The times., 1899-03-11
FEMALE FACTORY WORKERS.
An Interesting Witness Before the
Industrial Commission.

Industrial Commission.
The Industrial Commission heard testi-
mony yesterday relative to factory condi-
tions in Massachusetts. Mrs. Fanny b.
Ames, of Boston, former inspector oil
factories. proved an interesting witness.
Mrs. Ames was appointed to the commits
sion by Governor Russell in 1891 and served
as inspector for about seven years. During
that time she made careful enquiries into
the condition of female factory workers
throughout the State. The greater part OF
her testimony was devoted to a description
of these conditions.
She first discussed the conditions exist
f, ing in connection with child labor. She
said the laws of the State regulating the
| employment of children were very satis-
! factory. being applicable to the situation
! and strictly enforced. The children. she
| said. are not taxed with burdensome
| amount of work, and i'll many instances
! she had been surprised to find tne
work so light. She thought the WORK
/ required of them did not tnjure them
| physically. but was rather detrimental 10
/ their moral and mental development. In
| connection with this part of her testimony
! she stated that the educational laws re-
! Guiring a child to attend the public schools
until fourteen years old were very effect
/ i've in keeping out of the factories children
under that age. 1t is very seldom, she
said, that boys or girls under the age men
! toned are found working in the mills or
! factories. She was in favor of the age
! limit being changed from fourteen to six
teen years in order to give the children a
/ better education before allowing them to
/ go to work.
When asked about the sanitary condi
! tions of the factories and mills Mrs. Ames
! stated that there is now scarcely any
Z ground for criticism on that score. as the
/ factories are constructed with view 10 the
comfort and health Of the employees. There
| are occasional exceptions to this rule, but
they are very few indeed.
| Upon an enquiry from one of the Com
I mssioners as to the moral effect produced
among women by their employment in fac
tories Mrs. Ames said her observation led
1 her to believe that such work did not tend
! to decrease the standard of morality among
| them. and that they compare very favor
ably with any other class OF women IN this
respect. AS n general thing, she said the
! women operatives in factories are eminent
/ ly respectable. but she mentioned one eX-
ception to this rule where the women en-
pioyed in the factories OF Fall River, con-
sisting mostly OF French Canadians, fire.
quently go direct from the factory to sa-
looms. This instance OF deprayity, she
! being employed in the factories.
She said that she had tried in vain TO
locate the source of the stories printed in
| the newspapers that on account of the low
wages paid TO women operatives many OF
| them were forced to lead immoral lives
! in order to exist. She did not believe
this, as no such cases had come under her
| observation. She stated that girls OF
New England were unable to compete
with the lrish-American girls, and these,
in turn. had been compelled to retire from
competition with the women of French
Canadian origin. She thought it probable
that the French Canadians would in time
be forced to yield to the Russian Jews
and Poles. Those who have been driven
from The factory work have Improved theiI
condition and the greater number OF them
are teaching schools or are engaged in
some equally profitable and refining pur-
suit.
She thought the improvement in ma
chinery was not having the effect of lessen
ing the number OF employees. She stated
that there is growing competition between
machine operators and skilled hand labor
This, she thought. was having the effect o.
driving the hand laborers to higher clas!
Of efficiency by making them able to com
mand higher wages as their work is yerI
essential in all manufacturing branches.
Mrs. Ames stated that she had noticed
tendency toward filling the places formerl!
occupied by men with women. She though
the formation of trade unions among wo
men has had an excellent effect. as the!
tend to create a fraternal and helpful
spirit among the members. There wa
oae drawback, namely, that of making th
woman more positive of her rights, whicl
often caused trouble.
Mrs. Ames has travelled in the variou
manufacturing countries In Europe AM
has inspected many factories. From tines
observations she has concluded that tn
conditions affecting foreign labor were ia
inferior to those of the United States. Il
many countries they were not comparable
She expressed the opinion that notwith
standing the amount of attention paid 4
those subjects in England. factory condi
tions there are much inferior to those O
this country.