually confined IS that section Of the
c-y contained within the locality bounded by
Eighth-st on the north. the BOwery on the west
Catharine-st. on the south. and East River on the
east The population living within this territory.
gathered from the Bureau Of Elections and the
Police Department is between 5000 and 5000 per-
The Department has endeavored in every way
consistent under the Law 20 aid the people engaged
IN this work IN establishing better and more hu-
name condluons appealing 10 the owners OF prop
erty 10 manuta and TO leaders OF organiza-
iions ou: far the contractors and many OF he
workers themselves were concerned no responsive
effect vas noticeable On the contrary. there was
siuliei attempt az EVASION ana DECEPTION Inc
elimination o. foul ana hlihy conditions from a
place one week would be found 10 be- aggravated
ienioa "heA VISITED me io-o"IhS week. Tao
se.i-resit,tiS among the workers nave noticed
and commended the efforts OF the Department 10
conditions but 10 those isnorant Of the intent Of
the law the efforts OF the Department have been
dega 6 OF enY 10 ard R69F
the statute is the only result Of this feeling.
STRIKE DIDN'T BETTER WAGES.
The great strike last spring o. the clothing
workers had led TO the belief that better prices
pevail In the trade, but, rule. do not find
il so. at least. not TO any great extent While the
busy season prevailed better prices were paid for
work. but when the rush was over the manu-
facturers and contractors had their turn strik-
ing. and in almos; every instance the workers
were forced back TO the old standard The prices
pad In New-YOrk city for the making o. articles
OF clothing seem most beyond belief. II is
claimed that the task system mas been abolished:
"PAilanthropists and other humanely disposed
persons and societies which are constantly discuss
population of the East Side. New-York CITY make
mis- ake when hey think that by flooding some
other trace 10y iltT VA chool metAo-s tley
are curing the disease. far from it-for Dy this
cONtdElON
Work-peoi-e ~ otner vacations INTO dscontent and
trouble. and into the very same channel In which
much Ike trying TO keep sinking vessel ahoat
when tle leak admits more water than me pumps
i T ns 6t IN workers Ths sho S 'G So 5 @
done. the real situation should be placed before
The cause of the trouble among clothing work
ers can never BE- cured undl something is done 10
ia~. 80 or as Ms ciSes .. 115I, ,'
fg-rfr H.nfr frs- Of X,.r
o1sz1 ~ ,1s6 me VII All ~ ra NO 5
situation. stop undesirable immigration and i'm a
prs w-Hic6 yi 9revaii FOR In the ilcl Of botter
prices for the labor done lie al ne trouble and
cause FOR complaint
The clotalag cutters. who are supposed to be-
on the Eas, side fare bat little better than the
clothing worker. Wages 81 cutters run ~ high
as 81 week and as low as H-more often 81
than So cutter who works by the piece on
hundred Jackets day for 81: on vonens cloakS
they receive 2i2 cents FOR beaver cloth and from
low pss ' s 'S' RaTdy ever reaeheG exeSp by
among the clothing workers covers period OF
ron seven 70 nine months in each year
CHILD LABOR DECREASING.
Speaking o. The employment o. children in fac
tories. Nj OLeary's report says: The advance
ment watch The STATE Of New-York has made in
the last Twelve years IN the matter OF protection
ana education % The children within It's borders
mus. be very gratifying. \ marked decrease s.
shown ia the employment OF children under six
teen years o. age ! total OF n,l74 children under
sixteen years % age Is found and reported In an ag-
Trogae Of G22 60 employees or rs per cent. compared
Wth 20 per cent FOR 1886 marked decrease IS
also noted IN IA. e-nloveut OF ilitcrate children.
and Nkcwise iu The employment OF children under
fourteen years OF TIE Penal CODE prcScflDe5
aglins: the employment OF children under sixteen
years of axe dangerous machinery, DIt an-
aor,y nor vested in one 70 enforce ne pfo.
visions o. the code IT, our opinion '-l9 "''"'i''.
Q
IN our opinion. there seems 20 " no eocl reason
WY there should De any age limit at all placed
upon TIE hours o. labor Of any working~o,in,an.
The restrictive clause limiting the hours 81 Iaoo'
70 Sky week should be applied 90 all iehalrs;
Irrespective OF their age. Amy woman emPCyr'
a. manual labor FOR ten consecutive hours GAY,