The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-05-09
MANY HORRORS. .
lN:ASWEAT SHOP
MAKE COATS. FOR 10 CENTS.
CHEAPEST j.. COATS IN THE
WORLD MADE IN NEW
YORK CITY. {:
How the Jewish, Immigrants Of New
York Toll Day After Day for
Mere Pittance.. The Struggle
for Existence.

for Existence.
We hear much as to the suppression
of the evils of the sweating system,
and while conditions have undoubted-
ly been improved in some respects, it
still tells a story Of want and inhuman
task masters beyond the comprehension
of those who happen to belong to the
more fortunate classes Of society. About
one half of the coats made in New York
City are to-day produced under the task
system, and a recent report Of the Com
missioner Of. Labor of New York state
that the workers on clothing comprises
more than $4,000 Of the entire $1,000
persons y who work in licensed work
rooms in New York City.
The sweating systems originated with
the Jewish immigrants between 1876 and
1882, and took the place of the German
tailor for ready-made work. The coat
for which the tailor received IS or Sc
as custom work, and for which he re-
ceived $3.50 and $500 in the dull season
as ready-made work was made in these
task shops for $3.50 and 50. At this
price the immigrants earned as much
as, or more than, the merchant tailors.
The later made very little use of the
sewing machine, most of his work be-
ing done by hand. When the division
was introduced in these "sweat shops"
each particular division became trade
n itself; the machine operator did not
know how to do pressing, the presser
could not do basting, and 50 on. The
machine operator became an important
factor in the trade. He was able to
10 many parts Of the work by machine
that were formerly done by hand, with
the result that the coat was made much
quicker, and the men who were en-
gagged in Blasting were able to do more
md better work than under the old re-
zine, the same being true to the press
RS and finishers.
In addition to the division of labor,
the special characteristic Of the task
system so distinguished from the piece
system consists in the fiction that the
workmen earn a standard wage per
week. The scale now adhered to is $18
for the operator, and SIG for the bas-
ter, and 81 to 50 for the girl edge baster
or finisher and $11 and $12 for the man
edge-baster who has latterly taken the
girls place. Twenty years ago it was
found that on this this basis a team
could finish eight or nine cheviot coats
in a. day, the price per. coat per team
being about 80 cents. The present price
is from 20 to IS cents. The process by
which the price of labor was reduced
is instructive in the ways Of these keen
business people. The contrac tor would
offer to make coats fort heE n1anufac--
zturenes eheap AYe:ees rs
/ made BY otherS teams Ding home, he
would inform his help that work was
slack, and since he did not want to
lose any he had had to take a contract
at less rate than formerly. Not wish
ing to reduce their wages he would tell
them all they would have to do would
be to make one more coat in a day.
task. From one additional coat they
were successfully raised one at a. time
until they are now maging as many as
twenty coats a day. In this way in
tense seed was developed, but even with
thirteen hours constant work day
the men say that in only very rare
cases can a team complete task in a
day, five per week being the average
while in former years seven and eight
tasks were the rule. The increased
number of caosts per task explains the
T. reason why women and girls can nc
longer hold their own against the men
About $500 girls have been driven out
Of the trade by the men, simply be-
cause the former are physically unable
| to per form the tasks.
The cheapest lined coat in the world
| in made in New York City in the Bor-
ough of Brooklyn. The contractor is a
Jew, and he employees Jews-Poles an6
Italians-ffty in all, the weekly salary
roll being 1884, the output 5000 coats
per week and the total number of week.
| ~ hours of labor being sixty-six. Al
this establishment, a complete coat
| trimmed, stitched, pressed, felled, but.
ton holes made and buttons sewed or
| is ready for the wearer for 10 cents
| Ten years ago this coat would have
| cost to produce As cents. It requires
| one houh and six minutes to make this
coat, and the total cost Of the labor or
it is 1871 cents. Trained men are re-
quired to keep up with the amazing
speed Of Perpetrators in this shop, ani
no green hands are taken. Men en-
gagged at this work are able to earn a:
much as those engaged at higher class
es Of work, where the speed is less ant
it is thus that the enduring ability o.
the men is an important factor and en-
ables them to compete successfully with
female labor at cheaper rates. Suc1
is the strain that the women usually
leave the trade after five or six years
! ~
! The average income for the NAL,
home workers was $3.50 for the first si1
months of 1902, but nearly two third;
of those included in this average wer,
skilled tailors employed in making tn,
entire garment. The average earning
| of male flnishers who had an averag,
Of one helper apiece, amounted to onl!
$213 for six months. The average in
come Of 1913 female home workers in tn
first six months of 1902, was only $50
or $500 weekly. The average of hoIn
finishers alone was only $7s::1, which i
equivalent to $500 for each week, AM