The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-02-05

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week, in factory; in their flats they
toll from daybreak to midnight for
a pittance, provided only that the
house meet the formal requirements
of the law in plumbing and fire es-
capes and cubic air space-require-
ments so low that they scarcely eX-
ist outside of the poorest homes away
from New York
Many Little Workers.
Miss Mary Van Kleeck, who, with
several other young women, has re-
Gently made an investigation of some
typical blocks of tenement houses
not picked out because they were
especially bad, found 558 child work
ers, of whom 400 were girls and 1853
boys, all under sixteen years of age.
One was only three years old; three
were aged four; twenty-One aged
five; twenty-three aged six; forty
four aged seven; fOrty-five aged
eight; seventy-six aged nine; seventy
one aged ten; sixty-two aged eleven;
ninety aged twelve; seventy-siX aged
thirteen; forty-six from fourteen to-
sixteen. Of the whole number 491
3
at home after school hours. Twenty
three were under age-tOO young
even for a kindergarten, but old
enough to work!
Miss Van Kleeck found it difficult
to classify the earnings or the hours
of the workers. In some families
there was dire need, and the work
went on all day and much of the
night; in others it was for few
hours only to supplement the earn
ings of the father. Some worked be-
cause it was the custom of the neigh
borhood; some to save money. A
good many, it was found, belonged
to families which have fallen far be-
low a decent standard of living, and
were, from time to time, or regular
ly, receiving relief from charitable
! society. Taking the maximum earn
| ings, during the rush season OF trade,
such cases as there were found:
One woman and one child, making
12O pairs of children's hose support
ers; woman works all day, child after
school hours, and both until II or IL
O'Clock at night; woman furnishes
machines and part of thread gross
| earnings,
One woman and five children,
branching apple blossoms; in a day
do eight dozen sprays at eight cents
dozen; earnings GA cents.
! One woman and two children, fin
ishing trousers; in a day do ten pairs
at five cents a pair; earning 80 cents.
One woman working all day and
one child, aged ten, working after
school, both until l a. M; making
six gross white roses (seven pieces
in each fiOwer) at six cents per gross;
earnings SO cents day.
How 1t Is Done.
Home manufacture profits no one
but the manufacturer, to whom it Of
| fers an escape from factory response
bilities Instead of organizing a reg
uIar staff of workers he utilizes the
work of fOreign-bOrn workers and
their children. He locates his shop
near their homes, and during the rush
seasons finds at his very door a suff1-
cient force of workers willing to toi'
all night to finish a hurry order. lie
escapes liability for employing chill
dren under age; he saves in rent and
light and power
To the worker home manufacture
means unlimited hours of work, the
employment of children and the
turning of the already crowded living
rooms into a branch of nearby fac
tory for an employer who pays less
| than a living wage.
For the consumer home work in
wolves the danger of infection from
goods made in crowded living apart
|