New-York tribune., 1903-03-01
NEED OF LAUNDRESSES
What the c. 0. S: Is Doing TO Equip
Women-THe WASHING PrObiem.

The laundry committee of the Chlrity organiza-
ton Society has made an appeal for contributions
for the opening of two new laundries Tne pres
ent accommodations, at No. 5l6 West twenty
eighth-st., are totally inadequate for the work
which comes to them. and the drivers are obliged
to refuse orders every day This Is interesting III
view of the threatened laundry trust, by which
the steam laundries propose to raise prices all
around.
UnInitiated patrons may wonder how 1t is that
steam" laundries control hand" laundries SO
as to compel them to raise their prices. AS mat
ter of fact the hand laundres generally send all
their starched pieces and many others TO the big
steam plants. to be washed by machinery. All the
collars and cuffs and shirts go there and often
shirt waists, skirts and summer dresses for women
The hand laundries conine themselves largely,
though entirely, fiat work, sheets, pillow
cases, towels. etc
New-York's weekly laundry reaches enormous
proportions, and wash day Is one of the present
day problems of the big town. It Is a day OF
dampened misery. long drawn out in the poor tene-
ment dwelling. where the steamy tubs clutter the
kitchen all day. and the soggy clothes hang drying
In the living and sleeping rooms. perhaps for days,
in bad weather.
In the best apartment house 1t is hardly better.
for room is lacking to have the washing done
without inconvenience and disturbance Of the regu-
lar household routine. The enormous increase OF
apartment house and hotel living in Eew-Tork is
what has raised the weekly laundry bill to such
enormous proportions Only few years ago wash
Ing was as much part of every famiiys house
work the cookng-as 1t still is in villages. In
New-York to-day has the wash done at
home except from motives OF economy, or un-
less the family are rich enough to have a whole
house to themselves, unless they willing to
suffer inconvenience because Of their invincible dis
like for having their clothes washed in with other
peoples.
The invention Of steam laundry machines cheap
ened laundry work marvellously.
Steam laundres do the work a great deal more
cheaply than 1t can be done elsewhere. This con-
sideration is partly balanced however, by the
great destruction OF clothes. II a bit of edgng
gets caught in machine while it is going through
no friendly hand checks its progress 1t continues
to the bitter end. and frequently the garment
emerges in shreds. In emptying the machines,
also large pipes are used to carry off the water
quickly, and many small pieces descend with the
rushing current. Sometimes these recovered
by plumbers, not for their own sake but because
they stop up the pipe-6ut manged soiIed in
such a way to be worthless. That handkerchief
which did not come home from the wash. that
cuff which has disappeared leaving the other
useless, may safely be counted down
steam laundry pipe.
AS to the ironing glance at the napkins in
restaurants of the cheaper class will reveal the
product Of the mangle. Each particular edge of
the stiff, iimsy little folded napkin points in
different direction and stands out at a different
angle Little girls are employed in the big aun-
dries to fold these napkins. The steam heat of
the mangle through which they have been run
Slap them twice with the celebrity of a web
peIfecting press folding newspapers
1t is reasons of this nature that mpeI many
people to patronize the hand" laundry. But the
hand laundry that does all its work the premises
is very expensive affair that but the
plutocratIc patronize 1t. II requires many
tubs, such amount of floor space, large a
consequent rent. and such a force of employees that
enferprse and could not Compete in prices II it d
Laundry equipment is expensive: 1t cost one hand
laundry $500 to put in eight porcelain tubs
Gently. The ordinary hand laundries do portion
of their work the premises; but to work for the
prices they obliged to in order to get the trade
they have to send a large proportion Of IT to the
steam plants, which shows how the steam plants
can organize and raise prices all around
AS for the Chinese. they generally do their work
the premises. but 1t includes little family wash
Ing. Their work Is mostly shirts. collars and cuffs
with some general washing for men. which would
include aannels. and shirt waists and white skirts
in summer. They charge the highest market